Changing Your Fountain Water

Is your fountain running sluggishly? Maybe the water seems a little slimy, or there is a strange smell coming from it. Chances are, it's in need of a cleaning and a water change. It's recommended to do this about every four to six months (or less, if you have a small fountain). This is a good time to completely clean the fountain pump and check it for any debris that may have been pulled into the rotors, which will improve its operation. Changing your fountain water is a fairly easy task, if you follow these tips.

Removing the water from your fountain can be done several ways. The method you choose depends upon the type and size of your fountain and the resources available to you. We recommend pouring the used water down a toilet instead of a sink as the water could have an unpleasant odor and algae growth that you may not want in your hand cleaning area. Some fountains have drain plugs, which make it easier to drain the water from your fountain.

Disassemble

The best way to remove the water from smaller 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 wall fountain, floor fountain or outdoor fountain such as the Old World Three Tier Fountain, pictured, is to take the fountain pump and use it 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. Tubing can be found at hardware stores very inexpensively; just bring in your pump and the personnel should be able to help you choose the right size.

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, 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.