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 pros to getting one are:
a: The moving water in the fountain stop its from going stagnant
b: It uses none of your main 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: The fountain usually operates during the day when the birds are out in the sun, so batteries are not essential
f: You could learn to make your own solar panels, reducing the cost even further.
g: It is very portable since it has no wires.
So, what do you need to make your own solar powered pump fountain?
The simplest option would be for you to add solar panels to an already working birdbath and fountain.
The alternative is to, and more DIY approach is to buy a birdbath that is ready for a fountain pump to be installed (it has the right holes, and a place for the pump to be installed), and then add the various pump and power components.
If you go the DIY route, then you will need to get:
A Birdbath
It does not matter what birdbath you buy, but make sure there is a place for the fountain to be added. A few options for you would be copper, terracotta, cascading, ceramic, or resin birdbath fountains.
The Water Spout:
This attachment can be source from your nearby hardware store or garden center. It is an optional extra that helps make the water spout out of the top, instead of a small trickle.
Small DC Pump:
Depending your birdbath size, the volume of water to be pumped and how high you want to pump it, will help you decide on the voltage and size pump needed. For your average, medium-sized birdbath, a small 6 volt DC pump will suffice.
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.
Solar Panels:
This is what make the solar powered pump birdbath portable and wireless. The number and power capacity of the solar panels needed is determined by what pump you bought. If it was the average 6 volt DC pump, then you will need 6 volt solar power. But it better to get solar panels with more power capacity than this for times when the sunlight is poor.
NB: You have 2 alternatives for the solar panels:
1 : Buy a small expensive solar kit from Wallmart or Target or any other local supplier.
2: Make your own solar panel. This is actually much easier than people make it out to be. With the right instructions you could build your own panel in an afternoon. If you want to go the diy way, then keep reading…
To get the maximum sunlight, the solar panels need to be fixed in simple frame, and be south-facing (if you are in the northern hemisphere).
How simple is it to build?
Once you have all the components and tools at your disposal, putting the system together shouldn’t take you more than 2 hours. And within an afternoon you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath.
If you want you could also add some type of power storage to the system. That way the batteries can store power, which can be used to operate the pump 24 hours a day. To have this option you will need:
1) Deep cycle battery:
You will need deep cycle battery that is capable of storing a charge for a long time. A 12 volt one should be more than enough to power a 6 volt pump.
Solar charge controller:
This is not that important, but to protect the battery from over-charging and to maximize it lifespan, you should a charge controller that sits between the solar panels and the battery.
Other than it being really cheap to make, the big advantage of making your solar powered pump fountain is that once you have that skill it is there with you forever. You could even make it as an eco-friendly gift for your friend’s next birthday.