Most fountain pumps are not hard to install. They are, however, easy to install in an order that makes the first start fail, and the usual response to a fountain that will not run on day one is to conclude the pump is faulty and send it back.
Often it is not faulty. It is full of air, or it is not quite underwater, or the tube has a kink in it that you cannot see because it is inside the column.
This is the order of operations that avoids all three, taken from what the pump manufacturers themselves print in the manuals that come in the box.
What you are actually installing
It helps to stop thinking of the pump as a part and start thinking of it as one end of a closed loop. The loop is the reservoir, the pump, the tube, the outlet at the top tier, and then the open air the water falls back down through.
Every one of those five things can stop the fountain. Only one of them is the pump.
- The reservoir
- The lower basin. It has to hold enough water to keep the pump covered while the fountain is running, which is not the same as the level you filled it to
- The pump
- Sits in the reservoir, fully underwater
- The tube
- Runs from the pump outlet up through the column to the top tier. Its diameter and its bends are part of the pump, not accessories to it
- The outlet
- Where the water leaves the tube. Its height above the running water level is the lift the pump is working against
- The fall
- Tier to tier, back to the reservoir. This is the part you are paying for, and it is also where water leaves if the flow is set too high
If you have not chosen the pump yet, the sizing question comes first and it is a separate one: how to size a fountain pump covers what the two numbers on the box mean and why the headline one is measured under conditions your fountain does not have.
Disconnect power before checking the pump
Unplug the fountain before putting your hands in the water, moving the pump or disconnecting tubing. Check the intake, hose connections and any kinks with power disconnected. Reassemble the fountain and restore the required water level before switching it on again. Do not disconnect tubing while the pump is running.
Before the pump goes in, deal with the base
This section is our judgment from the shapes we sell rather than a manufacturer instruction, and we are marking it as such.
A tiered fountain distributes water by letting it spill over a lip. A lip only spills evenly if it is level. Tilt the fountain a few degrees and the water stops going over the whole rim and starts going over the low side of it, which looks wrong and also throws water outside the basin, which is one of the routes described in the article on fountains losing water.
- Level the base before anything else goes on it. Check it in two directions at ninety degrees to each other, not one.
- Think about what it is standing on. A concrete fountain is heavy and soil is not a stable footing. Bare soil settles under load, and it settles unevenly, so a fountain that was level in April can be off by the middle of summer.
- Do the leveling with the basin empty. Adding a few gallons of water will not correct a tilt, and it makes the whole thing far harder to move.
- Assemble dry first if the fountain comes in pieces. Stack the tiers, check that each one sits flat on the one below, and only then start on the plumbing.
Seating the pump
Place the submersible pump in the fountain’s designated pump area, in the position specified for that model. Keep the intake clear and the pump accessible for cleaning. Maintain the required water coverage while the fountain is running, after water has filled the tubing and upper tiers.
The tube run is part of the pump
Use the tubing size and fittings specified for the pump and fountain. Check for kinks after assembling the tiers. For threaded connections, use sealing tape only where the instructions require it; some fittings seal with a washer or O-ring. Do not force or overtighten the connection.
Filling and starting the fountain
Fill the reservoir to the specified starting level. With power disconnected, check that the tubing is connected, unkinked and unobstructed. Set any flow control to the starting position specified for the pump, then switch on and watch the outlet. If water does not circulate, switch off and check the setup before restarting.
The first ten minutes, setting the flow
If your pump has a flow control, use it within the model’s permitted adjustment range. Disconnect power before reaching into the water to adjust it, then restart to check the flow.
It is worth spending ten minutes on this the day you install the fountain rather than living with whatever the default happened to be. What you are looking for is the lowest setting that still wets each lip evenly all the way round. Past that point the extra flow does not improve the look, it just travels further from the lip, and some of it travels past the basin.
- Too little
- The lip wets in patches. Water finds one low point and runs off there in a rope instead of a sheet
- About right
- A continuous film all the way round the rim, falling close to the tier below
- Too much
- Water leaves the lip on a trajectory rather than falling off it. Look at the ground outside the basin after an hour
- Worth knowing
- A fountain set too high does not look broken, it looks like a fountain that needs topping up twice a week. That is why this failure gets blamed on a leak
Keep the pump supplied with water
Do not run the pump dry. If the water falls below the required level, switch off before refilling. Do not treat a quoted dry-running time as a safe allowance. Follow the model’s operating limits. Regular cleaning helps keep the pump intake clear. Pump lifespan depends on how it is used and maintained.
For related care, see why fountains lose water and our fountain water care guide.
Use a suitable outdoor power connection
We recommend a suitable outdoor outlet with GFCI protection for the fountain’s power supply. Keep plugs and connections dry and protected from weather. Do not use an extension cord as permanent wiring. If the supplied cord cannot reach a suitable outlet, have an electrician provide one.
Installed, and still not pushing water
Disconnect power before putting your hands in the water or handling the pump or tubing.
- Check the water level. Restore the level required for the pump before restarting.
- Check the tubing and outlet. With power disconnected, look for loose connections, kinks and obstructions. Use the starting flow-control setting specified for the model.
- Check the intake. Remove packing debris or leaves that block the intake, following the cleaning instructions.
- Reassemble before restarting. Reconnect any tubing, check the water level and clear your hands from the water before switching on. If water still does not circulate, switch off and follow the model’s troubleshooting instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Does the pump have to sit on the bottom
Use the designated pump area and position specified for the model. Keep the intake clear, maintain the required water coverage and leave the pump accessible for cleaning.
Can I run the tube outside the column instead of through it
Mechanically yes, and it makes kinks visible, which is a real advantage. It also puts a tube where you can see it for the life of the fountain, so most people route it inside and accept the inspection problem.
My fountain ran for a minute and then stopped pushing water
Switch off before checking. Water filling the tubing and upper tiers can lower the reservoir level. Restore the required level, then check for blocked intake screens or kinked tubing with power disconnected. Reassemble before restarting; low water is one possible cause, not a complete diagnosis.
Should the flow valve be fully open in normal use
Use the starting setting specified for the model. Once water circulates, adjust within the permitted range to get the intended flow without excessive splash. Disconnect power before reaching into the water to make an adjustment.
Do I take the pump out for winter
Both manuals say to remove it. Tetra: "If there is a danger of the water freezing, the equipment should be removed from the water, cleaned with water, and stored in a frost-free location." Pondmaster: "Do not install or store the appliance where it will be exposed to the weather or to temperatures below freezing." The rest of the shutdown is in the fountain winterizing guide.
References
- Reference: Water Garden Pumps, Filtration and Fountain Kits, submersible pump instruction guide | Tetra Holding (US) Inc, TetraPond product instruction guide
- Reference: Care and Operating Instructions for Magnetic Drive Pumps | Danner Manufacturing, Pondmaster Pond-Mag owner manual
- Reference: Choosing a Pump for Rainwater Harvesting | University of Hawaii CTAHR, Hawaii Rain Follows the Forest resource library