Solar pond fountain.

Guernsey Donkey2

I have seen floating solar pond fountains for sale, usually advertised in magazines.  Has anyone got one of these, if so, would  you recommend them?  Does the wind blow them to the side of the pond or can they somehow be weighted down from underneath? Is it worth investing in one to give our pond a bit of a lift?

Obelixx

There was one on GW a couple of weeks ago that sparked quite a lot of chat on here so do a search on solar fountains.  It seems there are good ones and less reliable ones and small ones and more powerful ones but usually made in China - and that last bit bothers me.

Took me ages to find EU made solar lights so I'll wait till I find an EU made solar fountain.

madpenguin

I have a small one and it cost about £15 from Amazon.
It does move in the wind so I have attached it by a piece of long garden wire to a small terracotta pot which sits on the bottom.Took a while to get the length right!
It has been working for the whole year even was iced up in the winter.
Don't know how long it will last but when it expires I shall definitely get another.
It does need full sun to get a good height of water but does keep going in spurts even on a grey day.

Guernsey Donkey2

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of this topic @ Obelixx, I have noted all the comments and also those of @madpenguin regarding the windy weather that would blow the fountain against the pond side, I think this will be added to my birthday wish list.  I am not too happy that these are being manufactured in China, perhaps by November there will be an English or at least European version.

AnniD

This is the link to the GW thread about that one.
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1043624/pond-fountain-on-gw-last-episode/p1

I have one in a bird bath, they can move about quite a bit, if it's emptying too quickly , you can take the spray top off so that it just bubbles over, and some come with stickers so that you can attach them to the bottom of the pond. You pays your money and takes your choice As Obelixx says, the majority do come from China, so if that is of a concern you may have to shop around. 

Fire

Discussion here.

AnniD

@Guernsey Donkey2 , you may find this of interest 
https://www.ukwaterfeatures.com/outdoor-water-features/smart-solar/

Guernsey Donkey2

Yes. that is a good guide.  The cheapest seems to be around the £29 mark for a pond pump fountain.  I will show my OH and hint that this could be the answer to my birthday/Christmas present.

Katsa

I'm really not trying to troll, but genuinely interested why people are avoiding Chinese solar fountains? 

Fire

Katsa said:

I'm really not trying to troll, but genuinely interested why people are avoiding Chinese solar fountains? 

Anti-fascism

Obelixx

Because they're made in China!  Human rights abuses in Tibet in Mongolia, against ethnic minorities, their own people.  lack of workers' rights, appalling conditions for many, interference with other cultures and societies, bad business practices; not adhering to the Hong Kong treaty, environmental horrors.

This is the 21st century.  We're supposed to learn from past mistakes so it's no excuse to say they're just behaving like imperialists from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Plus which, everything made in China and sold in Europe is one less job/profit/tax revenue in Europe.