GPH is the volume of water it pushes, no matter what size the container. It is suggested that for the larger the container the more volume should be pushed comes from Aquariums users. For a bird bath, a small pump like the solar is nice regardless of the reservoir of water used.Two primary items to look at are LIFT and GPH. You did great!
Finally, I found someone who has shown in detail about solar pumps. Thank you ❤️ I want to make a mini cascading water fall but there is no how to's out there except complex water fall features . Do you know of any? I wish you had a video of one. Your so clear.
There are lots of videos on making your own fountain. For small ones check out Robbie & Gary on hummingbirds. She has lots she's made - even from ice cream container! Also search (U tube) DIY cement projects for garden. There are a couple Asian channels (no talking) that are amazing to watch. It gets the creative juice flowing. Robbie: ua-cam.com/video/kMbdGIq7P7w/v-deo.html Here's one that came up on DIY garden fountain: ua-cam.com/video/HlIucSospB4/v-deo.html How this helps get you started!
Here's another using a liter soda bottle: ua-cam.com/video/7HaEZlV8i8M/v-deo.html The more GPH it pumps the higher lift (taller) it can go from the pump to the top. You have to experiment a bit with the length of tubing. The higher (longer) you hold it the less water pressure coming out. For birds gentler / slower is better. Keep in mind they don't like a slick surface to stand on and 1 inch deep is great plenty. Place near shrubs where they can quickly get up out of harms way if a cat should see them. They can't fly a week with wet feathers.
The 10 watt is a poly and the 12 is mono. I wonder if the mono panel will do better in lower light. The great thing about solar is you don't need an electric line close by. Being able to pump water anywhere in the environment is invaluable.
Very useful information. I am thinking of going solar for my pump in Wales, UK - not as much sun as you probably get! The battery back-up idea sounds just the job.
I like the solar water fountains less electric wiring, small and just the right amount of water fountains I need for a small patio garden. Easy to maintain..... I have three fountains. The best part is my cat enjoys them.
Love your videos, thank you so much! I took your advice and got the Eco-Worthy solar fountain pump with battery backup. I just got my hummingbird fountain up and running! I have a couple of tips how I solved two problems, solar pumps don’t seem to come with a diverter, but I used drip irrigation tubing for the tube from the pump to where the water comes out (it fits perfectly, who knew, lol). I punched two small holes into the tubing inside my water basin to create a diversion for some of the water and now it is the perfect water flow. I watched another one of your videos where you talk about creating extra filtering for the pumps. I nearly went to the dollar store to get some plastic scrubbies like what you did, but then I remembered I had a roll of poly batting I wasn’t using (the filler in the middle of quilts). I cut two squares that fit nicely over the exterior of the pump and I tied it on with a piece of string. The doubled up poly batting ought to catch any debris at all and doesn’t seem to reduce the flow through the water pump, and now I don’t have to worry about all that cottonwood fluff that plagues our area for a month.
Hi, you Video came in very helpful since I been looking for some sort of a solar fountain set up for a long time and Finally yesterday I purchased this set up. My MAIN question is. What is the ID and OD of the tubing you used for it.? Thx. (outside and inside diameter.)
The amount of water that these pumps will move is important. Some people want a pump that will operate a fountain in a decent sized pond while others who just want to have a small ornamental fountain or a bird bath fountain would not need a pump quite that strong. This is where I agent confused. Some of the specs listed online make no sense to me. I see people who are writing reviews saying that a solar pump was useless while others say that the same pump worked well. While quality control might be an issue I think most of this differentiation is about what they are expecting that pump to do. Now, if I can just find the right size pump for my fountain! Thanks for the info!
How long does the battery back up last. Hours with out the solar panel charging it? I looking into these for a future small pond I’m making. The pond is to far away from any power source
Thank you for the clear demonstration. I'm very interested in the solar powered pump but have a question about the battery back up. Is the battery submersible? The cord used to connect it to the pump seems very short. Also, does the pump run all night then from the battery?
Thank you so much for this review. I bought the unit. I tried to purchase thru the link but they were out at the time. I came back in stock & received it. Gonna but the extra tubing to give it a little lift. 💜💜💜
I'm glad you were able to get your hands on it. I really need to find some alternatives and test them so there are other options when this one goes out of stock. That happens from time to time
Great video!!! I am trying to find the battery back up u mentioned in your video?? Do u think they still make it? Can't find on amazon. Is there any others, i am bad at DYI ..stuff lol
I believe you should get a blocking diode (although most solar panels are now equipped with it) to prevent the battery from reverse discharging into your solar panel.
Nifty. Came here looking at pumps for solar power. Living in Texas our AC creates a bit of a swamp next to the drip outlet, so a bucket/pump solution to move the water to say, a garden or some bushes would would well. Don't even really need the battery back up, as the AC doesn't run as much at night.
Depending on how high up your AC is installed , you could put a water catch barrel under it with a Bell siphon and pipe and when the water in the barrel reaches a pre-determined depth based on your bell siphon standing pipe, it will drain out the bottom through the siphon and stop automatically. You can pipe it where you want it to drain. No power needed AND if you install a bulkhead with valve and hose fitting you have the added benefit of being able to use that water to water plants with instead of simple dumping it down a drain
Scott...oh wow. This is exactly what I need. Looking up bell siphon now. Have dumped ac water for years trying to keep the area dry under my ac on the patio. Thk u.....
