How to Replace a Garden Fountain Pump With a Solar Pump
- 1). Determine how many gallons of water you are pumping in the garden fountain. Turn off the power to the pump and remove the existing motor if you are not sure. Most of the time the motor will give the information either on the unit itself or on the instructions that came with it. When choosing your solar pump, make sure it will pump an adequate amount of water to keep the water circulating. Match the new pump to the specifications of the old one.
- 2). Decide what kind of solar pump you need for your fountain. The solar water pumps that work directly off a panel that feed electricity to the pump only work when the sun is shining. If your fountain is under a tree, the panel will have to have a wire long enough from the sunny place where you put it to deliver the electricity to the pump. These types of direct feed pumps do not work at night.
Get a solar panel that charges a battery if you want to run the pump at night or on cloudy days. The best batteries for this purpose are 6 volt golf cart batteries that charge quickly during the day and discharge the power after dark. - 3). Install the solar-powered pump and place the solar panels in a bright location. If you want to enjoy your fountain during the early morning or late afternoon hours, consider adding a controller to your system that will give the pump a boost of energy as the sun is rising or setting.
