If you have ever wanted to make your garden more environmentally friendly, have you ever thought of buying a solar powered pump fountain? Going one step further, have you ever considered making your own?

What are the benefits of having a solar powered pump fountain?

The Advantages Are:

a: Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant

b: The pump does not have to plugged into your power supply

c: The pump runs on DC power, so no inverter is needed.

d: The pump uses minute power (only 6volts) so very few solar panels are needed

e: No batteries are required, since the pump only really needs to operate during the day when the sun is out and the birds are in the garden.

f: You could learn to make your own solar panels, reducing the cost even further.

g: The birdbath can be placed anywhere in your garden, without the need for unsightly wires.

What parts and materials are needed to build a solar powered pump birdbath?

The simplest option would be for you to add solar panels to an already working birdbath and fountain.

The more inexpensive, but do-it-yourself method would be to buy a birdbath that is capable of housing a fountain. Then all you need to do is buy the pump, tubing, wiring, solar panels and batteries (optional).

If you want to save money, and build your own system, then you will need:

The Birdbath:

There are a variety of birdbaths to choose from – cascading, copper, terracotta, resin, or ceramic. It does not matter what you get, just as long as it is ready for a fountain to be installed.

The Fountain Spout:

This attachment can be source from your nearby hardware store or garden center. It is an optional extra that helps make the water spout out of the top, instead of a small trickle.

Small DC Pump:

Next is the pump. Usually a small birdbath only needs a small 6 volt DC fountain pump. But if you have a larger birdbath that pumps more water, and at a greater height, then a larger pump will be needed.

PVC pipe for irrigation:

This tubing generally should be narrow enough to keep the water pressure high, so that the water can be pumped properly. My advice would be to visit the nearby garden center and have a look at what piping is used.

Silicon Sealant:

This is used to seal all joins where the water could escape from, and also to insulate any bare wire from getting wet where it has been joined.

Solar Panels:

This is what make the solar powered pump birdbath portable and wireless. The number and power capacity of the solar panels needed is determined by what pump you bought. If it was the average 6 volt DC pump, then you will need 6 volt solar power. But it better to get solar panels with more power capacity than this for times when the sunlight is poor.

NB: To get the solar panels, you have 2 choices:

1 : Buy a small commercial portable solar power kit from a department store such as Target.

2 : Make it yourself. With the right guide it is rather easy and much cheaper to make your own solar panel in a matter of hours. If this is something you would love to try do, then keep reading…

For the solar panel to operate effectively it needs to be fitted in a frame and angled in the direction of the sun. Placing it under a tree will not help.

Can anyone build this birdbath?

If you have all the tools and materials and any diy experience, you could have a working solar powered pump birdbath within in a matter of hours – that’s if all goes to plan…

A nice added extra is to hook up some batteries to the system. That way you can store any excess power, and the pump could run all day and night. If you do want the fountain to operate for 24 hours, then you will need the following:

1) 12 volt battery:

Because the pump is only 6 volts, a 12 volt battery is more than enough. It should be a deep cycle battery (car battery) that can store the power for a longer time.

Charge controller:

This is not essential, but it prevents your battery from over-charging. So it can really extend the life of the battery. It will be wired up between the solar panels and the battery.

Other than it being really cheap to make, the big advantage of making your solar powered pump fountain is that once you have that skill it is there with you forever. You could even make it as an eco-friendly gift for your friend’s next birthday.