The soft sound of trickling water from a fountain brings tranquility to almost any indoor or outdoor space. Since fountains come in all shapes and sizes, they can be placed almost anywhere to bring the natural sound of flowing water to your home or garden. Fountains operate by means of a water pump that brings water up from a central basin and circulates it through another opening by means of a hose. The water then trickles back down into the basin and the process is repeated. If your fountain isn’t circulating water as it should, or has stopped entirely, a few troubleshooting techniques can have the water flowing again in no time.
Check the power supply to make sure the pump is turned on. Without power being supplied to the fountain’s pump, the water cannot be circulated through the fountain, and the fountain will not function. Additionally, check to see if the circuit breaker has blown, as this would disrupt the power supply.
Check the fountain pump’s impeller by placing a hand on top of the running pump. If you feel a mechanical piece whirring inside, the impeller is working. If this piece isn’t working, it’s likely jammed with debris. Run water backward through the pump to remove any blockages in the impeller.
Examine the pump’s adjustment dial to see how high it is turned up. If the pump is splashing water everywhere, turn the dial down to decrease water flow. Alternatively, if the pump isn’t emitting enough water, turn the dial up to increase the fountain flow.
Fill the fountain to the recommended fill line (this varies depending on the size of your fountain). In order for the fountain to function correctly, the hose feeding water up through the pump must be fully submerged in water. Adding water to the main basin fixes this issue. You can usually tell the water level is the problem if the fountain pump is making louder noises than usual, or if the pump is emitting gurgling sounds.
Turn off the fountain and check the hoses and pump screen for signs of debris. Over time (especially with an outdoor fountain), dirt, leaves and other debris accumulate in the fountain and get sucked into the pump. Once the debris has been removed, the fountain should function properly again.
Check to see if the fountain is leaking by filling the fountain to the brim and turning off the pump. Wait a period of 24 hours to see if the water level decreases significantly. If so, there is a leak in the fountain, which you’ll need to repair. Empty the water from the fountain until the crack is exposed to air and ensure the area surrounding the crack is as clean as possible. The type of repair process required depends on what the fountain is made out of. If you're dealing with a fountain in a pond with a plastic liner, use a liner repair patch made from PVC sheeting and PVC sheeting glue to stop the leak. Fountains made of concrete or stone must have their cracks filled with a bonding adhesive and then a vinyl-reinforced patching compound.
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