3:00 diagram is helpful. I thought solar meant no wires/cables too but i guess the one with small solar panel doesn't need wires or battery backup (but may need regular double or triple A's ?) I'm checking this out now as I've become interested in a small water feature for the back yard..
That's a great idea, seeing that a battery pack can be added to a solar pump that doesn't usually come with one, but the one from Eco worthy says unavailable. 6/22. I'll go looking for similar products though now, thanks!
No problem. Sorry about that. It's a really popular product and goes out of stock from time to time. When I have some extra time in my schedule I hope to do some research on alternatives. So if you do find one you like, let me know
Thank you very much for this very interesting and informative video, it is much appreciated as a pond with a small waterfall is being considered. The solar with battery backup is what would be required as it would be impossible to get wiring to where it is needed. This has been very helpful in making a choice.
On reading the reviews of the solar fountain, you still need to be able to get the panel in the sun or the battery backup will not run it either bc the panel is what charges that too. It comes w a very long cord plus you can buy an extension. 😊
@@PrettyPurpleDoor Your help in this has been very much appreciated. These things are helpful in motivating the people to get very best from their gardens. Thank you very much for this.
I cannot find the battery backup. I clicked the links you shared but both go to the solar product. Thank you for sharing your success with this product.
You could use either type. Just have to do the math to make sure that the pump can handle it. Here's an article I wrote for how to figure that out: www.prettypurpledoor.com/water-feature-pump-size/
The amount of pipe a pump has to push through is significant. To really compare the the two you need to use the same tube size (inner diameter) and height. The GPH is not so important for this application.
No, I just get a lot of questions about whether or not solar pumps can actually work as well as an electric pump. I have other videos on my channel about diy fountains and it kept coming up. So I just did a video comparing the two. If you do buy the solar pump that I'm using on Amazon I do get a small commission (around 3%)... but that's hardly enough to make a living (a couple bucks a month) and wasn't the main purpose of this video.
I did not. I did make a filter for the pump, though. There's a video on my channel about it I think it cost me $3. There are a few products you can buy for algae build up but they are typically for standing water. Ive used a product called easycare fountec algaecide and clarifier in my bird baths.
Well, the panel is only 10 watts. Amazon doesn't tell us what wattage the pump needs to flow. I could cobble together my own setup. I have to assume the pump has a higher wattage need than the panel has. That's why you need the battery. We live off grid solar so we are well accustomed to its' quirks.
Please tell us more about the adjustable diverter T on your electric pump. I am having a hard time sourcing one on line. Where did you get it? What brand/ maker? Thnx.
Hey there, all of the information can be found in this post: www.prettypurpledoor.com/easy-diy-water-feature/ . The diverter was purchased on Amazon, item is called Aquascape Large Fountain Head Kit for Ultra 1100-2000 and here is a link to the product: amzn.to/2AEcgCv
I have bought a replacement pump for my fountain it's a Little Giant 100 . The new pump is too powerful , it shoots the water too high . Can I replace the impeller fan with a impeller with less fins ?
You may try to reduce the input water flow by using a tape etc to seal off part of the input opening -- I have a pump for birdbath (JT-1020) that does exactly that. Bought on aliexpress
Thank you. That's good to know... Barry where were you when I was doing all the research to try to decide what solar pump to buy? I could have used your expertise :)
@@PrettyPurpleDoor Lol...I just got into the solar water fountains last summer my self...the one I had for my birds only worked while in direct sunlight...so only 4-5 hours per day...overcast days were a no go. So I figured out there were two different kinds of solar panels...the poly crystalline ones you find most often only work in direct sun...the amorphous work in both direct sun or overcast...meaning no need for batteries...unless you want a night time display. Mine is for the birds...so daytime is all I need anyway. The pumps with battery packs are rather expensive...I am going to hook up my amorphous solar panel soon...so I will let you know how it works.
That sounds about right. It's storing power during the day so it will vary based on how much sun you have that day. In the summer it doesn't get dark until 8-9pm so that's plenty of time unless you're a night owl. If you want the fountain to run through the night you'd have to use a wired pump.
No, the GPM rating is how many gallons of water it will move over X time, not how many gallons your basin needs to be. You could have a 5000 gallon basin and a pump that moves 250 gallons /hr. Is it optimal? No. The flow rate and rise (head) of the pump need to be known so that you can determine how much water you will move from A to B and how it will affect your flow rate in your features (stream, waterfall, etc) This is important in features such as waterfalls or streams built in as a low flow rate and rise will adversely affect how your feature looks (low flow and rise means your waterfall will look like a trickle instead of a waterfall for a basic example. To create a nice "average" looking waterfall or stream, it takes 1,800 gallons per hour (30 gallons per minute) for every 1 foot of width (and this does not take into account the rise (head) needed to get the water to the top of the feature. The more water you have standing in your basin, then higher pump rating you will want as you will want to move as much of that standing water as possible so it doesn't stagnate and the water remains oxygenated. This is crucial if you plan to have fish or other aquatic life in the basin. On the other hand, if you were making an aquaponics grow bed then the flow rate isn't as crucial if you do not have fish or aquatic life in your basin as you only need to fill the bed at whatever rate you want it to fill at and then drain out again. In which case your pump rating will need to accommodate the rise of the grow bed as it's usually above your basin in most cases and the pump will need to provide a constant rise (head) to be able to fill the grow bed to the point where your bell siphon kicks on to drain it again.
gallons per hour is just how many gallons of water will go through the pump in an hour of use, a larger gph pump will be more powerful as it is pushing out more water obviously. It doesn't really relate to the amount of water in the container.
