How to Maintain the Metal Finish of Your Fountain

Water Wonders fountains are made from premium Italian copper.  Copper is a natural material, reactive to its environment; it will oxidize from exposure to air and water, and it will darken from exposure to the sun.  Unless you color coat your copper with one of our onyx or metallic finishes, your fountain will be finished with our signature, hand-applied patina.  To maintain the copper parts of your Water Wonders fountain, please follow these instructions:

 Natural Finish Fountains

Over time, as copper oxidizes it develops a bluish-green appearance called verdigris (pronounced
“ver da gree”).  How quickly your fountain will verdigris depends on your climate, the water you use, and how you maintain your fountain.  If you wish to slow the process, apply Pledge^® or another, household furniture polish with a soft cloth will help with weekly maintenance.  Do not allow droplets of water to stay on the copper parts for a long period of time.  DO NOT USE copper cleaner, wax, or the CLR product recommended below for powder coated fountains because they will remove the hand-applied patina – leaving you with raw, unfinished copper.  

If, like many people, you enjoy nature’s own blue-green verdigris patina, then do nothing, and let nature take its course.  Over time, your copper will take on varying hues of verdigris (see example below), ultimately acquiring the timeless qualities of an old copper roof, or the world’s most famous monument to verdigris – the Statue of Liberty!

 Powder Coated Fountains

Powder coating is a baked-on enamel finish that helps protect metal from the elements.  It helps to slow the oxidation process.  Powder coating can be either clear or colored. 

Whether on clear coated or color coated fountains, apply Turtle Wax Hard Shell^® wax every two to three months.  Pledge^® or another household furniture polish with a soft cloth will help with weekly maintenance.  Do not allow droplets of water to stay on the copper parts for a long period of time.  DO NOT USE COPPER CLEANER as this will damage your fountain’s powder coated finish.  In some areas of the country the water has a large amount of minerals which will cause white spots to appear on the copper parts.  On powder coated copper, these spots can be safely cleaned off with CLR^® (Calcium Lime Rust Remover) following the instructions on the bottle.  Make sure that you thoroughly rinse off all cleaning agents before refilling and restarting your fountain.  Don’t get any wax or Pledge in the water!  See section below “How to Maintain the Water” regarding Protec^® to minimize minerals in the water.

As mentioned above, over time, all copper oxidizes – even if powder coated.  Powder coating merely slows the process.  On clear coated fountains, particularly, in the creases where water and moisture collect, a rosy color will ultimately develop.  This “blush” will generally stay localized and will not affect the performance of your fountain.  Maintaining your fountain, as above, will delay and minimize the blush.

How to Maintain the Water

Like most things we value, your fountain does require a little attention -- but, really not much more
than a house plant.  As with your plants, water sufficiency and quality are very important:

Use Distilled Water

Because tap water may contain minerals such as calcium and perhaps certain other metals, it is
best to use distilled water for your fountain.  If you do use tap water, the calcium and other minerals in
the water will eventually solidify on the copper, slate, and parts of the pump, which may cause the
pump to fail, and the copper to verdigris more quickly.

Or, Use Protec^®

If you do use tap water, you should definitely use a product called Protec^®.  Protec^® contains organo-phosphonates for protection against both white calcium mineral buildup and metallic stains.  Protec^®
will prevent and remove existing mineral deposits and metal stains.  This product also helps prevent pump damage due to hard water buildup.  A drop per gallon is all you need.  Protec^® treated water is biologically safe for cats, dogs, birds, and plants.  It is available at most aquarium, pet, and pool
stores, and via the internet.

Use Fountec^® if Needed

Because of the copper in your fountain, growth of algae is quite rare.  We get only a few calls per year about algae.  If algae does appear, a good solution is Fountec^® – found in all the same places as Protec^®.  Just follow the instructions on the bottle.

Change the Water Periodically

Regardless of what kind of water you use, you should change the water in your fountain every four to six months – more frequently if your fountain is outdoors or in a dusty indoor environment. 

Maintain the Correct Water Level

Fountains are natural humidifiers for your environment. The amount of water that evaporates from
your fountain each day depends on how dry the air is and what type of fountain you have. Ideally, you
should add a small amount of water each day.   At a minimum, “water” your fountain every time you water your plants filling it to the level specified in your fountain’s instructions. 

And Don’t Put ANYTHING Else in the Water!

No oils, perfumes, dyes, bubbles, beverages, glitter or goldfish.  You name it, we’ve heard it.  So,
please don’t!  It’ll damage your fountain and void your warranty.

How to Maintain the Pump

The pumps we use are aquarium pumps that are designed to run continuously.  They will run for years with proper care.  Please follow these simple guidelines:

NEVER EVER RUN THE PUMP DRY!!

