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I'm so very tempted to buy a solar-powered fountain (about 21" in diameter, 30" tall; it's made of Stonecast which is cement/fibreglas blend I think) that I saw in a catalog. The upper tier (there are 2) of the fountain has the solar panel plus a choice of two nozzles (bubble or mini-spray) for the water circulation. My sunniest area is too far from the house to run an extension cord for a conventional fountain, and because I'm looking for another house I don't want to spend money on having underground wiring installed here... so, solar power seems the sensible way to go.
But I'm wondering how well they actually DO work. Naturally I wouldn't expect much of anything on a cloudy day, but when it is sunny do they work properly? My main concern is to keep the water moving sufficiently to prevent mosquito eggs hatching.
"User opinions" on solar-powered fountains, please? Many thanks!
Well I would say from what I have seen of solar panel off grid systems like a friend of mine that it would work quite well.
main trick is to keep as much sunlight on it as possible, this may mean changing the angle of the solar panel every few weeks all year round.
Also add a drop of bleach to the water every week and no mosquito problem at all.
I bought a solar-powered fountain online about a year ago and was not too happy with the results. I guess it was a lower-end fountain - I think I paid around $80 for it. Before I bought it, I contacted the company and they claimed it could get up to 8 hours of power after the sun went down. It did for the first couple of weeks, then it was downhill from there. Only an hour or two of juice in darkness, then abruptly, nothing at all, even while in direct sunlights (disclaimer: I live in the 'sub tropical' region of south texas, so plenty of sunshine). This all occured over a couple of weeks to a month. I remember now, it was from siliconsolar.com and was the 'night and day fountian.' All I expected was a little trickle, just some soothing abient noise - nothing exoctic like a stream projected high into the air. Anyway, it sort of died after the warranty period, and I didn't spend enough money to really pursue getting a refund, so I just sort of gave up. Now, it's collecting dust in me garage.
I'd be interested if anyone finds a better product. I too, would rather not have to run electic lines to my little garden....
The batteries might work less hours after long time use, but you also have to make sure that you get enough sun lighting to charge the batteries. I got my 3 watt solar water fountain system for about $85, and it worked pretty well. I will start automatically at preset time everyday, and it comes with LED lights (a bonus for me.) By the way, I got it from [url=http://www.esolarlighting.com/Solar-Fountains-s/4.htm]Solar Fountains[/url]
I bought a solar-powered fountain online about a year ago and was not too happy with the results. I guess it was a lower-end fountain - I think I paid around $80 for it. Before I bought it, I contacted the company and they claimed it could get up to 8 hours of power after the sun went down. It did for the first couple of weeks, then it was downhill from there. Only an hour or two of juice in darkness, then abruptly, nothing at all, even while in direct sunlights (disclaimer: I live in the 'sub tropical' region of south texas, so plenty of sunshine). This all occured over a couple of weeks to a month. I remember now, it was from siliconsolar.com and was the 'night and day fountian.' All I expected was a little trickle, just some soothing abient noise - nothing exoctic like a stream projected high into the air. Anyway, it sort of died after the warranty period, and I didn't spend enough money to really pursue getting a refund, so I just sort of gave up. Now, it's collecting dust in me garage.
I'd be interested if anyone finds a better product. I too, would rather not have to run electic lines to my little garden....
Possibly the fault is with the batteries. If the battery is dead, no amount of charge helps and it may need to be replaced.
Solar powered stuff for the yard has always been very disappointing. I won't buy any of it anymore until the technology improves.
I tend to agree. I have high hopes for solar yard decorations, however. Someday they'll work the bugs out, and when they do I'm buying several strongs of solar white christmas lights for my pine trees.
there are many different mfg of solar powered pumps
I would not make a generalization about ALL of them based on spotty anecdotal evidence
some people on other boards use solar pumps not just because the electric outlet is too far away but because they choose to avoid using mfg energy when solar is available...
the fact is that the more you pay and better quality for battery life is obtained, the chances are that you will have better experience...
I've been wanting one for my patio since there isn't an electrical socket there. I was wondering if they worked properly.
I'm with normie....I can't wait for ALL outdoor lighting to go solar. It would be so much easier at Christmas.
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