Why Your Fountain Loses Water [Quick Solution]

Have you been wondering why your fountain loses water? In this article, we’ve highlighted the major reasons why your fountain is losing water and a quick fix to it likewise how to prevent your fountain from losing water in the future.

A fountain is one of the best beautifications you can ever give your yard or garden, it gives soothing tranquility and serenity to your home and you get to enjoy nature’s freshness through the sound of flowing water but this could be cut short when your water feature starts losing its water and this can be so frustrating.

There are various reasons why fountains lose water, the worst of them all is when you have a crack deep inside the fountain’s foundation. You can also experience other causes like small leaks, mistakes made by the designer of the fountain, plant overgrowth, weather conditions, etc.

Fortunately, there are numerous solutions, you do not want to get yourself worked up or too worried about your fountain losing its water as we have presented you with a practical fix.

Mind you, when there is a little problem that doesn’t get fixed on time such issues could pile up over time and turn into an aggravated problem, to further make it easy to fix we’ve listed some of the problems and given easy fixes to each. Continue reading this piece to know how to fix the problem.

Leaks and Cracks

Immediately you notice your fountain losing its water the first thought that comes to your mind is maybe it’s cracks or leaks, you might be wrong though but even if that is the issue you have no reason to exercise fears.

Once you suspect there is a crack in your fountain the right thing to do is to turn off the fountain leaving it for up to twenty-four hours (1 day), this is advised so you can monitor it.

If after 24 hours the water level has decreased more than 1 inch probably due to evaporation then it means there is a leak somewhere.

To further investigate a fountain crack it is advised you turn off the fountain pump and nozzle, with this dry cracks will become easily visible with a white substance on the fountain concrete.

Now that we have identified that there is a leak, what is the next thing to do? We need to fix it by following the steps below:

1. Drain out the fountain: You need to get out all the water in the fountain either by a pump or scooping it out, there may be a need for you to also take out the pump.
2. Clean all cracks: With the aid of a wire brush or sandpaper, you can brush off the cracks and remove all debris or dirt.
3. Allow to dry: Before proceeding you need to allow it to dry up so that whatever you need to apply can work effectively.
4. Fill up cracks: Use a sealant to fill up cracks, this has been tried and confirmed to be 100% effective both for fiberglass and stone fountains as the sealant fills in every hole or crack firmly. Alternatively, you can use original epoxy for cement, concrete, and other materials used for making the fountain.
5. Smoothen the surface: Once done with filling the cracks you need to smoothen the repaired surface with sandpaper so that it blends with the surrounding.
6. Seal up the fountain: To avoid future leakage or damages it is advised you seal up the fountain’s entire surface with a waterproof.

NOTE: Sealants make your fountain airtight but the solution may differ if the crack is deeper.

If deeper then you may have more work to do, to fix a deep fountain crack we advise you to use the service of a plumber or a fountain professional to help you check on the pipes and investigate further.

Most times this problem is usually due to negligence on the part of the fountain installer which doesn’t make it last so you have cracks and leaks in your hands to deal with even a few months after the installation of the fountain. This problem is caused by them which is why you need to get good fountain installers.

Put through a call to those who installed the fountain, they will be able to fix it but if they can’t then it is time to request a refund.

Wind

Wind could be the reason for your leaky fountain, this is easy to understand. For someone whose fountain is too exposed to the wind direction you can have a fountain water loss, once the wind blows it carries the fountain water and splashes it outside of the fountain so the water doesn’t return to the fountain.

The interesting thing is this can be easily prevented by blocking the wind direction from coming in contact with your fountain maybe with a small fence. That is why it is usually advised that a fountain is placed near the house to avoid being blown out by heavy wind.

Although this isn’t a perfect method as wind doesn’t only come in a particular direction, but can be controlled a bit.

You can always avoid the wind blowing off your fountain water and save your water bill by buying a fountain cover, likewise, you can turn the fountain off whenever the wind blows heavily towards it to avoid a fountain splash.

Pets and Wildlife

If you have pets roaming in your yard or maybe your house is close to where we have wildlife then there is a possibility that those animals are the ones drinking from your fountain.

