Adding backyard water features can completely transform your space, giving your home a unique and professional look. Whether you choose a stunning water fountain, a zen pondless waterfall, or a large garden pond, there are endless options to bring your vision to life. Not only do water features liven up your backyard, but they also give you the opportunity to add showstopping landscaping, too!

When you’re choosing which water feature design is best for your yard, it helps to know how they operate. Do they need to be plugged in? Do I need a constant water source? Where does the water go? We’re taking the mystery out of your water feature installation as we explore the question, “how do water features work?”

Enlighten Me – How Do Water Features Work?

Water features add value to your home or business, but how do water features work? Today’s water features are all pretty similar in their basic operation.

First, most of today’s water features don’t require a constant source of water to operate. Instead, they’re designed to recirculate water, which helps with water conservation and cuts down on operating costs substantially. While they may not require a constant source of water, however, the water levels will lower naturally over time due to evaporation. Simply keep an eye on the water levels for your installation and add water as needed to keep it running smoothly.

Another frequently asked question related to, “how do water features work?” is how they’re powered. While some solar-powered water features exist, the majority do require a power source to run the water feature pump. A waterscape design professional will be able to assess the desired installation spot for the best method of powering your water feature.

To further answer the question, “how do water features work?” before starting your residential water feature installation, it’s easiest to learn their main parts and what each one does.

What Are The Major Water Feature Parts?

Almost all water features have the same three major components to help them run. Learning about these is essential to answering, “how do water features work?” as well as making sure you’re able to maintain your water feature after installation. The major parts of today’s water feature designs include:

• A water feature pump for recirculating water
• The water reservoir for holding water
• Tubing for water delivery throughout the system

Water Feature Pump

The most central element to answer, “how do water features work?” is the water feature pump. Without a pump, the water can’t recirculate and would require a constant water source to maintain functionality. As you can imagine, this would make water features costly to operate and turn off many homeowners.

Instead, most of today’s backyard water features are recirculating. This keeps the operating costs low and aids in water conservation. To recycle water from the base of your water feature to the top, you need a device to move it! This is where the all-important water feature pump comes in. A water feature pump is designed to move water upwards from the bottom of your installation to the top so that you can experience the full effect of your water feature design. These pumps are often hidden with clever landscaping design or the water feature itself may have a chamber for hiding it.

To run your water feature properly, you need to make sure you’ve got the correct pump. A waterscape design professional will know exactly which pump you need, depending on the size and design of the installation. Water feature pumps are labeled by the gallons of water they pump per hour (GPH). Factors to determine which pump you need include variables like the height of your water feature (meaning how far the water has to travel upward) or the spray level you want in a recirculating water fountain.

Don’t forget, your water pump will most likely need to be plugged in to function. This could affect where to put a water feature in your yard or the ease with which it can be installed. A professional will be able to provide you with different options and explanations of how your water feature placement will affect installation to help you choose what works best.

Important Note: Having a water feature installation in Albany, NY and the Capital Region comes with certain maintenance requirements. Depending on the type of water feature you have, you may need to remove your water pump and safely store it during winter months to avoid damage.

Water Feature Reservoir

The next element to explore as we answer, “how do water features work?” is the water feature reservoir. Since most of today’s water feature designs are recirculating, they need a reservoir to hold water reserves. This reservoir is where the pump is located, allowing it to push the water reserves upward for operation without a continuous new water source being needed.

For larger water features like a garden pond, the pond itself serves as the reservoir. For fountains or pondless waterfalls, there’s still a reservoir but it’s hidden from view. For example, pondless waterfalls often have a deep hole filled concealed with rocks that the water spills into as it falls. Water can then continue through the gaps between the rocks and makes its way down to the pump for filtering and recirculating. The rocks in a pondless waterfall serve multiple functions as they hide the water feature reservoir while simultaneously keeping debris away from the pump and providing tranquil sounds for a zen backyard oasis.

Water Feature Tubing

The third most important element to answering the question, “how do water features work?” is to talk about water feature tubing. Easy enough to understand, water feature tubing functions as the delivery system for recirculating water features. As the pump pushes water from the reservoir back to the top of the water feature, it pushes that water through the tubing.

Water feature tubing is especially important for the effect water fountains have. For recirculating water fountains, a tube usually runs to the top of the structure, using water pressure from the impellers found in the pump to give the spouting effect at the top. Larger fountains may actually use multiple tubes to create the larger effect of water shooting from the top.

As you can see, the answer to, “how do water features work?” isn’t as complicated as you might have thought it would be! Today’s water feature installations run similarly regardless of which design, type, or size you choose. Are you ready to start your water feature installation in Saratoga, NY or the Capital Region? We happen to know the best waterscape design professionals around and we serve a variety of locations in Albany County, Saratoga County, Schenectady County, and more. Contact us and let’s get started bringing your dream into reality.