Tips To Keep Your Indoor Water Fountain In Pristine Condition
Posted by Doug Gardner on 22nd Jul 2014
Adding an indoor water fountain to your home or workplace will improve the decor while creating a more relaxing, tranquil environment. The sound of water trickling down the glass surface combined with its brilliant, artistic appearance offers a stunning decorative accessory for practically any room or indoor area. Like all major decorative accessories, however, indoor water fountains require some occasional maintenance to maintain their pristine condition.
Use Distilled Water
Granted, tap water probably isn’t going to cause any serious damage to an indoor water fountain, but it’s still not the best choice to use. Why should you avoid using tap water in your fountain? Well, tap water often contains dozens of minerals, chemicals and other pollutants, some of which may stain your fountain. This isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight, but using the same tap water in your fountain for months or even years may result in slight discoloration.
Some of the minerals and pollutants found in tap water are:
- Chlorine
- Sodium
- Lead
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Lithium
- Manganese
Instead of filling your fountain with tap water, try using distilled water instead. Water that’s gone through the distillation process is pure and contains no elements or adulterants; therefore, you can rest assured knowing that it’s not going to contaminate your fountain with chemicals and pollutants. Distilled water typically costs more than your average tap water, but it’s a small price to pay for keeping your fountain in pristine condition.
Add Vinegar To Your Fountain
Some people may turn their head at the thought of adding vinegar to an indoor water fountain, assuming it will leave behind an unpleasant odor. It’s true that vinegar has a somewhat pungent odor, but this odor will quickly dissipate, leaving your fountain fresh and clean.
To quickly clean and freshen your indoor water fountain, add a cup or two of filtered white apple cider vinegar. Vinegar exhibits antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties, killing germs on contact. And best of all, it’s all-natural and doesn’t rely on the use of harsh chemicals.
Clean Your Fountain’s Pump
Even if you occasionally toss some vinegar into your indoor water feature, you should still get into the habit of cleaning the pump on a regular basis. It’s not uncommon for a layer of grime to form over the pump from months or years of use, but thankfully this problem is easily fixed by cleaning the pump. Turn the fountain off and follow the instructions to properly clean the pump and associated parts.