Desktop fountains
easy to make

By Stephanie Kendrick
Assistant Features Editor

The discipline of feng shui, which aims to enhance energy flow and bring harmony to a space, has helped create a desk-top fountain craze across the nation.

"Water in the Chinese tradition was considered to be associated with prosperity," said Vicki Brooks, a Los Angeles-based feng shui consultant who teaches in Hawaii. "It's a reinforcement of prosperity, that moving water.

"On an emotion level, it's relaxing to listen to that sound," she said.

Brooks installed a fountain in her husband's accounting office. "People would stop by his office afterward and comment, 'I don't know what it is about this office but it's very soothing,' " she said.

You don't have to spend a fortune to bring a little tranquility to your home or office. While ready made fountains can cost hundreds of dollars, you can build your own for a fraction of that cost. All you need is some creativity, a couple of hours and some basic materials.

Graphic By Bryant Fukutomi, Star-Bulletin

The pump

Pumps are rated based on how much water they move per hour and to what height. For a desk-top fountain, you want to look for the smallest pump available while keeping an eye on the maximum height rating, which will determine the height of your fountain. Two common pump features you want to make sure you get are adjustable flow control and rubber feet. Superstores like Wal-Mart and Eagle Hardware carry pumps, as do many local garden shops and pet stores. Prices and selection vary widely, but local pet stores seem to be the most reliable source of low-priced small pumps.

Pump housing

If your fountain top is built to contain the pump, a wide ceramic vase for example, or rocks glued in shape around the pump (see illustration), then you do not need a pump housing. But if your fountain top is going to sit above the pump, you need a housing that supports the top and keeps that weight off the pump.

A pump housing will need a hole in the top for the water tube, a hole or notch on the side for the pump chord and holes on the side to let the water get to the pump. Many materials can be used -- an inverted bowl or a terra cotta pot, for example -- but the best may be wide PVC plumbing pipe. It is inexpensive, stable and easy to drill. Pottery can chip during drilling and will wear with use.

The base

This is where the creative part starts (or sometimes where it ends). The job of the base is to hold all the water your fountain needs. It can be made of any material that is, or can be watertight. Surfboard resin is excellent for this task.

You can get resin and catalysts at surf shops and Longs Drug Stores. You will want to pour the mixture into your base while it is still liquid, then continue to roll it around the base until you have an even coat with no bubbles. Continue to roll the base until the resin sets. If you put the base down before the resin has set, the resin will follow gravity to the bottom.

The top

Fountain styles are as varied as fountain designers. They can be as simple as a ceramic vase sitting in a ceramic bowl. "Natural" designs incorporating piles of slate, flagstone or lava rock are popular. Or let your whimsical side show: How about a stack of mismatched china salvaged from Goodwill?

You don't need to spend much, or anything to create a masterpiece. Take a fresh look at the stuff in your house and yard, especially junk you've been reluctant to throw out. Broken bits of mirror, an old water spigot, bonsai planters; any of them could make a wonderful fountain. Waterproof adhesives are available at craft and hardware stores for bonding the elements.

Water conduit

You will likely need some kind of conduit to get water from your pump to the top of your fountain. You want a tube or pipe that fits snugly onto the aperture of your pump.

Vinyl tubing is flexible and can be worked into a small opening to create a snug fit. Copper tubing is fairly stiff, but can be bent to hold a shape and oxidizes over time (sanding the copper will make it oxidize faster). Acrylic pipe is stiff and clear.

All work well, and in the amounts you will need, are fairly inexpensive. The choice between them should be determined by which has the best properties given your design. Copper and vinyl tubing are available at hardware stores. Vinyl tubing and acrylic pipe are available at some pet, aquarium and garden shops.

Accessories

Plants can beautify a fountain in many ways. Silk is a low maintenance choice. Incorporating a florist's frog allows you to change the look of your fountain through foliage. And you can introduce live plants as well. Consult with your local garden shop on this last option as some plants are more fountain friendly than others.

Underwater lights are sold at many of the same stores that carry pumps.

Candles, floating and otherwise, also can add a dramatic element to your design. But be sure to keep melting wax away from your pump.

Craft stores, pet shops and garden shops are great sources for marbles, pebbles, river rock and other items you can use to complete the look of your fountain. The possibilities are limited only by your own creativity and taste.

Testing your design

Once you have all the pieces together, you'll be itching to pour water in and test your fountain. One warning: place your hand an inch or so over the fountain spout before you plug in the pump, that is, unless your ceiling and floor needed to get washed anyway.

If the water flow is too strong or two weak, try adjusting the pressure control on your pump. If you started with your base full and you need to add water to get the effect you want, you need to rethink your design.

You do not want to use more water than your base can hold. If the fountain gets unplugged or the pump fails, you will have a flood on your hands (or your desk, as the case may be).

One way to solve this problem is to displace some of the water your design seems to need. For example, if your top includes a vase that needs to fill with water, fill the vase with marbles first.

Once you have the look you want and the water flow is working, you need to think about maintenance. You will want to clean your pump about once every six months. Simply rinse the pump free of debris. Do not use bleach or any other cleaner that could damage the pump. You may want to glue together the elements of your top to make it easier to get to the pump without having to rebuild everything each time you clean it.

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Editor's note: The author's husband, Alex Kendrick,
contributed to this report. An Oahu public school teacher
by trade, he has taken up fountain building as a hobby
and learned much of the above through trial and error.

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