(+38 photos) DIY Heron fountain from bottles step by step

Do you want to surprise your loved ones and friends? Try making a real, “live” or decorative fountain with your own hands. There are complex technologies for creating such crafts and simple ones that even a 3rd grade student can handle. With a little effort and time, you can ensure yourself the opportunity to enjoy the quiet murmur of water all year round. And if you don’t have the proper experience, you can assemble a mini-source from scrap materials that imitate water - plastic, glue and even paper.

Operating principle of Heron's bottle fountain

To assemble a fountain at home from bottles, you need to familiarize yourself with the principle of its operation and the features of the device. The basis in this case is the hydropneumatic mechanism, where the pushing of water upward by a jet occurs due to the work of air and the liquid itself.

In addition, gravity plays an important role here, creating the required pressure in the fountain system.

  • Bowl , which can be conventionally designated as the starting place from where water begins its movement through the system. It is an open reservoir that resembles a bowl or plate in appearance. From this bowl, the liquid is directed through a thin tube into an empty container located at the very bottom of the fountain.
  • The lower reservoir (empty) , it is necessary to create pressure from the liquid flowing from the bowl, which compresses the air in it. As a result, the water is pushed upward in a stream. In addition, liquid collects in this empty container, creating the very necessary pressure. The water remains here until the next recharge of the system.
  • The upper reservoir , which is filled with water when charged. This is the liquid that comes out in the form of a thin stream. The ejection process is carried out using compressed air - the pressure that appears in the lower container. Entering the upper reservoir through a thin tube, the air pushes out water from there. And it, in the form of a fountain, again enters the bowl, from which it flows into the lower container.

A self-made fountain from bottles is not endless; it needs to be recharged periodically.

There is nothing difficult or complicated here - the full container (lower) is installed in place of the empty tank, which is located on top, and the empty one is installed in place of the full one. To start Heron's fountain, just add a little liquid into the upper bowl.

From paper - a master class for the little ones

Younger children can be encouraged to work with paper. The technology does not require special skills; the most difficult thing about it is the use of scissors. In this regard, if the child is very small (up to 4 years old), parents or a teacher can help.

Step-by-step instruction:

  1. We cut out a circle from white paper, bend its edges, forming the edge of the pool of the future fountain.
  2. We make an oblong rectangle from light blue or blue paper, cut one side of it into long “noodles”, cut out triangles on the other side - we will use them to attach the “streams” to the base.
  3. We turn the “noodles” into curls with our own hands - we press our finger against the blade of the scissors and stretch them out.
  4. We roll the blue paper into a tube and glue it in triangles to the base of the craft. The craft is ready.

This technology is applicable for kindergarten and primary school.

Home mini fountain

How to make a fountain without pumps and generators, using the simplest materials at hand:

  • self-tapping screws;
  • drill;
  • plastic tubes of different diameters (this point is especially important, as you can learn from the article on the eternal fountain);
  • sealant or glue;
  • ordinary plastic bottles - 2 or 3 pcs.

The diagram shows the structure of the future design, in which it is important to maintain the distance and length of the tubes inside the vessel. Such a fountain will work on the principle of squeezing out water and air by the liquid’s own weight.

Note! The tightness must also be 100%.

More fountains for the home

Aquarium micropump

Above it was said about the most powerful aquarium pumps. And the smallest ones, at 50-100 l/h from water to water, are the size of a couple of matchboxes, see fig. They are inexpensive, they consume so much electricity that the disk of an electromechanical meter does not move. The electronic meter, however, senses them. Pressure at “drip” flow – up to 30 cm; regulated by the weakest and cheapest thyristor regulator or simply a 4.7-10 kOhm 15 W rheostat. But keep in mind that in this case the regulator will be 220 V!

Indoor mini fountains

By placing a rigid tube on the outlet of the micropump, we get an indoor mini-fountain with a jet, pos. 1 in Fig. left; the bowl, of course, can be filled with anything that does not rot, does not rust, and does not float. And with a flexible tube you can build a tabletop mini-pond with nymphs. Aquarium varieties of arrowhead, lemongrass (in this case it is not a Far Eastern liana, but an aquatic plant), dwarf papyrus, etc. will grow in it. amphibian plants.

