Water fountains can undoubtedly dramatically affect your yards, residential gardens, and other commercial projects. If you combine it with lighting and music, the aesthetics will make the visitors gaze for hours.
Dancing water fountains are gaining considerable popularity in big projects and cities with a high influx of tourists. The colorful lighting effect is combined with the gushes of water streams, creating a mesmerizing event. People from all over the world come to such places.
If you’re looking to boost your business by inviting more visitors, then adding a dancing water fountain to your project will do the job precisely. These lights, carefully placed underwater, added with the correct wattage, can easily become the focal point of any project.
But before heading on to place an order for water fountain lights, read this guide to learn how you can create and troubleshoot a stunning dancing water fountain. Moreover, we will discuss the benefits and tips on choosing the best LED water fountain lights.
Steps Involved in Making a Dancing Water Fountain
If you’re inexperienced with electrical components, we advise you to help from our consultant to guide you through the process. Moreover, you can always hit up an expert electrician to help with the installation.
Setting up a regular lighted fountain indoors is more manageable, but if you’re installing a dancing fountain on a large scale, you need to ask for technical helping hands.
Here are the major steps involved in creating a dancing fountain.
1. Creating a Layout and Gathering Components
First, you need to define the size of the area of your water fountain. Then look for the design of your cybernetic system. These blueprints will help determine the final water choreography of your fountain project. Since dancing water fountain involves syncing of music with the water streams, the system requires thorough pre-analysis.
For this part, you would need to define two components, fountain nozzles, and water pumps.
· Fountain Nozzles
Fountain nozzles determine the flow of the water gushing out of the pool. For example, there are mainly five kinds of nozzles used in fountains.
- Crystalline Fountain Jets: These nozzles release a laminar flow of water
- Rotary Nozzles: For spirals and dynamic water flow, usually used in dancing and musical fountains
- Frothy Jets: Create a foamy flow of water; found chiefly in indoor fountains
- Spherical Shapes: Nozzles create a disk of water, ultimately giving the shape of a sphere
- Spray Nozzles: Such nozzles create a spraying effect
You can select multiple nozzles and arrange them in the Cybernetic formation to create a splendid design. Choose the number of fountain nozzles, types, their placement, the height, and finally, the angle of the water stream that will gush out of the nozzles.
· Water Pumps
Water pumps in fountains are used to pump the water using centrifugal force originating from a propeller. Pumps keep the water flowing throughout the cybernetic system. Now determine the following things to select the best type of pumps for your project.
- Submersible or dry pump: The names tell where which type of pump is used. It depends on your project. Use submersible pumps if you’re pumping water out of the pool. Dry pumps cannot be submerged in water. They are placed on the dry part of the fountain, such as concrete and bricks around it.
- Nozzles for pumps: Important for pulling off the music choreography of the project. Select nozzles compatible with the pumps.
- Pump power: How high do you want your water streams to go? It depends on the flow data that you have written in your pre-analysis document of the cybernetic system. The pump power will be assigned to the nozzles that will pump the water out.
- How to control the pump: Determine the type of control you will be opting for. Pumps can be controlled by frequency converter or direct starting process. Frequency converters are used to create the dynamic ascending and descending of the water streams during the dance. If your project doesn’t involve this movement, then direct starting pumps are used. Of course, the latter will be less expensive.
· Solenoid Valves
Solenoid valves are the control elements that can shut down, release, mix and move the fluids. They are responsible for the interactivity between different water jets and ultimately contribute to dynamism. It’s good practice to have a solenoid valve with every pump. However, depending on your structure, you can assign specific water pumps to have these valves.
· Water level controllers
These components control the height of the water stream during the event. Its system automatically handles the maximum and minimum height of the water stream.
2. Choosing the Fountain Lights
This is technically a part of the previous step. Determine which lights would go best with your desired outcome.
· LED Underwater Fountain Lights
Compared to underwater incandescent bulbs, LED provides many advantages. LEDs are long-lasting, durable, robust, and most importantly, can be controlled by DMX controllers. A dancing fountain’s characteristic feature is the changing colors and intensities in sync with the music.
· Number of Lighting Fixtures
Determine the total number of fixtures you require in the cybernetic structure. In this step, you also determine the location of these fixtures.
· DMX Controller
Determine how you want the lights to behave during the event. You can either control individual lights or group them to perform in a union using a DMX controller. You can change the colors and synchronize them with the music. This analysis goes side by side with the previous two steps of determining the number of fixtures and their placement.
· Electrical Panels
For a complicated project involving music and color-changing lights synchronized to produce mesmerizing effects, you require an electrical panel to easily control all the functions. A custom-made panel will take care of all the controls and perform them automatically according to the feed information.
3. DMX Control Panel Set-Up
The electric panel (as mentioned before), also known as the control panel, must be designed by an electrician before the desired outcome. For this step, you need experts. Some manufacturers will take care of this according to your needs.
· Interactive Fountains
DMX512 protocols are the most widely used systems to control lighting dynamics. It is used to cater to the complexity of the fountain design. You can easily program and control the dynamic using a laptop or tablet from a distance. Or you can automate the system entirely.
For dancing fountains and other such projects, a DMX controller and specific software create the lighting sequences and music design. You can create your sequences and custom output designs as well. This software controls all your requirements in one place.
If your fountain is a non-musical project, you can sync lighting with the dance movement of water only without integrating music sequences. An expert programmer can perform this job accurately! Following is a general structure of a dancing water fountain.
All the electrical equipment should be installed when the pool is dry. It is essential to check and test the water pumps and lights’ working before filling the pool with water. Make sure all the equipment is fixed at its designated position on the base of the fountain pool.
Troubleshooting Dancing Water Fountain
Now that you’ve set up your dancing water fountain, you will require some tips on maintaining it and troubleshooting if you face any problems.
The most common issues that you’ll come across are:
- Too much splashing of water
- Noisy fountain
- Lowered water pressure with time
To avoid these problems, make sure you follow the following tips:
- Control the intake of the pump to prevent excessive water splash.
- Make sure that the pumps you have installed are fully submerged in the pool of water.
- The pumps should not be vibrating. Fix them inside your pool or place them firmly.
- Make sure all the connections are tight and secure.
- Sometimes windy weather conditions can disrupt the waters streams. To rectify such a situation, you can use ‘Anemometers’ to automatically stop the water streams when the wind reaches a certain high speed. These components also help in turning off the lighting and water pumps in great high winds.
Fountain Cleaning Tips
Water fountains should be cleaned and maintained after a few weeks. This is important because water has many impurities which can accumulate in the water pumps, hoses, pipes, and other components. This adversely affects the overall performance and reduces the life of electrical components.
- Drain the fountain and clean thoroughly, making sure all the leaves and debris are gone.
- Use stain cleaners, scale removers, algaecides, and other water treatments to wash off the clogged pipes.
- In some areas, you might find green fungi and algae use fountain cleaners to get rid of them.
- Always use environmentally friendly products!
- Fill the pool with fresh water and add any good water treatment product.
Fountain Winterizing
In some areas where temperatures are extreme, you will have to protect the fountain and cover it during heavy snow and freezing weather.
- Remove all the water from the tank.
- Disconnect all the electrical components and store them somewhere safe.
- Make sure the basement of the fountain is covered with plastic or hay so that the snow doesn’t accumulate.
- Cover the fountain with fountain bags.
How can Underwater LED Fountain Lights Benefit You?
Now that you know what components are required to create a dancing fountain let us tell you what advantages you should be expecting from it.
This is a brief overview of how LED fountain lights are your best business-boosting strategy. We have gathered a few benefits fountain lights offer so you can take advantage of them. If you have a dead fountain on your lawn, bring it to life!
These 12/24 Volt Low Voltage LED Fountain Lights can be used in many types of fountains such as a dry fountain, garden ponds, outdoor stone fountains, dancing fountains, and music fountains.
1. Relaxing Ambiance
The relaxing environment is the first and foremost benefit that a dancing fountain will provide to you and your visitors. This element surely attracts the people and children to an unimaginable extent. In the hustle and bustle of today’s world, people look for such places to visit and calm their nerves.
If you’re looking to install water fountain lighting in your homes and gardens, don’t wait any longer! LED underwater lights can be single-colored or RGB/RGBW color-changing. You can leverage this point and create a healthy environment around your project. This will prove lucrative in many years to come.
The soft and soothing sound of water combined with comfortable and color is indeed therapy for stressed-out minds. Not to mention, the lights give a new magical feel to your fountains at night!
2. Enhanced Value
The value of a property or project can be improved in many ways, such as highlighting important features and increasing security and safety. The look of any outdoor area can tremendously increase the value of that project. These water fountain lights can significantly uplift the outdoor look and appeal, skyrocketing the worth of a property. So, consider investing to gain a long-term benefit.
3. Long life
The life of underwater LEDs is not any shorter than the outdoor lights. LED water fountain lights are highly waterproof and watertight. These fixtures are designed with high-quality stainless steel in junction with other non-corrosive materials to enhance strength and durability. The manufacturers make sure all the components of underwater lights are tested to last long in the water body.
4. Energy Efficient
LEDs, as we know, can provide up to ~80% saving on your electricity bills. It will be remiss not to add energy and cost-efficient options to your projects that can pay you back in multiplied amounts. LEDs do not require regular maintenance.
5. Safety and Security
A well-lit fountain will improve the safety and security of the area. With safety comes value and more visitors. Children can play around the garden safely. The chances of any sort of accidents taking place will reduce.
How To Choose the Best Submersible LED Pond Fountain Spotlights?
To see the dancing lighting fountain working splendidly, you need top-quality underwater LED lights. The synchronized choreography can be affected if any lights malfunction during the event and people can notice the disruption.
· Waterproof Fixtures
The first thing is the waterproof quality of the fixtures. Find fixtures having IP68 or higher rating. They should be highly corrosion resistant and durable in the water. All the electrical components of the LEDs should be highly secure and watertight.
· Fixture Material
Stainless steel material is best suited for underwater fixtures as stainless steel is highly corrosion resistant and robust.
· Small Wattage and High Illuminance
Lights underwater need to be bright so that the fountain pool in the night can be adequately lit. Some of the light disperses in the water, so you need high illuminance.
· Color Options
You can opt for single-colored LEDs or RGB/RGBW options to suit your fountain needs.
· Smart Control
The best dancing architectural fountain uses the DMX controller to sync the movement with music and lighting. Traditional lights such as halogen and incandescent will prove to be non-efficient and costly in the long run. Choose the LED lights accordingly.
· Color of the Lenses
LEDs with colored lenses illuminate differently than clear lenses. The light coming through the colored lenses washes out and doesn’t give the best look. Keep this specification in mind.
· Bright Colors
Since the transmissive nature of the lenses can disperse light submerged underwater, you need bright colors and a high level of lumens.
· Number of Lumens
For underwater lights, the preferable number of lumens is 2500-3500 lumens. The lights should not be excessively bright and uncomfortable for the eyes. Note that the water reflection can cause glaring at night if the light is not positioned well or not of optimum brightness.
Final Thoughts
Creating a DMX-controlled dancing water fountain requires you to be extremely precise and accurate. Just any person can not do the custom programming of control panels and installation. Only expert programmers and technicians can perform the job well.
On the other hand, if you want to install fountain lights in your residential swimming pool, ponds, and indoor fountains, you can easily install our submersible LED pond fountain spotlights.
Buy Fountain Lights from RC Lighting
Choose the underwater color-changing fountain lights that the smart systems can perfectly control. We offer 5 years of warranty with each of our products! Any tiny flaw can cease the function, so we recommend choosing the products that come with warranties.
If you require consultancy feel free to contact RC lighting. Our LED underwater submersible lights are of the highest quality, and numerous certifications back this fact.