If you're trying to choose the correct size fountain pump I do believe it's helpful because from everything I've read you are supposed to circulate the water within your basin once per hour. So, if you know how large your fountain basin is going to be, it would make sense to choose a pump with the appropriate gph. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the definitions of gph that I've read... And if so I do apologize. I am describing everything within the context of deciding what pump to purchase.
Size of discharge tube will also dictate the amount of water flow. Even though it will still process the rated flow, a smaller tube will create a higher fountain, larger tube will result in a smaller fountain.
@@MrKim-kv2vv Thank you. I have a waterfall about 4½ feet high I was wondering what size pump and tubing to purchase. The basin is about 8" deep and about 4'×4' wide ( I didn't measure)
I only get sun from about 2:00 to 4:00. The solar pumps I get always seem to have the prong hook ups. I found a battery pack but it only has the hook ups for your phones . The one u have I looked on Amazon said not to use a 5 w mine is a 1.8 w. Can I use this battery back up for my solar pump? I’m only using it for the hummingbird bath on my balcony . I live in an apartment. Maybe 3 quart container or less.
Go to harbor freight...get the $14.99 amorphous solar panel...it runs in sun or cloudy days ...you'll have to wire it in and water proof the connections...That is what I am getting ready to do...not messing with the battery packs.
I tend to agree. If you can run the electric it's more stable and invisible. But if you can run the electric, at least some of these solar pumps are making it possible now.
Yes. Better to buy 20W/30W 12V/18V solar panel and pump separately. May also need a DC male to male 5.5 x 2.1mm connector. I have a JT-660B3 12V (which has water protection feature -- pump auto shuts down when no water) and a JT-750 (no water protection). Both are powerful pumps. They don't come with fountain and pipe accessories, but those can be bought separately -- or you can attach the old ones you have via tape, etc. I bought all these from aliexpress. Just make sure you have the matching 12V/24V variants of these pumps (based from output from the solar panel).
I bought this exact setup on your recommendation. The solar worked fine, however when I tried to connect the battery it started smoking and short circuited my solar panel wiring making it completely useless. I would use caution buying this product, if the battery had short circuited when I wasn't watching it there could have been a dangerous fire.
Well that's not a good thing. I have been using this battery for an entire season and never experienced anything like that. I don't recommend anything that I haven't tried before. I would reach out to the seller, because I've contacted them a few times and they were very responsive and helpful to me. Perhaps there was a malfunction with your battery. I'm sure they would be happy to resolve the issue for you. Please do let me know how it goes if you decide to contact them. -Amy
@@PrettyPurpleDoor RE: reverse polarity, if this was the problem then the cables and outlets should have been marked better because I'm pretty sure I plugged them into the appropriate spots. I finally got my refund, but in the meantime have been enjoying my Home Depot replacement with the built in battery, LED lights and much higher quality solar panel mount.
@@prrlgrrl Hey, glad to see your input on this. I’ve already bought the Eco-Worthy set up and I have my fountain up and running. I plan on making a second fountain, could you tell me, please, what your new pump kit with battery is called? Thanks!
@@PrettyPurpleDoor you can make them :) its just a battery and a inverter, you can put them in a tool box or build a box for it then you can hook up a small solar Panel to it with a charge controller of you wanted
Your side by side says the solar pump only has a 6’ cord. I could tell that was wrong by how long it took you to wrap it up 😂 but then you said it was 16’ later. In case you want to fix it.
Water and electric power do not mix well. You should be disconnecting the power from the wall outlet not the pump from the extention cord; that way you are never between the live current and ground.
Thanks for the tip, I do appreciate it. Maybe you can come over and help me film so I can be safer 😊. I'm joking obviously but thanks for pointing that out I don't want to get hurt.
Umm, did I just watch a video on solar pumps... on a cloudy day? Neat. Battery link is no longer available. So the answer to: "can a solar pump replace an electric pump?" Is no. No they cannot. Not even close. AND they are way way more expensive for way less performance.
Haha I didn't think that through to be honest. I haven't found a straight solar pump that can compete. But, with the battery backup I do think it's a viable option for those who want to have a fountain and don't have access to an electrical outlet. So... It's an option.
Adding a solar panel directly to a battery is a recipe for disaster. The product in the video uses a Lithium battery with no BMS (Battery Management System) or solar charge controller; fuses etc. Unregulated charging and discharging a lithium battery especially a battery that is left outside in the heat and cold may cause the battery to catastrophically fail. Your solar charge controller or BMS should have overcharge protection; over discharge protection; overheat protection; overcurrent protection; short circuit protection; and low temp charger cutoff. You have two choices when designing a solar system with a battery backup; you can design it with properly or design it to fail. If you want to design an simple inexpensive solar system with a battery, please contain the battery in a fireproof container so when the battery dose fail and possibly catches fire it does not set your yard on fire. Building even a small solar system the right way can be extremely technical and expensive especially if you don't have all the tools so it might make sense to build a system under a $100 that may burn up a contained $50 battery every year or so.
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
Solar pumps without batteries are better than the ones with them from my experience. The ones without are working like the day I got them. 1 year later.... the battery ones all died. Just like the one you got.