Pets are usually attracted to water and you cannot rule out the fact that birds will come to take a dip in water and while doing that they tend to spill some out of the fountain accidentally.

You can easily put a stop to this by installing a deterrent like a bird net which helps to keep wildlife and birds away from your fountain. Also, you can train your garden pets on how to avoid playing near the fountain, installing a little fence is also not a bad idea.

Overspray

Though the beauty of a fountain is watching water gushing out of it through an attractive stonework but don’t forget there is a higher possibility of the water being flung out to a more far area out of range which is known as overspray.

It can also appear in different forms, when the fountain shoots the liquid straight up into the air and it lands on the hard surface this could cause a splash which allows water to escape out of the fountain, this isn’t something to worry much about as there is a perfect fix for both problems highlighted in this section.

You can easily fix this by resulting to your fountain manual, on the manual find where the knobs are located and read about how to alter the knobs’ coverage width and height so as to reduce it’s reach.

Plant Life

Water attracts life so wherever you find water you definitely will find life in or close to it, even though our fountain and yard or garden may be different there are high chances that plants will grow around or even inside of the fountain.

If you notice a decrease in your fountain water this could be the reason why your fountain loses water, plants need water to grow and thrive so it may be that the plants are the ones draining your fountain water, and when weeds thrive within or close to your fountain the beauty and pretty decorations it has may get jeopardize by weeds.

What is the solution? To stop weed from draining your fountain water you need to clear off those plants in the fountain and those that surround it closely.

Fountain Architecture

It is good when you check through various fountain models before you pay a professional to install one for you, not worth worrying about if you didn’t as we all have made one or two mistakes before, there is always a solution to every problem.

If peradventure you’ve bought a fountain with some problems then the design may not be able to hold water as it should maybe due to its low edges that will cause it to spill out water which is one of the most common problems.

You can easily fix this by checking the line where your fountain doesn’t spill and maintaining that line to avoid water wastage, we want to maintain our fountain to be a fountain and not a waterfall.

Evaporation

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, it’s a natural occurrence and even one of the major reasons why your fountain loses water. The water heats up to 100 degrees Celsius by the sun which causes it to evaporate faster.

Based on experience and research the fountain loses at least 1 inch of water weekly to evaporation, with this, you may think you have a fountain leak or cracks somewhere.

The solution to this is simple, move the fountain to a location where you have shades if movable, or better still because fountains are made of different kinds you can make a covering by using umbrellas near the fountain to reduce the impact of the sun on your fountain water.

In situations where both options can’t be applied then you have no other option than to ensure you refill your fountain regularly during the hot season. Fountains are outdoor water features so u may not be able to completely block off the sun.

Water Flow Issues

There is a necessity for constant pumping of water into your fountain to give it the vibrant water spray which makes it more attractive and refreshing, this could mean that your pump is faulty.

There is a solution for this too so you need not get bothered about it, if your fountain is losing much water then you should check the pump and tube maybe they are incorrectly joined together and this could be the reason why your fountain loses water.

It is recommended that you check, double check and even triple-check the fountain pumps and other tubes attached to ensure they are properly attached.

If after checking and you discover everything is fine then there is a high possibility that there may be holes in the tubes that should be replaced.

This won’t cost you much as water fountain tubes cost between $2 to $12, as you can see this isn’t expensive.

Mind you, the issue may be from the pump itself, if this is the case then you may need the help of a professional to help extract it out and also replace it with a repaired or new one.

Composition

May sound untrue but it is possible that what the fountain is made of is the culprit draining off your fountain water, there is the possibility of the fountain composition altering the water.

There are stones that are good in keeping water volume intact while we have those that allow water to escape through them, we have the fountains made with porous stones that have holes and allow both air and water to penetrate them.

Absorbed water through cracks and holes of such stones makes it look as if there is water loss in the fountain.

If you fall in the category of those who had their fountain made with porous stones then it is too late to return the fountain but there is a quick fix, you can make use of sealants to stop the stones from absorbing the fountain water.

Read Also: Can Pond Pump Be Too Powerful? Here’s The Answer

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