I have been getting a lot of questions lately about outdoor water fountain care so I wanted to share with all of you. We all love outdoor and garden fountains and they are beautiful but for those of you that have them, they do require a bit of care. As I always tell people, wherever there is water, algae will grow. This goes for indoor and outdoor water fountains.
Algae does not have to ruin your water fountain experience. It can be controlled and with a little bit of work on your part, avoided altogether. Outdoor fountains will get debris such as leaves, grass, dirt etc in them so be sure to pick that out daily if you can so the pump does not get clogged. Aside from this, algae will be the most common problem with your water feature. There are a few products you can use to prolong the build up of algae.
If you are looking for something safe for birds, wildlife and pets, I would recommend the Fountain Fresh. This is a safe, non-toxic water clarifier that will prolong the build up of surface stains, algae and green water. By just adding a little to your fountain every 2 weeks you will see fresher, more clean water in your fountain. Another great all natural products is the Care Free Enzymes Fountain Protector. This is also a safe, non-toxic water clarifier that works great for fountains, indoors or out.
If wildlife and pets are not a concern and you have a larger outdoor fountain the Fountain Block is a great algae preventer as well. And, if you are like most people, you use hard water in your outdoor fountains. If this is the case, I recommend always using the No More White Scale as this will prevent hard water mineral deposits which are very hard to get rid of once you have them.
Aside from teh chemicals above you still MUST clean your fountains! This is the most important thing you can do to keep your outdoor fountains looking beautiful. Once a month or so (depending on size) simply empty your fountain out and wipe it clean, clean the pump and add fresh water. This is simple and well worth the effort.
Click here for more outdoor fountain care tips, hopefully this was helpful!