Solar is fickle in the sense that even though a panel might be rated for say 10 watts, at any given time it might only produce 6-7 watts depending on how sunny it is, orientation of the panel, quality of the silicate used, type of panel, etc. So to run a 10 watt pump continuously from a solar panel alone you would likely need a panel in the 50 watt range to account for losses when generating power. Solar panels also don't run at night so a battery backup makes sense to ensure that your pump is always running if you need it for aeration for fish for example or simply just want it to run all the time. Also, surface agitation from a fountain helps prevent pests from taking over the water feature (like mosquitoes) as they LOVE standing water to breed in) so having it run continuously to ensure the water surface is always moving can be beneficial in this sense.
All good points you make... thank you! So I guess there's no real way to compare. Maybe I need some wattage tester tool to make this much more scientific 🤔
@@PrettyPurpleDoor In the case of anything solar, over-estimate what you need. for example, if you need 50 Watts, use a 100 Watt Panel instead. You're more likely to obtain closer to 50+ watts on a steady basis from a 100 watt panel and not likely to get 50 watts from a 50 watt panel under even the most ideal of conditions. The Battery backup is the same Idea as home Grid-tie battery backup systems in principle and you need to generate more than you use to store power in the batteries for use when conditions do not permit ideal power generation. Where I am, there is pretty much always wind so I would opt for a vertical turbine capable of generating 50-100 watts for something like this because it will be far more consistent than solar will here. Solar isn't difficult, it's just fickle because you can never tell what the conditions will be from day to day so you have to over compensate in generation capacity for all applications just to meet needs.
Are you unable to comprehend what you hear or see if you can't immediately sense the presenter's gender? Seek help ASAP. The problem lies within YOU, not within her.
GPH is the volume of water it pushes, no matter what size the container. It is suggested that for the larger the container the more volume should be pushed comes from Aquariums users.
For a bird bath, a small pump like the solar is nice regardless of the reservoir of water used.Two primary items to look at are LIFT and GPH. You did great!
Great information, and to see a comparison side by side, is priceless,there are always pros and cons,all I have to do is decide.Thanks.
Finally, I found someone who has shown in detail about solar pumps. Thank you ❤️ I want to make a mini cascading water fall but there is no how to's out there except complex water fall features . Do you know of any? I wish you had a video of one. Your so clear.
There are lots of videos on making your own fountain. For small ones check out Robbie & Gary on hummingbirds. She has lots she's made - even from ice cream container! Also search (U tube) DIY cement projects for garden. There are a couple Asian channels (no talking) that are amazing to watch. It gets the creative juice flowing.
Robbie: ua-cam.com/video/kMbdGIq7P7w/v-deo.html
Here's one that came up on DIY garden fountain:
ua-cam.com/video/HlIucSospB4/v-deo.html
How this helps get you started!
Here's another using a liter soda bottle: ua-cam.com/video/7HaEZlV8i8M/v-deo.html
The more GPH it pumps the higher lift (taller) it can go from the pump to the top. You have to experiment a bit with the length of tubing. The higher (longer) you hold it the less water pressure coming out. For birds gentler / slower is better. Keep in mind they don't like a slick surface to stand on and 1 inch deep is great plenty. Place near shrubs where they can quickly get up out of harms way if a cat should see them. They can't fly a week with wet feathers.
The 10 watt is a poly and the 12 is mono. I wonder if the mono panel will do better in lower light. The great thing about solar is you don't need an electric line close by. Being able to pump water anywhere in the environment is invaluable.
Very useful information. I am thinking of going solar for my pump in Wales, UK - not as much sun as you probably get! The battery back-up idea sounds just the job.
Yes it's a nice balance. I think it will work for you!
I like the solar water fountains less electric wiring, small and just the right amount of water fountains I need for a small patio garden. Easy to maintain..... I have three fountains. The best part is my cat enjoys them.
You can Buck the Voltage down with a converter and not need a battery - full flow on dark cloudy days. May need 300W of PV for a 20Watt pump.
Right on. Been lookin for a pump for a mini pond I’m building. Like the battery backup features
Love love search a simple diy and yours is amazing I love your rock fountain creation. Thanks it caused me to want to subscribe 😄
Love your videos, thank you so much! I took your advice and got the Eco-Worthy solar fountain pump with battery backup. I just got my hummingbird fountain up and running!
I have a couple of tips how I solved two problems, solar pumps don’t seem to come with a diverter, but I used drip irrigation tubing for the tube from the pump to where the water comes out (it fits perfectly, who knew, lol). I punched two small holes into the tubing inside my water basin to create a diversion for some of the water and now it is the perfect water flow.
I watched another one of your videos where you talk about creating extra filtering for the pumps. I nearly went to the dollar store to get some plastic scrubbies like what you did, but then I remembered I had a roll of poly batting I wasn’t using (the filler in the middle of quilts). I cut two squares that fit nicely over the exterior of the pump and I tied it on with a piece of string. The doubled up poly batting ought to catch any debris at all and doesn’t seem to reduce the flow through the water pump, and now I don’t have to worry about all that cottonwood fluff that plagues our area for a month.
Oh yeah the batting is a great idea... It's pretty similar to the scrubbies I used! Thanks for all of your tips and tricks.
Hi, you Video came in very helpful since I been looking for some sort of a solar fountain set up for a long time and Finally yesterday I purchased this set up. My MAIN question is. What is the ID and OD of the tubing you used for it.? Thx. (outside and inside diameter.)
The battery went back in stock and just ordered it. I got the fountain first and just installed it. It works perfectly 🥰
Can you send me link for battery powered pump
Can you please send me the link as well?