Your fountain will perform best if the pump is allowed to run continuously.  If you wish to turn off the light, most of our fountains have two electric cords – one for the pump and one for the lights(s).  Most also have an on/off switch at the bulb socket.  Of course, if your fountain will be unattended for
several days, you will need to turn it off before leaving.  Be sure to follow the start-up procedure when you return.

Our pumps are submersible and MUST be used only while COMPLETELY submersed in water.  The water acts to cool the pump and maintain the proper operating temperature.  We’ve “autopsied” hundreds of pumps and know that running them dry is the cause of 90% of pump failures.  Low water levels, frequently turning the fountain off and on, or poor fountain maintenance will contribute to a shorter pump life span.  Your pump has a warranty for twelve months but only if maintained and operated properly.

If your pump makes noise

First check to be sure it is fully submerged in the water.  Then, be sure that the pump is not vibrating against the water reservoir.  You can isolate the pump by using a sponge or Scotch Brite^® pad underneath or beside it to minimize the vibrations that cause the noise.

Read the Instructions

Your fountain comes with instructions from Water Wonders and from the pump’s manufacturer.  Please read and follow them.

If your pump stops working, and it’s not because you ran it without water, then it is most likely that there is air inside the pump (caused by turning the pump off and on frequently).  If this is case, there are several steps you can take to re-start your pump.

 

1. Unplug and plug in the fountain several times in succession to prime the pump and get it started.  If that doesn’t work, then,
2. Plug the pump in, lift it out of the water, then quickly place it back in the water to “jump start” it. 
   If that doesn’t work, then,
3. With the pump plugged in take it out of the water, and either hit the pump with your hand or tap
   it against a hard surface other than your fountain to jar the impeller loose.
4. Unplug the pump and then take it apart and clean the impeller following the manufacturers’ instructions.

How to Maintain the Face of Your Fountain

Whether made of our Indian Raja or Jeera slate, pebbles, glass, mirror, or Italian marble tile, the cleaner the face of your fountain, the better it will look and operate.  As above, using distilled or bottled drinking water or, otherwise, using Protec^® will minimize calcium and other mineral deposits in the water – the elements that create a white film on your slate.  Prevention is best. 

If the Face is Made of Slate

If mineral deposits do develop, the best way to wash them away is with CLR^® (Calcium Lime Rust Remover) and a soft bristled brush, following the instructions on the bottle.   But, remember, slate is a natural material, made of composite layers.  Hard or excessive brushing may cause a piece of the slate to come loose and chip away.

If the Face is Made of Pebbles

Follow the same guidelines as above for slate.  Do not use bleach or other chemicals that will deteriorate the pebbles’ substrate.

If the Face is Made of Glass or Mirror

The best way to eliminate mineral deposits is with a solution of water and white vinegar.  If the water does not run evenly over the glass surface, turn off the fountain, dry the mirror thoroughly, and apply a thin application of Jazz^® Window Prep which you can find at most art supply stores.  It helps the
water flow evenly over the glass.

If the Face is Made of Italian Marble

As with slate, use some CLR or a mixture of warm water and white vinegar.

In all cases, remember to keep the runoff of mineral deposits, soap, vinegar, etc. from getting into
your fountain’s water supply.

How to Maintain the Lighting and Electrical

Sooner or later all light bulbs burn out.  The bulbs used in our fountains are found in most hardware stores.  The following are the specifications for replacing light bulbs.  This information is also found in your fountain’s instructions.

Underwater lights

Use a 10 watt, 12 volt halogen bulb (JC Type) S3459.  Wear gloves when handling any halogen light.

Standard lights (Not underwater)

Depending on which indoor fountain you own, use either a 75 watt flood bulb or a 25 watt reflector bulb.

For outdoor fountain lights use a 60 watt Quartz/Capsule Halogen lamp, Par16/Seal light.  Wear
gloves when handling any halogen light.

When handling halogen bulbs, always were a pair of clean gloves as oil from your skin will cause the bulb to malfunction.  After unplugging the fountain, pull the glass tube off of the bulb, remove the old bulb, and replace it with the new one.  Then, replace the glass tube to protect the bulb from water.

If a standard (non under water) bulb shatters or is burning out frequently, it is possible that water droplets are hitting the bulb.  To correct this, make sure that the water is flowing evenly at the top of
the fountain, turn down the water flow, and, if necessary, re-position the light hood to distance the bulbs from the water flow.

If the standard bulbs continue to burn out frequently, try replacing them with a lower watt bulb.  For example, in place of a 75 watt bulb, use a 50 watt bulb.

 ALWAYS REMEMBER TO USE CAUTION AND COMMON SENSE WHEN WORKING WITH ELECTRICITY – ESPECIALLY AROUND WATER.  ALWAYS FOLLOW ALL MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS.