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Outdoor Fountains | Home » » » » Smart Solar/Smart Solar 23470R01 Solar Powered Ceramic Fish Fountain. Blue glazed. | | | | | | | Description: | | Smart Solar/STI 23470R01 Solar powered terracotta fish fountain. Blue glazed. | | | Features: | |
• Creates a relaxing atmosphere on your patio, deck, balcony or in your garden
• Powered by a separate solar panel (supplied) and includes 10 feet of 3 m cable to solar power
• The low voltage water pump with filter, constantly recycles the same water
• No operating costs
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 14.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 14.5 inches | | Product Height:
| 15.5 inches | | Product Weight:
| 6.0 pounds | | Package Length:
| 17.3 inches | | Package Width:
| 17.1 inches | | Package Height:
| 9.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 18.8 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 8 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 8 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 Nice fountain. But two years later - fatal failure!Nov 14, 2010
By DoomScribe
"doomscribe"
I bought this solar fish fountain in June of 2008. Initially set up was simple and it ran great, although I did add some decorative marbles to the bowl to make the sound less harsh (it was like a faucet initially). The cord for the solar panel was really long, making it easy to set up high where it got good sunlight. However that made it easy to accidentally cut the wire once when trimming bushes. But it's only two wires so repair was simple. The peg that's included in the kit to hold the solar panel is pretty useless, it's too short to keep the panel up above the bushes in the garden. If you have a place against the side of the house where you can mount the panel up high, that might work, but mine was placed in the middle of the garden.
This fountain sat outside in my garden and it's cute and whimsical and kept on running as long as the sun was shining. There's no battery back-up, so if the solar panel is shaded or moves out of the sun, the pump stops. Other than that, it just runs all the time during daylight. Keep the bowl refilled as needed, and enjoy.
The bowl required regular cleaning, and so did the pump. There are two metal mesh filters inside the pump housing that easily get clogged with algae and debris. We have really hard water here too so that doesn't help either. I became an expert at taking it apart and putting it back together, just be sure to tip the solar panel so it's in the shade or disconnect the wire at the panel. There are some small parts inside the pump impeller unit that will go flying if you take it apart while running, and there's no off switch.
After about a year and a half, the pump started making some loud noises when running and was not pumping water very well. Cleaning the pump and reassembling it would sometimes help. After awhile it was clear that the plastic groove into which the impeller rotates had become worn away on one side, probably from times when the pump was running when the water got low (due to evaporation, dogs, or other animals -- you have to watch to be sure that the pump is always under water, and the suction pads don't work to keep it attached to the bottom). Anyway, I think the plastic gets worn away anytime the impeller is off center, such as when the plastic cap isn't fully on, and more so if the pump is running while dry. I tried adding some tape to keep the plastic cap in place, that worked for awhile. Eventually I was able to repair the plastic by reshaping a groove with glue, but I wouldn't recommend that. It ran for another 6 months that way, but there are replacement pumps (6 Volt)that cost less than $20 out there, just not that easy to find.
The fatal failure came today. The metal ring that holds the ceramic fish above the bowl had been rusted for a long time, and today it failed completely, breaking in half. Fortunately the fish and bowl survived, so I hope to rebuild the supports with non metal bits, replace the pump, and keep it running for awhile longer. The ceramic fish and bowl still look great. The blue glaze is thick and beautiful even today.
My one gripe about this is the regular maintenance of the pump. Other than that, it's pleasant, whimsical, and with the solar panel, a nice eco-friendly addition to a small yard. Just beware that it's not going to last forever. About 2 years 5 months for me.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
It has ONE BIG PROBLEM otherwise its fineJun 25, 2010
By L. Balvin
"Loves Dogs"
The one big problem is the stand. The bowl fits fine, HOWEVER, the fish does NOT FIT in the round setting, which obviously, is generic for this company. The fish is NOT round so it just balances and a big gust of wind, a dog tail or brushing by it WILL knock it over. I am going to use fishing line to secure it, we even thought of gluing it in place, thats how delicate this is. My advice is BE PREPARED to wrap an ugly string or ribbon or fishing line around the fish so you can own this for a long time without worrying. Otherwise everything else about it is excellent. Manufacturing engineering MISHAP!
8 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Great Looking.Aug 09, 2010
By John Regan
Just love this fountain and the birds love it too.. And yes I did have to tie down the Fish as the stand is not made properly for it. The 10 foot cord makes it easy to place the solar collector in a sunny spot and place the fountain in the shade. Only wish I had bought two or more at the time as the price was $90. now it's gone up. Yet it is still a great addition to a home garden...
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 I love this fountain!May 20, 2012
By kb in Washington
What the other reviewers say is correct, the ring the fish sits on is round, and the fish is oval...not a good fit! I solved it to my complete satisfaction at least, by using that stretchy silicone tape you can buy that clings to itself, and wrapped it around the ring, thinly on the north and south sides of the circle, then thickly on the east and west side of the circle. The silicone sort-of grips the fish and helps stablize it. It still just sits on top, so tipping the whole unit would still cause the fish to fall off. But it is much more stable now, and I'm on my second season and haven't had any trouble with it being knocked off or anything.
I have a fine mesh bag tied around the pump to keep most all the debris out of the unit. I haven't had to clean it other than tipping out the water maybe every two weeks or so, and adding new clean water. I also have two pieces of slate overlapping in an upside down 'V' and laying on top of the pump so it doesn't float up. I like having the slate in the bowl because I worried about small birds slipping in and drowning. Now they can easily get out if that should happen. This morning I saw a Robin taking a bath in the bowl and it looked so cute.
Last winter around November, I removed the pump, solar panel and wiring, and put it in the garage. The fish stayed outside on his frame where he was, and made it fine through our couple of weeks of 20' weather. I turned the bowl over so it did not have water in it. I'm in Seattle, so we usually have mostly mild, wet winters. In April we no longer get freezes, so I set up the pump, panel, and added water. It started right up beautifully, and everytime we have had sunshine, it has run perfectly.
I'm really happy with this fountain. I love the cobalt blue color too. It's a pretty pop of color! I don't sit out in the yard if it isn't clear and sunny, so the timing turns out just right. The sun shines, and I enjoy the lovely sound of the fountain. It's perfect for me!
8 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Blue FishApr 23, 2010
By Marvitabella
This is a lovely addition to my outdoor garden. I had trouble with getting the pump working properly b/c of my inability to place it in the right part of the bowl so the tube would not kink. I've had most trouble with the tube kinking and the water not flowing so I just let it alone and let it settle where it wants. When trimming my hedges I sliced the solar cord in half...duh! Thought about the cord but forgot about it too so there you go a clean slice. Pieced it back together...I'm a genius and it works fine but getting replacement parts seems to be my next challenge. I really like this as it is so pretty.
See all 8 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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