How To Make A Solar Powered Pump Birdbath
If you have been thinking of making a more eco-friendly garden, have you considered getting a solar powered pump birdbath? Actually, have you thought of making one yourself?
So why would you want to make a solar powered pump birdbath?
The benefits are:
a: Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant
b: It uses none of your main power supply
c: The pump works on direct current, so no inverter is required
d: It requires little power (about 6 volts) so you only need a few small solar panels.
e: No batteries are required, since the pump only really needs to operate during the day when the sun is out and the birds are in the garden.
f: You could learn to make your own solar panels, reducing the cost even further.
g: The birdbath is wireless making it very portable.
So, what do you need to make your own solar powered pump fountain?
The most basic method is to buy a working birdbath with fountain, and then wire up the solar panels.
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 want to save money, and build your own system, then you will need:
The 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 Fountain Attachment:
This is optional, but it makes the water spout out the top, instead of just trickling out. It can be found at your local nursery or hardware store.
The Water 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:
When buying the irrigation for the fountain, it is best not to get piping that is too wide, otherwise the right water pressure will not be maintained and the pump will not work properly. So before you buy the wrong tubing, get advice from your local garden center and see what they use in similarly sized birdbaths
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.
Some Solar Panels:
This is what makes this birdbath unique to your average water fountain. Depending on what size pump you buy, will need to get enough solar panels for the fountain to work properly. A a typical 6 volt pump, you will require solar panels with a capacity of at least 6 volts. But is better to be on the safe side and get a 12 volt solar panel instead, for times when it is cloudy and for late afternoons.
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 : The cheaper, DIY route and make the panel yourself. Luckily this is actually rather simple for anyone to learn to do. So if you want to learn to make your own, then carry on reading to the end…
For the solar panel to operate effectively it needs to be fitted in a frame and angled in the direction of the sun. Placing it under a tree will not help.
How easy is it to put it all together?
If you have all the tools and materials and any diy experience, you could have a working solar powered pump birdbath within in a matter of hours - that’s if all goes to plan…
A nice added extra is to hook up some batteries to the system. That way you can store any excess power, and the pump could run all day and night. If you do want the fountain to operate for 24 hours, then you will need the following:
1) 12 volt battery:
Because the pump is only 6 volts, a 12 volt battery is more than enough. It should be a deep cycle battery (car battery) that can store the power for a longer time.
Charge Controller:
It is not vital , but if you want the battery to last longer, a charge controller will protect the battery from over-charging. It is wired from the solar panels and then to the battery.
Over and above it being affordable to build, what I like about putting together my own solar powered pump birdbath, is that once the first one is finished, making the second or third one just gets easier. It could even be a fantastic gift for a close friend or newly wed.