Indoor Fountain

[Mrfourpointo]

I have a large indoor fountain and I am looking for advice on keeping the water clean. It is made of concrete and tile and is filled with tap water. There is a submerged pump that feeds water to the top. The pump is switched, but I generally plan to run it constantly. If I can have it off at night without really putting the water at risk, then I would prefer to be able to shut it off at night.

 

[mrsclem]

No plants or fish planned? Chlorine tablets used for swimming pools.

 

[Mrfourpointo]

Correct, just water. So, would I just grab one of those floaters from the pool store and add some tablets? I have a hot tub, so I have bromine tablets already. Would that work? The link below is the floater I use for my spa. I'd prefer to not have that floating around, so I will try and see if I can find something 'prettier' and/or smaller. I could put some sort of holder/dispenser inside this little door where the pump is hidden (see picture), put it is kind of annoying opening that up to add chlorine/bromine (if it is something I have to do quite frequently).

Swimline 8725 Floating Chlorine/Bromine Dispenser

Distribute chlorine/bromine easily throughout your swimming pool with Swimline's Floating Chlorine/Bromine Dispenser.

www.lesliespool.com

 

[Mrfourpointo]

Alternatively, can I just pour in some bleach when I drain/refill?

 

[Stephen Noble]

Yes, that's what I would do. Since it is inside, you only need a small amount unless the fountain is blasted by sunlight. A bigger issue might be mineral scale build up if you have hard water. In that case, use distilled or R/O water when topping off. Put the pump on a timer and shut it off at night. Now mrsclem asked a very important question, that is, no fish, plants or dogs/cats/kids drinking from the thing. Which fountain do you have, the first photo or the second?

 

[Mrfourpointo]

Both pictures are of the same fountain, one if just a close-up of the door that hides the pump. The inside of the basin is tiled. No animals that can reach the water, no kids, no fish, no plants.

It would be hard to fill it up with RO or distilled water, as it is quite big. Our water is moderately hard (avg 131 ppm). I assume that some calcium will build up, but my current plan is to drain and clean with water and vinegar on a quarterly (or more as needed) basis.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Wow, that is a beautiful fountain! Gorgeous home too! Sounds like you have a good plan.

 

[Mrfourpointo]

Thanks! The fountain and the house are both a work in progress. And both are more work than I originally bargained for. But, I love the house and plan to live here the rest of my life. I think I'll start with a little bleach and see how it goes. I'll update with my success or failure.

 

[sissy]

peroxide will work also and no foul smell from it

 

[Mrfourpointo]

Sorry for the delayed response, but everything is working great. I decided to use bromine since I have it on hand for my hot tub. The bromine comes in little one inch tablets and I couldn't find anything small enough to keep in the fountain. So, I took an Easter egg and drilled some holes in it. It holds two bromine tablets and lasts about a month before I have to refill it. I have a net that I use to skim the surface as needed, but it is otherwise maintenance free.

I also made some copper pieces to help water drip off the tiers better. They work like a charm.

 

[Mmathis]

@Mrfourpointo That’s great! Thank you for letting us know — it’s not often that we get a follow up story!

 

[Mrfourpointo]

I have two more fountains to go, but they are both outdoors. Here is the current project and a short video of my first test with just a water hose.