Fountain & Sounds
How fountains make noise, and how to judge sound levels
One of the most common questions we are asked is "how much sound does a particular fountain make", or to compare the sounds of two different fountains. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer.
Sounds from a water fountain come from three sources; First, the distance water is falling, Secondly, what the water is falling onto, and Lastly, how many levels the water falls. A single stream of water falling a short distance onto a surface, or water creeping down the side of an urn will produce little sound. A six foot tall, four tier fountain, with water cascading onto the water in the basin below, on four levels all the way around the fountain will produce an impressive volume!
Additional factors must be considered:
- Water speed: Most of our fountains come with variable speed pumps. Increasing the speed and volume of the water can increase the sound.
- Sound "reflection": A fountain, in a corner of a backyard will reflect more sound into the garden than a water fountain standing alone in the middle of a garden.
- Water levels in the basin: Low levels of water in the basin means the falling water falls farther, and thus more sound. High levels of water in the basin reduces the distance water falls, and thus lower levels of sound.
Here is an general guide to judging the sound water fountains produce:
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Here is our best selling Vicobello Fountain. Notice it has three tiers, allowing multiple streams of water to strike the water surface below simultaneously and unimpeded, giving a relatively louder water fountain sound. |
Our Barocco Fountain has a single stream that "shoots" upwards, and lands more like a spray in the basin below than falling water. While producing some sound, it's quieter than a multi-tiered fountain. |
Our Grecian Urn Fountain would be considered a "quieter" fountain. The water bubbles from the top and adheres to the surface of the urn on the way down. Therefore, it does not fall and strike the water, reducing the volume. There is a sound from the bubbling on top, and as the water drips into the collection basin below. |
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The Capri Single Tier has a single stream of water, which can be heard distinctly, but is not as loud as multiple streams of water. |
The Esplanade Two Tier. In this fountain, notice the bottom basin is ground level, which allows the water to fall farther, increasing it's velocity, and therefore it's sound. |
The Millennium Four-Tier Fountain has four tiers, which is four separate sound generations happening at the same time, increasing the sound. Also notice the low bottom tier, allowing the water to fall further. |
Finally, sound is a personal choice. What's loud or noisy to one person may be quiet to another. It comes down to preference, but you're not always stuck with what you have. You can add real or silk foliage to the basin of a fountain to break up the fall of the water, and it will help quiet the sound. You can move a fountain into a corner of the home or garden, and this will help amplify the sound towards the center of the open space. Additionally, there are adjustments you can make to the fountain pump speed, and the water level.
We hope this helps understand how water fountains make sound, and how to judge the approximate sound a water fountain will produce.
Kyle Widner
Garden-Fountains.com