Scheme of the fountain-phytotron

Home gardeners will find a phytotron fountain from the same pump just right. Actually, a phytotron is a miniature greenhouse with an air conditioner and lighting, but a small fountain-boulder will create a microclimate around itself in which the most fastidious plants, even high-mountain ones, will take root. In a phytotron fountain, it is sometimes possible to root cuttings of exotic conifers (for example, araucaria) or casuarinas without heteroauxin. The diagram of the fountain-phytotron is on the next page. rice. on right.

Scheme of assembling a fountain from 3 vessels

Cut one bottle in half. The upper part with the neck will serve as a reservoir for the fountain (bowl).

It should be remembered that there will be plastic tubes inside the structure (a dropper or a cocktail straw will do). To do this, holes of the required diameter are made in the covers, and the tube is cut to the required length).

  • Connect the bottom and middle bottles together using glue in the neck area (glue the caps together by first gluing them to the neck).
  • The reservoir (bowl) for the fountain is glued to the bottom of the second container, and a hole is made in the lid and bottom (respectively) for the tubes. All joints are sealed.

  • Next, the same amount of water is poured into the upper bowl as is included in the second bottle. Water will flow to the bottom. To return it to the center of the fountain, just turn the structure over.

When all the liquid is in the central reservoir, all that remains is to contemplate a living fountain, without external power sources. To do this, a little liquid is added to the upper bowl, which starts the following cycle:

  • water from the upper bowl enters the lower bottle, pushing air into the second container;
  • due to the pressure of the air masses, in the second bottle the water is forced to look for an outlet, which is the tube;
  • water enters the tube, rises up and a fountain is formed.

This process is not endless until the water in the second bottle runs out. Next, you can repeat everything - turn the container over, add a little water into the bowl and that’s it!

Heron's diopter

Heron's diopter

If any of you studied at the Faculty of Construction or Forestry Engineering, then you were required to be taught how to use a theodolite, which is so necessary for geodesy. But this instrument was also invented by Heron! He called his device dipotra.

The main component of the diopter is a ruler that rotates in a circle and allows you to mark the horizontal and vertical positions. A plumb line and level were also attached to the device. Using these tools, as well as mathematical techniques and rectangular coordinates, Heron was able to solve many construction problems:

  • measured the distance between two points when one or even both are not within sight;
  • drew a straight line, perpendicular to another line, which was inaccessible to the eye;
  • found level differences between two points;
  • measured areas without even going to the place he was measuring.

Diopter

The water supply system on the island of Samos was considered one of the wonders of engineering in the time of Heron. The design of this water pipeline was invented by Eupalinus. This project brought water to the city from the Mount Castro spring. To speed up the work, it was decided to dig a tunnel from both sides at once, but the problem is how can the workers definitely not miss and connect at one point? This project required enormous engineering competence. Nevertheless, the water supply system was built and surprised Heron’s contemporaries for a long time. Herodotus also mentioned this miraculous water pipeline, thanks to whom the world generally learned about the existence of the Eupalina tunnel. True, no one believed for a long time that this was true. It was believed that the ancient Greeks did not have sufficient technology to build such complex objects, but in 1814, having studied the works of Heron on the diopter and the construction of the Eupalina tunnel with its help, doubts came to naught, and at the end of the 19th century the tunnel itself was found.

Modern diopter (theodolite)

A fountain that works itself from plastic bottles

The classic design of Heron's fountain is described in 7th grade physics textbooks and consists of 3 containers of water, located one above the other and connected by three tubes.

For a home experiment, empty plastic bottles of mineral water or soda are perfect.

The first tube comes out of the top bowl and goes down to the very bottom of the structure. The second, which is attached separately from the first, comes out of the lower container, enters the middle one and reaches almost to the very top. The third tube comes from the bottom of the middle bowl and enters the top bowl.

  • By default, all the liquid is in the middle container. In order for the fountain to start working, you need to add a little water to the upper bowl - then the liquid will automatically flow through the first tube into the lower container until it is completely filled.
  • At this time, the air pressure will increase, which will be transmitted through the second tube to the middle tank.
  • At the same time, pressure will also be applied to the water, as a result of which it will begin to rise through the third tube into the upper bowl and flow upward. By completing this standard physics assignment, you will be able to replicate the experience of the great Greek mathematician and inventor Heron of Alexandria.
  • Another important point that you definitely need to pay attention to is the tightness of the connections. For this reason, after completing assembly, fill the entry points of the tubes in the covers with hot glue or sealant.

