How To Make A Solar Powered Pump Birdbath
If you have ever wanted to make your garden more environmentally friendly, have you ever thought of buying a solar powered pump fountain? Going one step further, have you ever considered making your own?
So why would you want to make a solar powered pump birdbath?
The Advantages Are:
a: The moving water in the fountain stop its from going stagnant
b: The pump does not have to plugged into your power supply
c: No inverter is needed since the pump operates on direct current.
d: The pump uses minute power (only 6volts) so very few solar panels are needed
e: No batteries are required, since the pump only really needs to operate during the day when the sun is out and the birds are in the garden.
f: You could learn to make your own solar panels, reducing the cost even further.
g: The birdbath is wireless making it very portable.
What parts and materials are needed to build a solar powered pump birdbath?
The simplest option would be for you to add solar panels to an already working birdbath and fountain.
The cheaper, more labor intensive approach would be to get a birdbath with the right holes drilled for the fountain to be installed. And then add on the pump, fountain attachment, irrigation and power supply.
If you decide to make your own fountain, you will need:
The Birdbath:
Here you have a choice of cascading fountains, copper fountains, terracotta birdbaths, resin fountains, or the conventional ceramic birdbath. Just make sure a pump system can be installed on the birdbath.
The Fountain Spout:
Depending on whether you want the water to trickle or spout out the top, you can get the right attachment from most hardware stores or garden centers.
Small DC Pump:
The next part is buying the small dc pump. A typical 6 volt pump should be adequate, but you may need to go bigger, if the birdbath or water feature is larger than normal.
Thin, Flexible PVC Pipe:
This is what the water will flow through. It is best to ask your nursery about the various irrigation options. Otherwise, get ideas from finished pump powered fountains. As a rule of thumb, the PVC piping needs to be narrow to maintain enough water pressure.
Silicon Sealant:
This is used to seal all joins where the water could escape from, and also to insulate any bare wire from getting wet where it has been joined.
The Solar Panels:
This is what sets this off-grid system apart from conventionally powered birdbath fountains. The pump will help determine how many solar panels you need. For a 6 volt DC pump, you will need at least a 6 volt solar panel, but rater double up on the solar panels for times when the sun is weak.
NB: For the solar panels, there are two options:
1 : Buy a small commercially available solar panel from any outlet, such as Wallmart.
2 : Make it yourself. With the right guide it is rather easy and much cheaper to make your own solar panel in a matter of hours. If this is something you would love to try do, then keep reading…
For the solar panel to operate effectively it needs to be fitted in a frame and angled in the direction of the sun. Placing it under a tree will not help.
How simple is it to build?
If you have all the tools and materials and any diy experience, you could have a working solar powered pump birdbath within in a matter of hours – that’s if all goes to plan…
A good idea would to add some batteries to the birdbath, so that the excess solar power can be stored and to power the pump at night. For a 24 hour fountain, you will need:
1) The right battery:
Because the pump is only 6 volts, a 12 volt battery is more than enough. It should be a deep cycle battery (car battery) that can store the power for a longer time.
Charge Controller:
This is not essential, but it prevents your battery from over-charging. So it can really extend the life of the battery. It will be wired up between the solar panels and the battery.
Over and above it being affordable to build, what I like about putting together my own solar powered pump birdbath, is that once the first one is finished, making the second or third one just gets easier. It could even be a fantastic gift for a close friend or newly wed.
If you want to make your own solar panel for the birdbath, then have a look at the Earth4Energy Sneak Peek – a FREE preview of the top-rated step-by-step solar power guide. It may also help to read the Earth4Energy Review.