WATER FEATURE CHALLENGE - 3
A few preps were needed before I could start building my fountain, to prepare the planters, test the pump, and make sure all the components fit together.
PLUGGING PLANTERS: The planters I bought had a drainage hole and came with rubber plugs. For the large planter, all I needed to do was to use the silicon sealer around the plug to make sure it was watertight. I let the sealant set overnight, and put some water in the planter to make sure there was no leakage.
The small planter was a little more complicated. I first drilled a hole on the plug that came with the pot. That in itself was tricky because the plug was made of elastic material. I put the plug in place, applied silicone, and then, tried to push the tubing through the drilled hole. That turned out to be a real messy thing to do.
After some struggle to keep the plug (with the tubing) in place, I ended up using some clear tape to keep the plug from moving until the sealant was set. Next time (if there's a next time), I will push the tubing through the plug first, then, apply silicone. Alternatively, I could cut a few inches of PVC pipe and place it through the plug. Live and learn!!
TESTING WATER PUMP: I got this tip from one of the websites I studied (resource list coming soon) to test the pump before you put the fountain together. Makes perfect sense - especially if you are going for the fixed design. I wanted to also make sure the dry-run protection worked.
Everything looked good. The pump seemed to push enough water and the shut-off mechanism kicked in quick when the pump was out of water. I was also pleasantly surprised that the solar panel worked right out of the box (without charging) even in a cloudy day.
BONUS ROUND - SPRAYPAINTING: I wasn't necessarily planning on doing this until I saw the planters I ordered. The sizes were perfect, and I really liked their round shape.
The color was okay - it was a little darker than I thought but I could work with it. What I didn't like was the matte texture. I know, it's made of concrete, right? But it seemed unfinished to me. So, I bought a can of Rust-oleum Universal Hammered in Dark Bronze ($12 at a local store; similar items available on Amazon).
I first tested it on the medium-sized planter, which I was not going to use for the fountain. It gave the planter a subtle metallic sheen, made it look almost like glazed ceramic. (It didn't produce the "hammered" texture, though, perhaps because I put a very thin coat.) I LOVED the look, so went on and painted other two planters.
FINALLY... I put main components together to get a rough sense of how everything would fit together well. Installation is a go!
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