If you are thinking of doing a few upgrades to your garden, have you
ever thought of getting a solar powered pump birdbath? In fact, why buy
one, when you can make it?
So why would you want to make a solar powered pump birdbath?
The Advantages Are:
- Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant
- The pump does not have to plugged into your power supply
- The pump runs on DC power, so no inverter is needed.
- It requires little power (about 6 volts) so you only need a few small solar panels.
- No
batteries are required, since the pump only really needs to operate
during the day when the sun is out and the birds are in the garden.
- You could learn to make your own solar panels, reducing the cost even further.
- The birdbath can be placed anywhere in your garden, without the need for unsightly wires.
And what does it take to make a solar powered pump birdbath?
The easiest way is to simply buy a birdbath with a pump and fountain
already fitted. Then all you need to do is wire up some small solar
panels.
The alternative is to, and more DIY approach is to buy a birdbath
that is ready for a fountain pump to be installed (it has the right
holes, and a place for the pump to be installed), and then add the
various pump and power components.
If you go the DIY route, then you will need to get:
The Birdbath:
Here you have a choice of cascading fountains, copper fountains,
terracotta birdbaths, resin fountains, or the conventional ceramic
birdbath. Just make sure a pump system can be installed on the birdbath.
The Fountain Attachment:
This is optional, but it make the water spirt out the top, instead
of just trickling out. It can be found at you rlocal nursery or
hardware store.
Small DC Pump:
Depending your birdbath size, the volume of water to be pumped and
how high you want to pump it, will help you decide on the voltage and
size pump needed. For your average, medium-sized birdbath, a small 6
volt DC pump will suffice.
Thin, Flexible PVC Pipe:
This what the water will flow through. It is best to ask your
nursery about the various irrigation options. Otherwise, get ideas from
finished pump powered fountains. As a rule of thumb, the PVC piping
needs to be narrow to maintain enough water pressure.
Silicon Sealant:
This is used to seal all joins where the water could escape from,
and also to insulate any bare wire from getting wet where it has been
joined.
Solar Panels:
This is what sets this off-grid system apart from conventionally
powered birdbath fountains. The pump will help determine how many solar
panels you need. For a 6 volt DC pump, you will need at least a 6 volt
solar panel, but rater double up on the solar panels for times when the
sun is weak.
->To get the solar panels, you have 2 choices:
1 : Buy a small expensive solar kit from Wallmart or Target or any other local supplier.
2 : The cheaper, DIY route and make the panel yourself.
Luckily this is actually rather simple for anyone to learn to do. So if
you want to learn to make your own, then carry on reading to the end...
To get the maximum sunlight, the solar panels need to be fixed in
simple frame, and be south-facing (if you are in the northern
hemisphere).
How easy is it to put it all together?
Once you have all the components and tools at your disposal, putting
the system together shouldn't take you more than 2 hours. And within an
afternoon you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath.
A nice added extra is to hook up some batteries to the system. That
way you can store any excess power, and the pump could run all day and
night. If you do want the fountain to operate for 24 hours, then you
will need the following:
Deep cycle battery:
Since the system is small, a 12 volt battery should be enough. This will be wired up between the charge controller and the pump.
Solar charge controller:
This is not essential, but it prevents your battery from
over-charging. So it can really extend the life of the battery. It will
be wired up between the solar panels and the battery.
The nice thing about about building a solar powered pump birdbath
yourself is that it is not only cheaper, but once you know how, you can
make as many as you want. It could also make a great gift for an energy
conscious friend or family member.
Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. If you want to learn to make your own
diy renewable energy and save thousands on your electricity bills, then
Try Earth4Energy For FREE, before you go out and start any renewable energy project.
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