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Table top fountain design


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I have a student making a fountain in the style of what you might see in a  town park but miniature: Fountain style

I am looking for a way to hide the cord and we have a few Ideas involving silicone sealant and a hole into the foot, with the cord exiting a small notch in the foot then going to the wall. I said I would ask if any of you had any tricks that might work for a design that hides the cord without the silicone sealant.

 

Thanks!


Tyler

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I'm not a big fan of running the cord out the bottom and trying to seal the hole with silicone or anything else. It will fail and some point. All it takes is a pull on the cord to make a leak. I've done several where the bottom vessel had a lid, and as the water cascaded down it went through holes in the lid. These were large fountains (3-4 feet tall) that were meant to be outdoors, so the lid kept leaves and critters out of the water. The cord went out of a notch between the lid and bottom vessel.

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I agree wih Neil about not putting the cord through an underwater hole. Water always finds a way. I made a few fountains years ago. I designed them so they had a primary viewing angle, with the cord exiting from the basin at the back where it wasn't seen. I like the "lid" idea too.

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I agree with Neil, don't have any openings in the main vessel that will be below the water level in the reservoir. It will leak when you least expect it, and in the worst possible location. As part of the overall design, develop some sculptural elements around the edge of the vessel that can hide the cord. The particular element that will house the cord must be designed so that the cord tucks under it somehow, out of sight but still removable. The small pump will need to be removed periodically to clean the gunk that will inevitable clog the filter inlet.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Adding my two cents: Once tried to plug the hole in some (brand new unused) houseplant pots with aquarium silicone and once dried I barely poked the seal with my finger and they popped out like rubber corks. 

From being an aquarist: if the fountain is kept on a surface (tabletop, etc) higher than the electric outlet, make sure the electrical cord is long enough that it can hang forming a loop below wherever it is plugged in, a simple precaution for when water ends up dripping down it. Water tends to get around while refilling, leaking, dogs drinking, children messing with it. 

 

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This problem can be solved with a basin that fits into another form below the main fountain. Then the pump fits into the basin, that has a hole to run the cord out, and then out through a hole in the form it sets in.  I had several fountains made for an extrusion project called Crazy plumbing when I taught at the HS. Often the student would make a lid over a bowl that sat in a stand. The top of the lid would have the sculpture/fountain, and would also have controlled drainage areas for the water to go back into the bowl. The underside of the lid had a ceramic tube for the pump hose to fit onto.

 

best,

Pres

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