The amount of water that these pumps will move is important. Some people want a pump that will operate a fountain in a decent sized pond while others who just want to have a small ornamental fountain or a bird bath fountain would not need a pump quite that strong. This is where I agent confused. Some of the specs listed online make no sense to me.
I see people who are writing reviews saying that a solar pump was useless while others say that the same pump worked well. While quality control might be an issue I think most of this differentiation is about what they are expecting that pump to do.
Now, if I can just find the right size pump for my fountain! Thanks for the info!
How long does the battery back up last. Hours with out the solar panel charging it? I looking into these for a future small pond I’m making. The pond is to far away from any power source
What a great overview! Took a quick look and you have many more great videos to watch later. One more happy Subscriber here...
Thank you for the clear demonstration. I'm very interested in the solar powered pump but have a question about the battery back up. Is the battery submersible? The cord used to connect it to the pump seems very short. Also, does the pump run all night then from the battery?
No the battery backup is not submersible. Yes it will run the fountain through the evening if it's received enough sunlight during the day.
Thank you so much for this review. I bought the unit. I tried to purchase thru the link but they were out at the time. I came back in stock & received it. Gonna but the extra tubing to give it a little lift. 💜💜💜
I'm glad you were able to get your hands on it. I really need to find some alternatives and test them so there are other options when this one goes out of stock. That happens from time to time
Great video!!! I am trying to find the battery back up u mentioned in your video?? Do u think they still make it?
Can't find on amazon. Is there any others, i am bad at DYI ..stuff lol
amzn.to/3pziEEP
How long will the pump run with the battery backup only? Thanks. Great video.
Hello... Maybe 12 hours or so. Thats my best guess! Glad you enjoyed the video thanks so much 😊
What is the link for battery pump? Above mentioned Amazon link throws
Page not found error
I was looking for the back up battery that is mated to the Eco-friendly pump. Seems the original link is no longer good.
I believe you should get a blocking diode (although most solar panels are now equipped with it) to prevent the battery from reverse discharging into your solar panel.
Thanks ill look into it 😊
this helped me decide on which solar pump to purchase.
Battery Backup is a dead link. Can you suggest something comparable?
great clear explination 👍
Nifty. Came here looking at pumps for solar power. Living in Texas our AC creates a bit of a swamp next to the drip outlet, so a bucket/pump solution to move the water to say, a garden or some bushes would would well. Don't even really need the battery back up, as the AC doesn't run as much at night.
Depending on how high up your AC is installed , you could put a water catch barrel under it with a Bell siphon and pipe and when the water in the barrel reaches a pre-determined depth based on your bell siphon standing pipe, it will drain out the bottom through the siphon and stop automatically. You can pipe it where you want it to drain. No power needed AND if you install a bulkhead with valve and hose fitting you have the added benefit of being able to use that water to water plants with instead of simple dumping it down a drain
Scott...oh wow. This is exactly what I need. Looking up bell siphon now. Have dumped ac water for years trying to keep the area dry under my ac on the patio. Thk u.....
@@doghairdontcarelindaniel7531 my pleasure.
Thank you! I hadn’t thought about using a solar fountain! Great fun for the inspiration
Thank you. This was a big help.
3:00 diagram is helpful. I thought solar meant no wires/cables too but i guess the one with small solar panel doesn't need wires or battery backup (but may need regular double or triple A's ?) I'm checking this out now as I've become interested in a small water feature for the back yard..
Thanks. Just the information I was needing.
That's a great idea, seeing that a battery pack can be added to a solar pump that doesn't usually come with one, but the one from Eco worthy says unavailable. 6/22. I'll go looking for similar products though now, thanks!
No problem. Sorry about that. It's a really popular product and goes out of stock from time to time. When I have some extra time in my schedule I hope to do some research on alternatives. So if you do find one you like, let me know
@@PrettyPurpleDoor , not your fault, but this option or cabling that could make this happen, could be very popular.🤷♂️
LOL I did a similar video. nice!!! im looking into the battery back up
Hi Amy, I just ordered the ecoworthy pump & battery. Exciting! Can you plse tell me where you got your tube. Thanks very much. Chris
Aquarium/fish stores carry all manner of tubing.
At the hardware store l 😊
homedepo, lowes
Thank you very much for this very interesting and informative video, it is much appreciated as a pond with a small waterfall is being considered. The solar with battery backup is what would be required as it would be impossible to get wiring to where it is needed. This has been very helpful in making a choice.
On reading the reviews of the solar fountain, you still need to be able to get the panel in the sun or the battery backup will not run it either bc the panel is what charges that too. It comes w a very long cord plus you can buy an extension. 😊
Yes you can get an extension cord. You can also charge the battery backup with a regular electrical outlet if needed (like overnight)
@@jd4364 Thank you very much for this helpful advice. It was kind of you to take the time.
@@PrettyPurpleDoor Your help in this has been very much appreciated. These things are helpful in motivating the people to get very best from their gardens. Thank you very much for this.
@@johnsmart964 you're welcome 👍🏻
an interesting extra you could have added was how long the battery lasts after sunset.
Good point, thanks. The battery backup runs about 12 hours once changed.
I have a pump, but can't find a battery backup box like that anywhere. Can you please tell me the name/model of the Battery backup box?
It's in the description. I don't think it's in stock sorry
I cannot find the battery backup. I clicked the links you shared but both go to the solar product. Thank you for sharing your success with this product.
Hmm. I just clicked on all the links and it goes right to the battery backup. Maybe try again? amzn.to/2WWrzyT
If not just search eco-worthy backup battery on Amazon.