If you don't have sealant on hand, you can use regular plasticine as an alternative, but keep in mind that leakage is possible in this case.

Step-by-step installation of the water element

A do-it-yourself fountain without a pump on your personal plot is quite possible and quite simple. This model will not consume electricity for its operation; it is a completely autonomous system, the installation of which does not require special skills or expensive tools and materials.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=vVMhO6rcJqE

To work you need to prepare:

  • Three plastic tanks;
  • Special tubes;
  • Sealant;
  • Adapters;
  • Tools for work (suitable for plumbing work);
  • Decor for decorating a ready-made fountain.

So, to create a water masterpiece without a pump, we follow the following stages of work:

  • First, we decide on the size and type of the future fountain, which we will make with our own hands. There is no need to make it very large, as the water jets can be very weak and ineffective. It is recommended to make a sketch that will clearly demonstrate the appearance of the fountain itself to facilitate further work. We prepare the installation site, which should fit organically into the surrounding landscape;
  • Now let's start designing. The simplest method is a design created on the principle of communicating vessels, the basics of which are taught in school. The essence of this method is that two vessels located at different heights, which are connected by tubes, can exchange water flowing from one vessel to another, from the one located above to the bottom.

However, this method is a little primitive, it can be easily improved. Two prepared tanks of the required volume are installed at the same height, connecting them with tubes. Next, the tubes are connected to a T-shaped plumbing adapter.

  • The operating principle is as follows: water entering the vessels can flow freely through the installed adapter. Now all that remains is to ensure a constant flow of water into the reservoirs so that the water can flow into the fountain basin;
  • It is best to take water containers that are plastic and of the same volume. The tube connecting them is recommended to have a small diameter to ensure a longer operating time. Tubes are excellent for ordinary kitchen or household filters. Now it is necessary to drill holes in the bottom of the vessels with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the tubes.

Now we insert the tubes into the prepared holes and treat them with sealant. It is best to generally treat these areas using cold welding. Now we will need the third prepared vessel. Its volume should be twice the volume of the already connected tanks.

We install a T-shaped adapter in the middle of the bottom of this vessel. Next, you need to make two more holes at the bottom, through which two hoses from the upper smaller vessels will be threaded. They are also hermetically sealed. Here is the base for the fountain with your own hands and it’s ready.

Now you can prepare to strengthen the resulting structure in the selected location. At the same time, we remember that the top ones must be higher than the large vessel in order to ensure the supply of water. It is advisable to make the fountain removable, which will allow you to pour water from the bottom to the top.

What tools and materials will be needed

To assemble a homemade fountain from bottles and straws, you need to prepare the following consumables and tools:

  • plastic containers (for drinks, carbonated water, yoghurt);
  • cocktail straws/flexible hose;
  • hot melt adhesive/sealant;
  • drill/nail (for making holes);
  • fragments from a thick ballpoint pen/connectors from a dropper (if a flexible hose is used);
  • screw-type fasteners;
  • electric drill;
  • pliers;
  • sharp knife;
  • scissors;
  • marker;
  • sandpaper.

How to conduct an experiment

Start by blowing up a balloon and ask your child, “What's in the balloon?” Release the ball and talk about what is happening. After this, take an empty bottle and ask your child, “What is in the bottle?”

Reinflate the balloon and place it on the empty bottle, being careful not to let out too much air. Ask your child: “Why doesn’t the balloon fall?” If your child can't answer this question yet, explain that the balloon won't go down because the bottle is filled with air, so the air inside the balloon has nowhere to go.

Now you can make a fountain from a water bottle

Carefully poke a hole in the empty bottle large enough to fit a straw and seal with caulk or play dough. (This is the hardest part and is best done by an adult

If the bottle is wet, the material will have difficulty sticking to it).

Ask your child, “What do you think will happen if we pour water?”

Pour water into the bottle so that the water is above the hole (make sure that your straw is pointing upward and that the water is level with the very top of the straw as you fill the bottle: remember the principle of communicating vessels from school physics). Repair any leaks if found.

Inflate the balloon again, carefully so as not to release the air prematurely, place it over the neck of the bottle. Now let the air escape from the balloon: water will flow out of the straw. And now you have a real fountain ready.

