How to Install an Outdoor Fountain

Decide where you want to install your fountain. You’ll need a nearby electric outlet to run the pump. If you prefer to locate the fountain in a more remote area of your garden, you can hire an electrician to run wiring and install a GCFI outlet. Otherwise, place the fountain near a patio or close to a window where you can enjoy it up close.

We highly recommend using a kit for your outdoor fountain project. Aquascape offers a variety of fountain styles to suit your taste and budget. Be sure to take the size of the fountain into consideration. If you’re placing the fountain near the front entrance, consider the surrounding landscape and how your fountain will fit in.

Set the AquaBasin®, or reservoir, in your desired location. Mark the outside by outlining around the basin with a can of spray paint. This is the area where you’ll excavate.

Using the outline as a guide, dig a hole an inch deeper than the height of the basin. You might want to enlist the help of a family member to make the excavation process go a little faster.

Once the hole is dug, compact the soil at the bottom of the hole to prevent settling after installation. You can use a soil tamper to make this job easier. Set the basin in the hole and make sure it sits level from side-to-side and front-to-back. Backfill the sides with soil or sand to prevent future shifting.

Feed the included hose into the center hole of your fountain. Position the fountain onto the basin, feeding the hose into the basin through the pre-drilled hole. Level the fountain front-to-back and side-to-side. You can use fountain shims to help level the fountain. Place the fountain pump in the basin and connect it to the plumbing hose.

If you plan to use pond lighting to enhance your outdoor fountain at night, add it now.

Wash dust and dirt from decorative gravel and rocks and then spread a layer of the rock on top of the basin to conceal it. If you don’t wash the gravel, the water will be murky the first few days but will eventually clear.

Place a garden hose on top of the basin covered with rock and fill with water.

Plug the pump into the GFCI outlet and turn on the pump. You’ll love seeing that first rush of water  coming out of the fountain and trickling over the sides to create a beautiful display in your garden.