@@PrettyPurpleDoor thank you this worked just not what I clicked before thanks again.
I just tried ordering it and it's "Currently Unavailable" 😭😭😭
Great Job! Thank You! (Love your self-watering pot video too!)
Hi… my bog filter is 3m above the base of the pond with a 5m run could I use a solar pump if so what size would you recommend
This info should help: ua-cam.com/video/U1VZByXnPj4/v-deo.html
Thank You! You explain things very well! It was so appreciated!
So a solar pump ? For cascade feature of a small pond ? Would you reccomended ? I live in a place with plenty of sun .
You could use either type. Just have to do the math to make sure that the pump can handle it. Here's an article I wrote for how to figure that out: www.prettypurpledoor.com/water-feature-pump-size/
The link for the back up battery is not working...Do you have another link?
The amount of pipe a pump has to push through is significant. To really compare the the two you need to use the same tube size (inner diameter) and height. The GPH is not so important for this application.
thanks for sharing these good information❤
Just wondering if you benefit from promoting this product...as in payment? Just Asking
No, I just get a lot of questions about whether or not solar pumps can actually work as well as an electric pump. I have other videos on my channel about diy fountains and it kept coming up. So I just did a video comparing the two.
If you do buy the solar pump that I'm using on Amazon I do get a small commission (around 3%)... but that's hardly enough to make a living (a couple bucks a month) and wasn't the main purpose of this video.
Do you add something to the water to prevent algae buildup? Constantly have to clean nozzle on my fountain.
I did not. I did make a filter for the pump, though. There's a video on my channel about it I think it cost me $3. There are a few products you can buy for algae build up but they are typically for standing water. Ive used a product called easycare fountec algaecide and clarifier in my bird baths.
How would this work for watering my veggie garden?
It wouldn't. It's a fountain pump for a decorative water feature.
Well, the panel is only 10 watts. Amazon doesn't tell us what wattage the pump needs to flow. I could cobble together my own setup. I have to assume the pump has a higher wattage need than the panel has. That's why you need the battery. We live off grid solar so we are well accustomed to its' quirks.
Please where can I find the parts to make one I want to build one at a cemetery and I want a solar powered one
Please tell us more about the adjustable diverter T on your electric pump.
I am having a hard time sourcing one on line. Where did you get it? What brand/ maker? Thnx.
Hey there, all of the information can be found in this post: www.prettypurpledoor.com/easy-diy-water-feature/ . The diverter was purchased on Amazon, item is called Aquascape Large Fountain Head Kit for Ultra 1100-2000 and here is a link to the product: amzn.to/2AEcgCv
@@PrettyPurpleDoor Thnx.
I have bought a replacement pump for my fountain it's a Little Giant 100 . The new pump is too powerful , it shoots the water too high . Can I replace the impeller fan with a impeller with less fins ?
You may try to reduce the input water flow by using a tape etc to seal off part of the input opening -- I have a pump for birdbath (JT-1020) that does exactly that. Bought on aliexpress
If you had an amorphous solar panel...verses a poly crystalline solar panel...then it would work both on cloudy days...as well as sunny days ;)
Thank you. That's good to know... Barry where were you when I was doing all the research to try to decide what solar pump to buy? I could have used your expertise :)
@@PrettyPurpleDoor Lol...I just got into the solar water fountains last summer my self...the one I had for my birds only worked while in direct sunlight...so only 4-5 hours per day...overcast days were a no go. So I figured out there were two different kinds of solar panels...the poly crystalline ones you find most often only work in direct sun...the amorphous work in both direct sun or overcast...meaning no need for batteries...unless you want a night time display. Mine is for the birds...so daytime is all I need anyway. The pumps with battery packs are rather expensive...I am going to hook up my amorphous solar panel soon...so I will let you know how it works.
@@barrybarber4924 what brand solar panel + battery powers your fountain. Does it last all night?
@@barrybarber4924
Does you solar panel works as you expected?
How long does the battery last? I did the math and I’m getting about 3-4 hours of run time when it gets dark
That sounds about right. It's storing power during the day so it will vary based on how much sun you have that day. In the summer it doesn't get dark until 8-9pm so that's plenty of time unless you're a night owl.
If you want the fountain to run through the night you'd have to use a wired pump.
@@PrettyPurpleDoor thank you. Yea I was searching for something that lasts longer but they only had 3500ah or I could make my own battery pack
No, the GPM rating is how many gallons of water it will move over X time, not how many gallons your basin needs to be. You could have a 5000 gallon basin and a pump that moves 250 gallons /hr. Is it optimal? No. The flow rate and rise (head) of the pump need to be known so that you can determine how much water you will move from A to B and how it will affect your flow rate in your features (stream, waterfall, etc)
This is important in features such as waterfalls or streams built in as a low flow rate and rise will adversely affect how your feature looks (low flow and rise means your waterfall will look like a trickle instead of a waterfall for a basic example. To create a nice "average" looking waterfall or stream, it takes 1,800 gallons per hour (30 gallons per minute) for every 1 foot of width (and this does not take into account the rise (head) needed to get the water to the top of the feature.
The more water you have standing in your basin, then higher pump rating you will want as you will want to move as much of that standing water as possible so it doesn't stagnate and the water remains oxygenated. This is crucial if you plan to have fish or other aquatic life in the basin.