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If the child does not guess on his own, explain that the air from the ball affected the water and caused it to rise up the tube.

How to make Heron's fountain from plastic bottles with your own hands

There are several options for making the Heron fountain, both from one bottle and from 2-3. Each of them has its own design features that should be taken into account in order for the system to function for a long time and efficiently.

How to make Heron's fountain from one bottle

You can assemble a fountain from a PET bottle using the following technology:

  • Make a hole in the plastic container cap by drilling it with an electric drill or by using a hot nail. The main thing is that the straw or tube fits into it tightly enough.

  • Fill the container with water, but not to the top.
  • Insert the plug into the neck, into the hole made - a tube, the lower end of which should be in the water, reaching the very bottom.

  • In order for a fountain made with your own hands from a bottle and a plastic tube to start functioning, it is necessary to compress the air inside the container. A pump used to inflate balls is perfect for these purposes.
  • In the absence of a pump, you can use the following method: blow through the straw as hard as you can. To avoid injury to the lips, its end should not have any jagged or sharp points. When using a glass element, the end can be melted using a paraffin candle or burner. If it is a metal straw, then you need to file down its end with a fine file.

A fountain from one bottle will operate as long as it contains compressed air. In an attempt to expand, it forces liquid out of the container.

The first version of the fountain operates provided there is a sufficient amount of compressed air inside the tank. Taking this into account, you can prolong the effect if you manage to pump air periodically.

You need to make another hole in the cork through which to install an additional plastic tube/straw.

There is no need to immerse it in water. You need to bend its upper end and blow into it, or pump air using a pump with a valve; an aquarium compressor will do. The operation of the fountain from a plastic bottle will continue in this case until the liquid runs out.

How to make a fountain from two bottles

This fountain model from 2 plastic bottles, which can also be easily assembled with your own hands, is made according to the following scheme:

  • Prepare two containers and drill 2 holes in the plugs for the tubes. The second reservoir should contain 2 short straws.

  • Connect 2 bottles using a rubber tube and place them at different heights.

  • If you blow into the straw of the first bottle, the process of water moving from it into the second plastic container will begin. Even if you stop blowing, the liquid will still flow. The main thing here is that one hole is located at a certain distance from the other, this height difference is preserved.
  • If you try to plug the outlet tube of the second container with your finger, you can feel the air pressure. This is called a Heron compressor. If you connect a hose and an aquarium sprayer, then this kind of purge will function until the liquid from the first tank ends up in the second. In order for such a compressor to work for a very long time, and not just for one hour, you will need a larger container and a thin tube.
  • Interestingly, the fountain is actually the design of the ancient engineer Ctesebeus. He and Heron of Alexandria, a mathematician and mechanic, invented many original devices, including a two-cylinder single-action spray, an automatic mechanism for opening doors in the temple.

Fountain of Heron made of 3 bottles

A fountain made from three plastic bottles works quite efficiently, silently, and helps refresh the water in the aquarium, as well as increase the humidity level in the room. The algorithm for performing the work is as follows:

  • It is necessary to cut one plastic container in half, where its upper part (with the neck) will act as a reservoir for the fountain.

  • The next step is making holes in the lids. Cocktail tubes/straws and a dropper will pass through them.

  • It is necessary to dock the lower and middle containers by gluing the plugs together, they are pre-attached to the neck.

  • The bowl, where the fountain itself will flow directly, is glued to the bottom of the second plastic tank. Be sure to make holes of a suitable diameter in the plug and bottom. All connecting areas must be well sealed.
  • Fill the top container with liquid equal to the volume of the second bottle. It will flow to the bottom. You can return the water to the center of the fountain by simply turning the system over.

Once all the water is in the central reservoir, the unique device will begin to operate without requiring additional power sources. Anyone can make a fountain from a bottle and tube if you follow a certain sequence of actions. By adding liquid to the upper container, they help start the next cycle:

  1. water from the upper reservoir enters the lower one, causing air to escape into the second bottle;
  2. due to the existing air pressure in the second reservoir, the liquid is forced to find a way out, and this is a plastic tube;
  3. the liquid enters the straw, goes up and a functioning fountain appears.

