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Feature sump Feature sump - how do you install one? Water feature or pond? suppose you do not want a pond but only a pebble pool, where do you start, what do you need? well this guide is intended to answer those questions. Similarly to building a pond it is best to Think first and draw your design on paper as this costs nothing. Since with pebble pools the water is "hidden" the position is not as critical as a pond since leaves can not fall directly into the water. What Choices are there? As with ponds you have two choices either a liner or preformed. |
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The picture on the left is a pre-formed pebble pool. They are available in either square or round in varying sizes according to manufacturer the choice is yours. |
| You can use a small liner, we have for our projects
but it was just for our choice no other reason.
Installation A preformed pebble pool is very easy since the dimensions are decided for you. You literally dig the hole place the pebble pool in (Check that it is LEVEL) fit the pump (please use an RCD) put the "lid" on (The centre piece) put your feature on, decorate the edges, fill with water and switch on. Construct your own If you opt for a liner it is similar to constructing a pond, you dig the hole, fill the sides and base with sand and put in the liner. Since it is small we suggest that you push the liner into the hole as opposed to filling it with water. It is important that with a liner pebble pool you have a very big overlap around the edges to catch any splash. (See fountain rule) If your intended position for your pebble pool has very loose soil and you plan on using a liner, you can put in a water tank or similar first to give support. However unless your feature is small do not use a tank on its own. That is why preformed pebble pools have such a big surround. (To catch and return the water) |
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Pebble pool construction with a drilled rock for an ornament. Although it doesn't have to be a drilled rock (That's all we could draw) It could be a statue or a fountain the choice is yours. You will also need to fit a grille if you are using a liner to support your feature and to stop your decorative material falling in. (please also note the pump is best if it is offset if your rock is heavy) |
| A Few points to remember.
If you are going to have a fountain it is worth remembering that the water will fall as far as it is high. So if your feature has a water outlet at 30 cm (Like a statue) the pool should be a minimum of 60 cm diameter since the water can fall / be blown in any direction. You would be well advised in allowing for easy access to the pump for servicing / cleaning The pump should not be too big in flow rate since in theory it would be possible to empty the sump before the water starts to return. The sump should also be big enough to hold the enough water. We have seen "demonstration features" when the pump is turned on for a cascade the sump is empty before the water returns. It is a good idea to stand the pump on a small brick or similar so that it can not try and pump any "grit" which you often get when using stone for decoration. Water too fast? If the water flow is too fast, you can turn the pump down, but this reduces the flow, if your feature is solid you can make a small well (say a couple of inches deep and much wider than the supply hose) this will reduce the velocity but not the flow. An alternative can be say a flowerpot which is sealed with the pump hose connected to the bottom. Water too slow? You have probably brought the wrong pump. (assuming no kinks in the hose) For a feature you need to have a fountain or feature pump, one which will deliver the water to the top of your feature, say 3 or 4 feet, filter pumps are not designed to pump this high (in general) Filter pumps are designed to pump solids into a filter not water in a feature. The pump you choose will have a flow graph on the box please check it can pump water to the height of your feature
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since
21 10 06