Water fountains are fun to look at, and you can also install them for birdbaths. Whether you’re using them as a standalone feature or adding it to your swimming pool, running a water fountain uses water and electricity. If you’ve never owned a fountain before, you might be surprised to know how much it uses.
Water fountains don’t use a lot of electricity, but they can become pricier if you use high-end pumps. Less water and horsepower will reduce electrical consumption, but it’ll also lessen the effect of the fountain. Most water fountains cost less than $50 per month to operate several hours per day.
Throughout this article, you’ll also learn the following info about how much electricity water fountains use:
- How much energy you’ll expect to use by running a fountain
- Different suggestions to reduce your monthly bill
- Whether or not it’s a good idea to run it 24/7
Should You Leave a Water Fountain on All the Time?
Gardeners Yard points out that using a water fountain around the clock typically doesn’t result in a drastic increase in your electricity bill. That being said, there’s no denying the correlation between the cost and the size of the fountain’s horsepower. If you want to save money, then a small pump will be the way to go.
Here’s what you need to consider before you think about leaving your water fountain on all the time:
How Big Is the Water Pump?
As mentioned above, the size of the pump directly impacts the amount of electricity it uses. If you’re installing the water fountain as a part of your swimming pool, then you might already have a pool pump set up. However, some homeowners prefer to get a booster pump that’s designed to add to the power of the system.
How Much Water Does It Use?
Not only does the electricity matter, but you can’t forget about water consumption. While the difference is very small, it’s a good idea to know how much water you’ll need to keep the water fountain going through leaks, evaporation, and so on. Also, more water means more weight, which equates to a higher demand for horsepower.
Can You Check the Wattage of the Pump?
Last but not least, inspect the pump to find out how many watts it’s using. You’ll be able to compare this number to the calculator of your local energy provider, showing you exactly how much electricity you’ll use if it’s running throughout the day.
In short, you can run your water fountain all the time if it’s energy-efficient. Most fountains don’t consume a whole lot of energy or water, but it’s worth looking to see how much money you’ll have to spend.
If you want to discover how much electricity your water fountain uses, head to the next section.
Other helpful articles: Should a Pond Pump Be on All the Time?
How Much Electricity Does a Water Fountain Use?
As you hopefully read above, most water fountains won’t cause a noticeable dent in your monthly electricity bill. However, there’s no denying that some of them aren’t made to save you money. You’ll learn more about different ways to cut back on your expenses in the next section, but for now, we’ll focus on how you can calculate the electricity of your fountain.
To know how much energy your water fountain requires, follow this step-by-step process:
- Locate the horsepower of the pump. It should be found on a sticker that also displays the volts, watts, amps, and how much cubic feet of water it can move per minute or hour. This number is essential in knowing how much energy you’ll consume by running the water fountain.
- Figure out how much money your energy provider charges per watt/hour. Energy.gov is an excellent resource to get an estimate to know how much you’ll have to spend. You’ll be able to input the horsepower, wattage, how often you run the fountain, and so on to know how much it’ll cost per year.
- If you know the number already, multiply the watts times the cents per hour. Next, you’ll have to multiply the total from the previous equation by the number of hours that you intend to run the fountain. For example, if it costs $0.10 per hour to run the pump and you run it for two hours per day, it’ll be about twenty cents per day to run the fountain.
- Consider energy rewards, such as those associated with running solar power. Some companies will reduce your energy bill or give you a refund if you’re using solar panels on your house. You should also see if your water fountain is considered a solar feature (it runs off of built-in solar panels).
Knowing how much electricity you’re using is useful to save money, reduce your impact on the environment, and prevent yourself from getting strikes on your energy bill. Note that some companies charge more during designated hours of the day, so make sure you abide by their regulations to save money.
How to Reduce the Electricity of a Water Fountain
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to save money and cut back on your electricity bill. Water fountains are inexpensive to run regularly, but why not take a few steps to reduce your monthly expenses even more?
Below, you’ll find some helpful tips and tricks to reduce the electricity of your water fountain:
- Consider using solar panels to power the water fountain. Whether they’re built-in to the fountain or they’re a part of your home’s electrical grid, solar panels have been known to reduce peoples’ bills without a problem. You can also get external solar panels and plug them into the fountain.
- Get the proper pump size. You don’t need to go overboard, nor should you cut corners to save money. A pump with horsepower that’s too high will have to be downsized to reduce the flow of the water and the bill. On the other hand, small pumps won’t put out enough horsepower to move the water at an ideal rate.
- Run the pump whenever your energy provider suggests. Some companies, including PG&E, suggest that you run your non-essential appliances in the morning and at night when other people aren’t using a bunch of power. For example, 2 PM to 6 PM is a hot time for running air conditioners, which would be a bad time to use your fountain.
- Turn off other appliances to reduce the strain on your bill. If you’re running too many features at once, the bill will skyrocket. However, if you’re only using a few necessities alongside the water fountain’s pump, you won’t have to worry about spending more than you should on the bill.
The Fountains Blog mentions that most small to medium-sized water fountains use the same amount of energy as a lightbulb. You shouldn’t have to stress about how much electricity it uses, but anything that adds to the bill should be inspected and thought over.
Related articles: Do Solar Water Features Need Electricity?
Conclusion
Water fountains typically don’t use a lot of electricity if you’re following the aforementioned suggestions. Unless you’re running a massive fountain to fill a courtyard every hour of the year, you probably won’t notice too much of a difference in your monthly bill.
Here’s a breakdown of everything you should’ve learned in this post:
- Water fountains usually need a pump with a horsepower range of 0.25 to 2.
- Consider using solar panels to reduce the electrical consumption of the fountain.
- Make sure you’re only using the water fountain when the cost per watt is low in your area.