Recirculating Backyard Fountain

How to Build: A Recirculating Bucket Fountain

This article discusses the steps involved in creating a backyard bucket fountain.

• Create a lovely setting in any yard
• Attract birds and other small animals
• Hear the sounds of cascading water

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Steps to Making Recirculating Bucket Fountain

If we can be of more help, please email us or call us at 1.800.426.3929 or read on. Thanks!

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Start with Large Hole

We are using a 17 gal. galvenized bucket to catch our water.

Our aim is a simple fountain you can make in a day, but a good sized bucket will make things easier.

In the past, I tried a 5 gal plastic bucket and it lasted 2 years. Eventually time and sorrow created a hole at the bottom. However prior, there was some water loss from evaporation, splashing, birds -- and we didn't like filling the bucket every day. So now we're using a Behrens 17 Gal. Hot Dipped Steel Round Tub. For the money, it's a good value.

OK, back to the hole

You'll want a hole bigger and deeper than the bucket. Why?! My preference is ...

1. To set the bucket on bricks and to surround it with gravel
2. Around the bucket, I am building a basic 2"x6" wooden box to support the rock feature. You can use cedar or pressure-treated. I prefer the cedar because it holds up well and it's natural.

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Next: Put Your Pump in First!

The pump makes the magic, so don't pinch its cord

We used a $22 a PonicsPump Submersible Pump from Amazon and it's been going 3 years plus. It can deliver a good stream of water 3 vertical feet which is fine for our requirements.

Of course, the pump requires electricity, so run an extension cord out to your fountain, or in our case we ran conduit underground (but that's another article).

To protect the cord: After building the 2x6 box around the bucket, we made a 1/2" knotch in it for the cord. IMPORTANT: Any electrical connection must be outside the water AND don't pinch or compromist the wire!

At this step we are just putting the pump at the bottom and running the cord outside the bucket. The actual water connection from the pump to a copper pipe was done earlier. 

We used a rock that the supplier drilled a hole through for us. So eventually, our pump goes to flexible plastic tubing, then a copper elbow. Later we'll simply drop our copper pipe through the hole in the rock and slip the elbow on below. You may not have such a rock. It really depends what you put on top to create the cascading water feature.

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Secure the Liner

The vinyl catches splashing water and funnels to the center

The vinyl liner is layed on top of the wood box again. Don't make it tight, let it sag in the middle to help water return. We then trimmed the top of the 2x6 box with 1" material and screwed it in using 1¼" cabinet screws. This ensures your liner is secured and water falls freely into the bucket. Vinyl liners are not a cheap material, we purchased the 7'x10' Pond Liner at Home Depot for $35. It was the smallest availalble. 

Cut an "X" in the liner over center of the bucket: So it's totally fine to cut a hole for water to return to the bucket now. You'll likely want cut another small hole later -- once your rocks are in place and you know how things will line up.

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Screen and Concrete Stakes

We add screen over the top of the box again, but leave one third for access

Next we used 1/16th Brite Aluminum Sreen ($8) over the box -- this ensures debris does NOT go into the bucket. Over time, you'll find leaves and finer debris can clog your pump grill. So definitely do not skip adding screen. Otherwise, the maintenance will make wish you hadn't added a water feature.

In the picture, you'll see we trimmed about 2/3rds of the box with some pine trim material AND left gaps for the round stakes to go across. The stakes will support your rocks.

IMPORTANT: Leave one third of the screen unattached for access to the bucket. In the picture, the screen is rolled back allowing access in case we need to adjust water connections, the pump water pressure, or clean the pump grill.

Most pumps come with about 6' of cord, but I suggest leaving most of the cord in the bucket and have your electrical connection close but as dry as possible. Some put a bowl over the plugs.

So, we used the round stakes which are very strong, three 3' round stakes ($6/ea) to support the rocks.

In the picture above, we set the copper pipe thru the rock hole (this was drilled at the supplier) reached underneath to feel where the copper pipe pushed against the screen and that was the only hole in the screen. In the picture below, you can see the copper pipe. 

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Add More Rocks To Create a Cascading Water Feature in Your Backyard.

So we have two 100 pound rocks shown and clearly you do NOT want to support them on your bucket, thus the 2"x6" wooden box and the horizontal stakes.

From here on out, get purely creative!

Add rocks, shells, tile and pottery to carry the water and ideally make some nature noises to cover those city sirens, garbage trucks, traffic, etc.