On the other hand, if you were making an aquaponics grow bed then the flow rate isn't as crucial if you do not have fish or aquatic life in your basin as you only need to fill the bed at whatever rate you want it to fill at and then drain out again. In which case your pump rating will need to accommodate the rise of the grow bed as it's usually above your basin in most cases and the pump will need to provide a constant rise (head) to be able to fill the grow bed to the point where your bell siphon kicks on to drain it again.
Thanks for the tips 😊
The link to the battery backup is broken - thank you.
Maybe my last comment wasn’t clear enough, can you give out the correct link as to where you purchased the battery backup - Thank you 😊
I just need a place where I can find one or buy one please it means a lot to me thank you
I don't know, sorry.
Thanks very informative
Thanks. Very helpful
Nice ! Thank you
gallons per hour is just how many gallons of water will go through the pump in an hour of use, a larger gph pump will be more powerful as it is pushing out more water obviously. It doesn't really relate to the amount of water in the container.
If you're trying to choose the correct size fountain pump I do believe it's helpful because from everything I've read you are supposed to circulate the water within your basin once per hour. So, if you know how large your fountain basin is going to be, it would make sense to choose a pump with the appropriate gph. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the definitions of gph that I've read... And if so I do apologize. I am describing everything within the context of deciding what pump to purchase.
Size of discharge tube will also dictate the amount of water flow. Even though it will still process the rated flow, a smaller tube will create a higher fountain, larger tube will result in a smaller fountain.
@@MrKim-kv2vv
Thank you.
I have a waterfall about 4½ feet high
I was wondering what size pump and tubing to purchase.
The basin is about 8" deep and about 4'×4' wide
( I didn't measure)
Excellent video. Taught me SO MUCH. :)
Looking for a battery pack like that. Cant seem to find one
amzn.to/3pziEEP
It's just a battery powered pump, which is charged by the panel?
Yes exactly. It can also be charged by an outlet, too.
I can't seem to find the backup battery anywhere.. found similar solar rechargeable batteries, but not that one.. 🤔
Sorry it appears to be sold out. If you try a different setup do let me know how it works so I can share it with others.
Went to find the back up battery the site no longer can be found. Could you tell me the brand name of the backup battery.
And where can you by it
Yes this happened to me also
I only get sun from about 2:00 to 4:00. The solar pumps I get always seem to have the prong hook ups. I found a battery pack but it only has the hook ups for your phones . The one u have I looked on Amazon said not to use a 5 w mine is a 1.8 w. Can I use this battery back up for my solar pump? I’m only using it for the hummingbird bath on my balcony . I live in an apartment. Maybe 3 quart container or less.
Go to harbor freight...get the $14.99 amorphous solar panel...it runs in sun or cloudy days ...you'll have to wire it in and water proof the connections...That is what I am getting ready to do...not messing with the battery packs.
You can reach out to the seller on amazon... they are very responsive. Sorry I can't answer this for you.
@@barrybarber4924 ty very much I will try that sounds good. I have a harbor freight close by
@@PrettyPurpleDoor ok ty
This won't run a large solar pump...but will run the typical 12v 1.3 to 1.5 watt pumps :)
Appreciate your video, but I'll stick to electric, all the additional hardware needed for this item would look bad for my setup - minimalist here ;)
I tend to agree. If you can run the electric it's more stable and invisible. But if you can run the electric, at least some of these solar pumps are making it possible now.
Both systems are electric.
So...did the Sun go down?
I have not been happy the the longevity (or lack thereof) of the solar pumps.
Yes. Better to buy 20W/30W 12V/18V solar panel and pump separately. May also need a DC male to male 5.5 x 2.1mm connector. I have a JT-660B3 12V (which has water protection feature -- pump auto shuts down when no water) and a JT-750 (no water protection). Both are powerful pumps. They don't come with fountain and pipe accessories, but those can be bought separately -- or you can attach the old ones you have via tape, etc. I bought all these from aliexpress. Just make sure you have the matching 12V/24V variants of these pumps (based from output from the solar panel).
Thanks for the information
The battery for this is no longer available. Has anyone found a similar product?
Wow, cool ideas
really nice and helping video...
Brilliant vid
I bought this exact setup on your recommendation. The solar worked fine, however when I tried to connect the battery it started smoking and short circuited my solar panel wiring making it completely useless. I would use caution buying this product, if the battery had short circuited when I wasn't watching it there could have been a dangerous fire.
Well that's not a good thing. I have been using this battery for an entire season and never experienced anything like that. I don't recommend anything that I haven't tried before. I would reach out to the seller, because I've contacted them a few times and they were very responsive and helpful to me. Perhaps there was a malfunction with your battery. I'm sure they would be happy to resolve the issue for you. Please do let me know how it goes if you decide to contact them. -Amy
Hey there I'm just following up. I'm curious if you ever got in touch with the company about this? Please let me know if you have.
Yeah... I was thinking that may have been the problem... or a manufacturer defect. I hope I hear back from him/her about it.
@@PrettyPurpleDoor RE: reverse polarity, if this was the problem then the cables and outlets should have been marked better because I'm pretty sure I plugged them into the appropriate spots. I finally got my refund, but in the meantime have been enjoying my Home Depot replacement with the built in battery, LED lights and much higher quality solar panel mount.
@@prrlgrrl Hey, glad to see your input on this. I’ve already bought the Eco-Worthy set up and I have my fountain up and running. I plan on making a second fountain, could you tell me, please, what your new pump kit with battery is called? Thanks!
forgot to mentioned how much time does the battery pack last runing without solar power
Ooh thanks for pointing that out. If it's fully charged the one I have will run about 15 hours.
