Rain Chain Fountain…
A few years ago, we acquired a Rain Chain, which my sweetie wanted me to attach to a fountain.
We spent a LOT of hours on it, and it never really worked well.
There were a series of “opportunities“… (because there are no problems, only opportunities,) which caused “collective angst”:
- The first pump wasn’t powerful enough to pump water up 8 feet.
- The second pump was TOO powerful.
- The container was too small.
- The water splashed too much.
- And the killer… we didn’t have a deck, all last year. (It was being built out of Magic Wood by a solitary, but thorough Magic Elf.)
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So, this year, as we recently unfurled our Garden Furniture, Table and accoutrements… my Sweetie asked when we could work on the Rain Chain Fountain.
I am not, and have never claimed to be a plumber… and am able to visualize most things pretty well… but the limited options and required flexibility kerfoozled me.
Four trips, and two hardware stores later, we had collected the appropriate collection of copper pipe, copper fittings and elbows, flow adjuster, plastic tubing, and required adapters, and could begin assembly version 3.0
I think the results are pretty darn cool… and more importantly, my Sweetie loves it!!!
This turned out great. The rain chain is very cool. No wonder you were so proud! Ha!
Like the new website, too.
Thanks !
The Blog is largely the same right now… but it was disgusting to me, how much work was involved, just to get my own files from my old server, as the OLD host was less than useless, and very slow to respond, which is why I left them !!!
I think the rain chain looks pretty good, and as long as we remember to keep the reservoir filled… it’s aaaallllll goooooood !!!
Have a good weekend !
Really nice!
I was looking for a pump to use for a nearly identical rain chain fountain.
Can you share what size pump ended up working for you?
Thanks!
Hi Dan –
Thanks for your comment.
I’ve been through a couple of “tweaks” with the pump.
There are two things I would say are critical.
1) Each statuary pump will usually have a pump head distance. The pump I used had a maximum vertical distance of 7.8 feet.
2) The feed line should have a control valve, and I made the initial mistake of leaving that off, and then (second time) using an on/off valve. A regular hose bib control, (which you spin several times to go from 100% to 0%) is preferable to a valve which only flips 90 degrees to go from on to off.
Another issue is the catchment bowl. The greater the volume of water, the more it splashes, and more that splashes outside the bowl… you have to fill it more often.
We live near Vancouver, Canada. We have a bowl which has mesh across the tops, with rocks covering it, and so the whole bowl is a reservoir… (other than the space taken up by the pump) In the summer I fill it daily.
Our pump is a “Fountain Systems” AP3200 Statuary Pump, which has a Hmax of 7.87 FT and a FLmax of 396 G/H
The bowl is 16” in diameter, and 7” high.
Not sure if there is anything else I can tell you, but good luck, and have fun !!!
Thank you again for your comment and question.
If there is anything else I can answer for you, please let me know !
Have a great day !
Cheers,
Bob
[…] Not sure what got hold of me, but I’ve installed the railing on the deck stairs, and put the facade on the deck planter stands… (after recently completing the Rain Chain) […]