I'm looking to build a small solar-powered fountain for my garden. I imagine it to be in a large planter filled with water. Since I'm a complete beginner, I'm not sure where to start! The fountain doesn't need to run constantly, just during sunny days. We have plenty of sunlight throughout the year, even in winter, except when it rains. I'd love some advice on what components I need, like the strength of the solar panel and the type of pump that would work best. Thanks in advance!
2 Answers
This is a bit tricky without specifics on what pump you plan to use and how long you want it to run. If you can let us know about the power requirements (like kWh/day), I might be able to give you better advice on batteries, inverters, or solar panels. But if you want an easy solution, check out pre-made solar fountain pump kits—it could save you a lot of trouble!
For your fountain, I’d recommend using a 12v system without an inverter. Grab a small battery, something like a 22ah AGM, plus a MPPT charge controller and maybe a 50-100w solar panel. You can also get a 12v pump specifically designed for fountains to keep things simple!
Actually, you don’t even need a battery if you go for something simple! Just use those cheap solar panels connected directly to a small pump. They usually come as a set and work great for gardens.
I found a cool option on Amazon! It’s a 12W solar water pump with adjustable flow, rated surprisingly well by users and priced under $70. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something easy to set up.