@@PrettyPurpleDoor thank you😊
But you could run the other one off a battery bank to?
Oh thats a great question. The one I have plugs into an outlet. I'm not really sure. Do they make a battery bank for that? If so then probably yes!
@@PrettyPurpleDoor you can make them :) its just a battery and a inverter, you can put them in a tool box or build a box for it then you can hook up a small solar Panel to it with a charge controller of you wanted
Is the wire from the pump is water resistant? Im afraid of rain
yes it is.
Your side by side says the solar pump only has a 6’ cord. I could tell that was wrong by how long it took you to wrap it up 😂 but then you said it was 16’ later. In case you want to fix it.
I purchased an extension cord. It comes with a 6' cord and the extension is 10'
thankyou
You're welcome!
Would be handy if you figure out how much it costs to run the mains pump
Hey there. I do have a calculator on my website so you can figure this out. www.prettypurpledoor.com/water-feature-electricity-cost-calculator/
Water and electric power do not mix well. You should be disconnecting the power from the wall outlet not the pump from the extention cord; that way you are never between the live current and ground.
Thanks for the tip, I do appreciate it. Maybe you can come over and help me film so I can be safer 😊. I'm joking obviously but thanks for pointing that out I don't want to get hurt.
Hopefully she is connected to an outdoor GFI plug.
Umm, did I just watch a video on solar pumps... on a cloudy day? Neat. Battery link is no longer available. So the answer to: "can a solar pump replace an electric pump?" Is no. No they cannot. Not even close. AND they are way way more expensive for way less performance.
Haha I didn't think that through to be honest. I haven't found a straight solar pump that can compete. But, with the battery backup I do think it's a viable option for those who want to have a fountain and don't have access to an electrical outlet. So... It's an option.
A small solar panel can no way produce the power to match a mains pump.
Adding a solar panel directly to a battery is a recipe for disaster. The product in the video uses a Lithium battery with no BMS (Battery Management System) or solar charge controller; fuses etc. Unregulated charging and discharging a lithium battery especially a battery that is left outside in the heat and cold may cause the battery to catastrophically fail. Your solar charge controller or BMS should have overcharge protection; over discharge protection; overheat protection; overcurrent protection; short circuit protection; and low temp charger cutoff. You have two choices when designing a solar system with a battery backup; you can design it with properly or design it to fail. If you want to design an simple inexpensive solar system with a battery, please contain the battery in a fireproof container so when the battery dose fail and possibly catches fire it does not set your yard on fire. Building even a small solar system the right way can be extremely technical and expensive especially if you don't have all the tools so it might make sense to build a system under a $100 that may burn up a contained $50 battery every year or so.
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
Solar pumps without batteries are better than the ones with them from my experience. The ones without are working like the day I got them. 1 year later.... the battery ones all died. Just like the one you got.
Good to know. I'm on year 2 of this one and it's still working fine.
👍
Obscenely too pricey!!
Hey Hi from moon 🌙😊
Just buy a pump that uses the same as your solar panel genorates. I guess yours is 10 watts! So buy a 10watt pump....... It's not rocket science.
I used what I had, sorry.
Solar is fickle in the sense that even though a panel might be rated for say 10 watts, at any given time it might only produce 6-7 watts depending on how sunny it is, orientation of the panel, quality of the silicate used, type of panel, etc. So to run a 10 watt pump continuously from a solar panel alone you would likely need a panel in the 50 watt range to account for losses when generating power.
Solar panels also don't run at night so a battery backup makes sense to ensure that your pump is always running if you need it for aeration for fish for example or simply just want it to run all the time. Also, surface agitation from a fountain helps prevent pests from taking over the water feature (like mosquitoes) as they LOVE standing water to breed in) so having it run continuously to ensure the water surface is always moving can be beneficial in this sense.
@@ArkLord001 I could not agree more well said.
All good points you make... thank you! So I guess there's no real way to compare. Maybe I need some wattage tester tool to make this much more scientific 🤔
@@PrettyPurpleDoor In the case of anything solar, over-estimate what you need. for example, if you need 50 Watts, use a 100 Watt Panel instead. You're more likely to obtain closer to 50+ watts on a steady basis from a 100 watt panel and not likely to get 50 watts from a 50 watt panel under even the most ideal of conditions.
The Battery backup is the same Idea as home Grid-tie battery backup systems in principle and you need to generate more than you use to store power in the batteries for use when conditions do not permit ideal power generation.
Where I am, there is pretty much always wind so I would opt for a vertical turbine capable of generating 50-100 watts for something like this because it will be far more consistent than solar will here.
Solar isn't difficult, it's just fickle because you can never tell what the conditions will be from day to day so you have to over compensate in generation capacity for all applications just to meet needs.
Looks like it was filmed in the 80s
Well I'm an 80s baby so I will take that as a compliment. 😊
Too much talking
Caveat 😆 trying to sound smart. There's no need to use that word with what you are doing, just keep it simple and normal ( layman's terms)
If you think that’s trying to sound smart maybe you struggle day to day
Please have woman hair or headscarf (so I can see the difference). Thanks for the video though.
Wow, that's a pretty rude comment!
Talk about passive aggressive!!! Why hate for no reason. Let’s lift each other up!! God bless!!
Are you unable to comprehend what you hear or see if you can't immediately sense the presenter's gender? Seek help ASAP. The problem lies within YOU, not within her.