A fountain made from a washing machine pump

After buying a new washing machine, don't rush to throw out the old one. A "retired" appliance can still serve its purpose. A washing machine contains parts that can be used to create useful DIY projects.

For example, using a washing machine motor as a base, you can build an emery machine, a lathe, or a grain crusher. Another interesting idea is a DIY fountain made from a washing machine pump. We'll show you how to make a homemade fountain to decorate your backyard.

First, let's connect the pump.

Anyone can build a homemade fountain for their garden or home. The key is to follow the instructions carefully and adhere to them. First, remove the drain pump from the washing machine and make sure it's working.

The drain pump's functionality is checked using a multimeter.

To ensure water circulation in the fountain, the washing machine's pump will need to be connected to the power supply. To do this, you'll need to connect a cord with a plug to the pump. Let's figure out how to do this correctly.

You'll need to purchase a two-wire power cord with a 220V plug from the store. Remove the insulation from the end of the cable to reveal two separate wires. These wires need to be soldered to the pump contacts.

One wire is connected to the first contact, the other to the adjacent one. It doesn't matter which wire goes where; you can even swap them. The main thing is not to connect the ground wire, otherwise the pump will fail.

Once the pump is powered, the problem of insulating the soldering points needs to be solved. The contacts will be exposed, but they need to be covered to prevent water from getting onto the connection points and causing a short circuit. The easiest way is to fill the body of the part with epoxy resin, having first connected the pump to the snail.

The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• take a metal or plastic can of such a volume that the pump coil will barely fit into it;
• place the pump in the container (with the electrical part down);
• Use masking tape to secure the pump in a level position;
• Buy some general-purpose epoxy glue from a store;
• dilute the composition according to the instructions;
• Pour the mixed epoxy composition into a container with a pump;
• wait 24 hours for the resin to dry;
• Break the jar and take out the pump.

This will encase the entire electrical component of the pump in epoxy resin. This will not affect the pump's functionality in any way. Once the contacts are insulated, you can begin building the fountain.

We make a decorative fountain

It's best to look online for ideas for garden fountains. There are many options. You can build a multi-tiered, stand-alone structure or a mini-pond for an existing one in your backyard.

Everything will depend on your imagination and the location you plan to place the fountain. We'll describe one of the simplest designs, using granite as a fountain. To create this design, you'll need:

• a square plastic flowerpot without holes (approximately 30*40 cm or more in size);
• washing machine pump;
• a nozzle with which you can narrow the snail nozzle;
• a water supply pipe (the diameter should match the nozzle, and the length should match your wishes and the power of the pump, on average this is 50-90 cm);
• decorative pebbles (approximately 20-25 kg);
• three bricks;
• granite (sawn into pieces).

The only tool you'll need is a drill. Be sure to have a tile drill bit handy. This will be needed to drill holes in the granite for the pipe.

The further algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• Place the plastic flowerpot in the place prepared for it;
• Place bricks on the sides, on three sides (they are necessary to give the structure stability);
• install a pump between the bricks;
• put the nozzle on the snail fitting, and then the pipe;
• close the free holes of the snail with plugs;
• Pour water into the flowerpot and plug the pump into the power supply, check how the structure works;
• drill holes in the granite with a diameter slightly larger than the size of the tube;
• Place the first granite tile on the pipe; it should rest on the bricks lying in the container;
• fill the free space of the flowerpot with pebbles;
• Place the remaining granite pieces onto the pipe one by one so that the center of gravity does not shift;
• After laying the last stone, make a mark on the pipe;
• remove the granite and saw off the excess section of the pipe;
• put the last tile back in place.

This homemade fountain will be a real eye-catcher. It will look like the water is flowing straight from the granite stone. This is one of those unusual yet simple ideas that anyone can create.

   

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