Building a Solar Fountain: Solving the Problem of Stagnant Water and Mosquitoes

The Mosquito Problem and a Broken Pump

On a day when the sun was intermittent, Larry Ashwell welcomed the long-lost sunshine. Before that, the sun had not been seen for many consecutive days. When he and Killian were playing on the playground, they were bitten by mosquitoes, which surprised Larry. After all, it was the second week of November and the local temperature was still around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (about 21 degrees Celsius).

Such warm weather made Larry start to worry about the stagnant water in a small bucket at home. The water in the bucket is used to keep a small device running, but now it may become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. After careful observation, he found that the water pump he was using was damaged, and it was difficult to keep the leather inside it moist. The water pump was previously taken to the bathtub by the children to play. Although it brought joy to the children, from a functional point of view, Larry felt that it might be more suitable as a fountain, so he recently removed the core components of the water pump.

Creating a Solar Fountain with Poposoap

To solve the problem of stagnant water and mosquitoes and create a new fountain, Larry decided to use a 12-watt Poposoap solar water pump. This water pump is powerful and has excellent water output. He first found a piece of scrap wood and carefully drilled a hole in it. When he passed the solar water pump through the hole in the wood, a powerful stream of water gushed out, which was quite spectacular. At this time, the sun suddenly became extremely dazzling, which brought some inconvenience to the operation, but Larry did not stop his work.

Positioning and Adjusting the Water Pump

Next, he needed to place the water pump in the right position. He planned to aim the water outlet of the water pump in a specific direction so that the water flow would form an ideal fountain effect. In the process of adjusting the position, he found that the water pipe of the water pump was a little bent, which affected the smooth flow of water, so he carefully straightened the water pipe so that the water flow could flow smoothly into the pond.

Securing the Water Pipe and Adding a Natural Touch

To fix the water pipe of the water pump, Larry found a few bricks and a small stone. He first temporarily placed the bricks next to the water pipe to play a preliminary support role. Then, he placed a small stone on the water pipe. Although the stone is small, it is enough to fix the thin water pipe firmly. After the water pipe was fixed, Larry slightly moved a plant next to it. This small move brought an unexpected effect. When the water flowed through, it made a pleasant gurgling sound, adding a sense of agility and vitality to the whole environment.

Mosquito Control and Final Touches

Larry was not worried about whether mosquitoes would breed in the pond. It turned out that there were several small goldfish in the pond. These small goldfish were very diligent. They would actively prey on mosquito larvae in the water, effectively controlling the breeding of mosquitoes. Larry felt that as long as some minor adjustments were made to the fountain device to make it more stable and beautiful, this solar fountain could be put into use perfectly. He was very satisfied with the current results. Compared with the watering can used before, the gurgling sound produced by this new fountain device was more pleasant.

The Fountain's Color

The fountain was originally painted black, but later Larry painted it blue. He was also very concerned about the color change. At the end of the article, he asked the audience what they thought about the color of the fountain.