Solar Water Feature

I've been trying to find one for a while. As my garden is not directly accessed from my house I'm thinking of doing something with the little patio outside my bedroom window.

The Daily Express had an offer a few days ago for two designs but they were about �£150. I'd like to use an old half wine cask and have a gentle trickle happening. Guaranteed to soothe me to sleep!

Any ideas?

TO

 

That sounds expensive - but I don't know how big they were. I would go and see some at the local garden centre.

I was of the same frame of mind - since last year I had cables vandalised by squirrels over winter. But when I watched the cheaper solar powered ones (for about 20 min) it seemed they stopped very soon afer the sun went in - not much use when I wanted it on for evening bbq's. So a cheap option may not be worth the effort.

If it's close to the house it may be worth putting an external socket on that wall.

(In my case I went for cable again but ran it through old hosepipe, I'll put some armour on it later!)

 

If the solar powered water pumps (which i assume you are talking about) are anything like the lights give me cabled power any day.

 

Solar water features are great, no cables required run in the sunshine cost nothing to run.
Well that�s what the blurb tells you, and yes its true, but what they don�t tell you is:
Being solar they need a lot of bright sunshine to work, usually have thin jets (because of the small amount of power available) cool their own solar panels down with the water they are pumping, the solar panels are often small, and of course they don�t work at night.

more info click me

also click me

 

We have a small (although I guess probably bigger than one on a shop bought solar item) solar panel which we have attached to a car battery (the solar panel charges the battery) we want to try powering a small water feature from the car battery.

Don't know how well it will work but I'll keep you posted when we finally decide which water feature we want!

 

p.s. what I know about solar energy could be written on the back of a stamp, this is Mr DBs dept!

 

Keving & W G are right Dizzy not enough power you would need to cover the whole of your house roof with panels to get any decent return.

 

give up now. it isnt going to work.

The car battery is 12v (D.C), any water feature you buy will will have a mains operated pump. Mains being 230v A.C.

12v dc
230v ac

They don't look the same to me.(probably because they are not the same)

99.9% of water features you can buy off the shelf will have a mains operated pump. They will not work on 12v dc which is what THIS LINK tells you ! (it's the same link I posted earlier)

[ 16. August 2007, 07:22 AM: Message edited by: watergarden ]

 

Due to my situation, mains power to my pond wasn't feasible so i got a solar fountain. It isn't very powerful but moves a bit of water for aeration etc. - you just have to accept the restrictions. Mine has a separate panel which is fixed on dry land (although i'm not sure if water cooling them has an effect - surely it's photons of light energy that produce the power so heat doesn't matter? not my forte though so i stand to be corrected) and will store charge if the pump is off, and i think can be mains charged too but i haven't explored this (mainly cos the first one packed up, but i think this was because i was trying to use it to pump water through a pipe - nice idea but not clever in retrospect, i think the load was too much for the poor thing!)
I think mine cost about �£40, which is quite a lot for a small and undramatic fountain but much less cost and palaver than running mains out there would've been.

 

Thanks very much guys, interesting replies. I was all for giving up until I read Claire75's response. I thought solar devices stored up energy received during the day like the solar lamps you see that come on at night.

Bearing in mind I only want a gentle trickle solar might still work for me.

I am completely ignorant about installing an outside socket but the patio is directly outside my bedroom window so would appreciate thoughts on whether this is relatively easy. Bearing in mind the outside wall is 150 year old Borders Redstone!

TO

 

Solar lights light at night because the solar "panel" charges batteries, the solar panel itself stores no charge what so ever

Claire 75, yes your first one would have packed up because you put a hose on it, its too much "strain" for a small solar pump.

You can get solar pumps and "battery packs" that will run a solar pump in the dark, but its still cheaper to get a mains one. I would guess for good solar pump with batter back up you wont get much change from �£600

Installing an outside socket can be a diy job providing you have the right kit to do it with.

if you hard wire a socket into the mains for garden use it now comes under building regulation "part p" but this does not mean to avoid it you use "some other idea"

Electric cables come in different types, in short some suitable for outside use some not.

A cable run down a wall needs to be

a) The right type of cable

b) Suitably fixed

c) Suitably fused

d) RCD protected

e) Anything else i haven't mentioned

why not get a few quotes to get a socket professionally installed? it will be done right and above all SAFE

 

I must say I find your response quite agressive. Do you mind if I ask you, out of interest, what your background is and how come you are so knowledgable about this subject? Sorry if you've already posted a link about this.

 

Sorry if you (and anyone else) think my post is "aggressive"

I wrote it to save any one trying to operate a mains water feature from a solar panel (I got the inclination that some one here may try it)

I don�t mind at all you asking what my back ground is and how come i am so knowledgeable.

I am a time served Electrician that happens to like the fountains side of water gardening

(Before any one asks i am watergarden and water-garden, It depends which pc i am using as to which login it has)

[ 24. August 2007, 06:43 AM: Message edited by: water-garden ]

 

No, actually - as I said, mine has this facility and cost about �£40 from my local garden centre, although i guess it depends on your definition of "good" - but it sounds like mine would be fine for what the OP wants.

 

No offence, but I think I'll trust Mr DB over you, if you don't mind, sounds like he is better qualified.