How to Change Your Fountain Water
Every four to six months it is recommended by most manufacturers to do a complete cleaning and water change. This is a good time to completely clean the pump and check it for any debris that may have been pulled into the rotors.
Removing the water from your fountain can be done several ways. The method you choose is dependent upon the type and size of your fountain and the resources available to you. We recommend that you pour the water down a toilet instead of a sink as the water could have a strong odor and algae growth that you may not want in your hand cleaning area. This also assumes that the fountain does not have a drain plug to use for draining the fountain.
Disassemble
The best way to remove the water from small fountains is to disassemble them and discard the water. You should refer to the original setup instructions to reassemble your fountain.
Pumping the water out
The easiest way to remove the water from a large fountain is to take an extra pump or the existing pump in the fountain to remove the water from the basin. By attaching a long tube to the extra pump and lowering the pump into the basin you can then pump the water out of the fountain. Adding water back to your fountain is as simple as filling it with a garden hose.
Siphoning
This method of removing water from your fountain is similar to what many people do to remove water from a fish tank. Siphoning requires taking a plastic tube, the size of which depends on your fountain, and inserting it into your fountain. Then with the other end you treat it like a big straw and "suck" the water up with your mouth. As the water reaches your mouth you quickly lower the tube into a bucket or other container. If the container is lower than the fountain then gravity will continue to pump the water out of the fountain. Before attempting this just be sure that the tube you are using is clean and that you do not drink any of the fountain water as it may contain chemicals, algae and other bacteria (yuck!).
Once your fountain has fresh clean water and has been cleaned thoroughly it is recommended to add water treatment to keep it looking clean and smelling good.
