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?
So how will a solar powered pump birdbath benefit you?
The pros to getting one are:
a: Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant
b: The fountain is wireless and does not have to be plugged in
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 is wireless making it very portable.
What parts and materials are needed to build a solar powered pump birdbath?
The most basic method is to buy a working birdbath with fountain, and then wire up the solar panels.
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 decide to make your own fountain, you will need:
The Birdbath:
It does not matter what birdbath you buy, but make sure there is a place for the fountain to be added. A few options for you would be copper, terracotta, cascading, ceramic, or resin birdbath fountains.
The Fountain Spout:
This is optional, but it makes the water spout out the top, instead of just trickling out. It can be found at your local nursery or hardware store.
Small Fountain Pump:
The next part is buying the small dc pump. A typical 6 volt pump should be adequate, but you may need to go bigger, if the birdbath or water feature is larger than normal.
PVC pipe for irrigation:
This is what the water will flow through. It is best to ask your nursery about the various irrigation options. Otherwise, get ideas from finished pump powered fountains. As a rule of thumb, the PVC piping needs to be narrow to maintain enough water pressure.
Silicon Sealant:
This is one of those essentials that you should already have lying around the house. It will help seal all those joins and also protect electrics from water damage.
Some 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: You have 2 alternatives for the solar panels:
1 : Buy a small commercial portable solar power kit from a department store such as Target.
2 : The cheaper, DIY route and make the panel yourself. Luckily this is actually rather simple for anyone to learn to do. So if you want to learn to make your own, then carry on reading to the end...
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.
How easy is it to put it all together?
With the right tools and parts and a the right attitude you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath in an afternoons work. It really depends on your level of experience, but many of our friends (even housewives) have managed to make their own fountains.
If you want you could also add some type of power storage to the system. That way the batteries can store power, which can be used to operate the pump 24 hours a day. To have this option you will need:
1) Deep cycle 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.
Solar charge controller:
It is not vital , but if you want the battery to last longer, a charge controller will protect the battery from over-charging. It is wired from the solar panels and then to the battery.
Over and above it being affordable to build, what I like about putting together my own solar powered pump birdbath, is that once the first one is finished, making the second or third one just gets easier. It could even be a fantastic gift for a close friend or newly wed.
So how will a solar powered pump birdbath benefit you?
The pros to getting one are:
a: Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant
b: The fountain is wireless and does not have to be plugged in
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 is wireless making it very portable.
What parts and materials are needed to build a solar powered pump birdbath?
The most basic method is to buy a working birdbath with fountain, and then wire up the solar panels.
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 decide to make your own fountain, you will need:
The Birdbath:
It does not matter what birdbath you buy, but make sure there is a place for the fountain to be added. A few options for you would be copper, terracotta, cascading, ceramic, or resin birdbath fountains.
The Fountain Spout:
This is optional, but it makes the water spout out the top, instead of just trickling out. It can be found at your local nursery or hardware store.
Small Fountain Pump:
The next part is buying the small dc pump. A typical 6 volt pump should be adequate, but you may need to go bigger, if the birdbath or water feature is larger than normal.
PVC pipe for irrigation:
This is what the water will flow through. It is best to ask your nursery about the various irrigation options. Otherwise, get ideas from finished pump powered fountains. As a rule of thumb, the PVC piping needs to be narrow to maintain enough water pressure.
Silicon Sealant:
This is one of those essentials that you should already have lying around the house. It will help seal all those joins and also protect electrics from water damage.
Some 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: You have 2 alternatives for the solar panels:
1 : Buy a small commercial portable solar power kit from a department store such as Target.
2 : The cheaper, DIY route and make the panel yourself. Luckily this is actually rather simple for anyone to learn to do. So if you want to learn to make your own, then carry on reading to the end...
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.
How easy is it to put it all together?
With the right tools and parts and a the right attitude you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath in an afternoons work. It really depends on your level of experience, but many of our friends (even housewives) have managed to make their own fountains.
If you want you could also add some type of power storage to the system. That way the batteries can store power, which can be used to operate the pump 24 hours a day. To have this option you will need:
1) Deep cycle 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.
Solar charge controller:
It is not vital , but if you want the battery to last longer, a charge controller will protect the battery from over-charging. It is wired from the solar panels and then to the battery.
Over and above it being affordable to build, what I like about putting together my own solar powered pump birdbath, is that once the first one is finished, making the second or third one just gets easier. It could even be a fantastic gift for a close friend or newly wed.
About the Author:
If you want to make your own solar panel for the birdbath, then have a look at the Earth4Energy Sneak Peek - a FREE preview of the top-rated step-by-step solar power guide. It may also help to read the Earth4Energy Review.
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