How to Make a Formal Fountain from a Planter Urn
August 21, 2007 – 2:58 pmSteps
- If there is no hole pre-drilled in the planter, locate it’s center on the bottom and mark with a permanent marker. This will be the point you use for the entry hole of the water supply tube.
- Now, using your drill and a 1″ spade bit, drill a hole at the mark you made in the step above.
- Dig a hole in the ground just larger and 1″ deeper than the height of your rigid pond liner + your grate.
- Fill the bottom of the hole with 1″ of sand and smooth so sand is level.
- Place the pond liner in hole. Make sure the top of the liner is level so that no water will leak out. Make adjustments if necessary. Now fill in around the sides of the liner with the dirt you just dug out until the liner is secure.
- Thread flexible tubing from the bottom of the planter through the hole and up until it is somewhere around top of the planter. You can make your desired adjustments to its height later.
- Using waterproof adhesive, glue the flexible tubing into the hole in the bottom of the planter.
- Secure and allow adhesive to sufficiently dry according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Run tubing through grate and into basin.
- Attach free end of the tubing to your pump and place pump into basin.
- Place the cement block in the center of the basin so that the grate will rest on top of the cement block.
- Place the grate on top of your basin.
- Now place the planter on the center of your grate where the cement block is located immediately below it.
- Fill the planter about 3/4 full with gravel. The gravel will allow the fountain to function without needing as much water.
- Fill the catch basin with water to a desired level making sure the pump is completely submerged and the amount of water will be enough to both fill the planter and keep the pump submerged in the basin when running.
- Plug in the pump.
- You may need to make some adjustments to the water flow by using the flow control on the pump in order to achieve the desired affect. If your pump does not have in line flow control you can use a pvc ball valve control to attach to the flexible tubing to control the water flow.
- Once the desired fountain affect has been achieved cover your grate with gravel.
Recommended Tools
- Cordless Drill
- 1″ Spade Bit or 1″ Hole Saw
- Waterproof Adhesive
- Level
- Fine Tip Permanent Marker
- Tape Measure
- PVC Plumbing Adhesive
- Hacksaw
- Shovel
Supply List
- Decorative Planter Urn
- 1″ Inner Diameter Flexible Tubing
- 1″ Inner Diameter PVC Pipe
- 1″ Diameter Tubing to Pipe Adapter
- 700 GPH Submersible Pump with flow control
- Rigid Pond Liner
- Rigid Grate
- Gravel
- Cement Block
- Landscaping Sand
General Information
- As with any container of water, there is a drowning danger to children. Please take all necessary precautions if there will be children around the waterfall or fountain.
- For increased affect you can find fountain attachments for many pumps that can be used in place or in addition to the pvc pipe.
- Check your water level often to be sure the pump is never running dry. This may cause the pump motor to burn out.