Keeping Your Garden Fountain Tidy
Keeping Your Garden Fountain Tidy Water fountains will last a very long time with routine cleaning and maintenance. A common concern with fountains is that they tend to gather dirt and debris, so it is essential that you keep it free from this. Additionally, anywhere light from the sun mixes with still water, algae can form. Either sea salt, hydrogen peroxide, or vinegar can be blended into the water to eliminate this problem. There are those who like to use bleach, but that is harmful to any animals that might drink or bathe in the water - so should therefore be avoided.
Every three-four months, garden fountains should have a serious cleaning. First off you must remove the water. Then use a soft rag and gentle cleanser to scrub the inside. Feel free to use a toothbrush if necessary for any stubborn crevasses. Be sure to carefully rinse the inside of the fountain to make sure all the soap is gone.
It is highly advised taking the pump apart to better clean the inside and eliminate any plankton or calcium. Soaking it in vinegar for a time will make it easier to clean. Build-up can be a big headache, so use mineral or rain water over tap water, when possible, to reduce this dilemma.
Finally, be sure to have a quick look at your fountain every day and add water if you see that the level is depleted. If the water level slides below the pump’s intake level, it can harm the pump and cause it to burn out - something you don't want to happen!
The Source of Modern Day Outdoor Water Fountains
The Source of Modern Day Outdoor Water Fountains
Pope Nicholas V, himself a well educated man, ruled the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of old classical Greek documents into Latin. It was imperative for him to embellish the city of Rome to make it worthy of being called the capital of the Christian world. Reconstruction of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope. Building a mostra, a grandiose celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a custom revived by Nicholas V. At the bidding of the Pope, architect Leon Battista Alberti began the construction of a wall fountain in the place where we now find the Trevi Fountain. The water which eventually provided the Trevi Fountain as well as the renown baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona came from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.