Thanks to the fountain in the room, you can increase the level of comfort in it, the microclimate will become much better, the amount of dry air will decrease, the humidity will be in the optimal range, 40-60%. This is especially important for human health, indoor crops and pets. This device will allow you to maintain air humidity during the heating season, when it is 22%.

Such a humidifier, assembled from plastic containers, will help clean the air from dust particles and effectively soften it. A fountain made from plastic bottles will also be useful for fish in an aquarium.

airy joy

Today it is difficult to imagine a celebration without decoration with balloons, be it a wedding or a children's birthday. Balls are used to make beautiful arches, figures, entire compositions and, of course, fountains!

To create the decoration you will need balloons inflated with helium, adhesive tapes for fixation, strong thin twine, beautiful ribbons, and weights for the fountain.

We think about the color and shape of the future composition in advance. Here you can give free rein to your imagination, taking into account the theme of the upcoming holiday. For example, if it is a child's birthday, you can even use children's shaped balloons.

The composition should resemble jets of water gushing upward. To do this, we tie ribbons to the inflated balls and place them on the central string, one below the other at 2/3 of the height. It is advisable to avoid chaos and disorder, but it all depends on the design you come up with. The main thing is to achieve a feeling of lightness and swiftness.

Next, we tie the resulting structure to a previously prepared load. You can use a small ball filled with water as a weighting agent. If the figure turns out to be large, then prepare several of these balls. The main thing is that the weight holds the composition well.

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Methods for fastening balls together:

  • As the base of the fountain, tie round or long thin balloons by the tails, and tie thin balloons with helium on a string inside to create the impression of drops flying up.

  • helium-filled balloons tied with their own ribbons.
  • make a string of the desired shape and tie the balls by the tails.

  • Attach the balls to the string using weaving. An example is garlands from which you can make a fountain.

How to make water flow without outside interference

If you attended school physics lessons, you should already have an idea of ​​what force is easier to make something move. Of course, we are talking about gravity or, in other words, the force of gravity.

To activate it, the item must be raised to a certain height and released. The same thing happens with water. If the tank with it is raised above the ground and the cap is opened, it will flow out after some time.

Gravity will be the initial engine that will launch our fountain.

Go ahead:

  1. We now attach a tube to our hypothetical container that will go down - there we will direct the water strictly to a certain point.
  2. If this tube at the bottom is bent upward, then water will begin to fly out of it with pressure. This is, in principle, the simplest structure of a fountain.
  3. The higher the water tank rises, and the wider the diameter of the pipe, the stronger the pressure will be. Pressure in this case is expressed in the height of the water column.
  4. In a similar way, you can organize a fountain for your dacha if there is some source from which the main container will be constantly replenished.
  5. For example, you can use a stream. In this case, in addition to supply, you should also worry about drainage.

Since streams will not be found in every area, and even the terrain features may not correspond, it is not worth considering this method of constructing a fountain.

But you can also use other sources to fill the tank - the same summer water supply. However, somewhere far away, water is also pumped into it by pumping equipment.

So how can you make a constantly running fountain without a pump?

For this, gravity alone is not enough. The solution to the problem lies in its combined action with pressure. The ancient fountain of Heron works on this principle.

Pros and cons of creating

A decorative fountain is primarily an element designed to decorate the surrounding space. It has several key advantages:

  • >Bright and elegant appearance. The fountain will transform and refresh any design, perhaps becoming its main element.
  • The fountain will do an excellent job as a source of coolness and will be able to maintain fresh air in any place where you install it.
  • Falling water is a very beautiful action. The sight of a seething stream or streams of water rushing down promotes relaxation and helps to distract from bad thoughts. Additionally, the sounds of water allow you to achieve harmony and unity with nature.
  • If you choose the right location, a fountain can help give your area a complete look. Such structures can help hide unattractive objects, for example, utility rooms.

When installing an open type system, you will have to think through the water supply system, control of its level, drainage and disposal. You can, of course, use the fountain’s reservoir as a container for heating water before watering, and use the bowl to distribute it throughout the garden, but watering is not needed around the clock, and the fountain can operate in this mode.

A plastic container, and the pump is located at the bottom, right in the place where the pipe sticks out of the water

In the simplest version, to make a small-sized fountain, you need some kind of sealed container and a submersible pump. Any container can be used - a special plastic one for a pond, a barrel, an old bathtub, a basin, a cut tire covered with film, etc. With pumps it’s a little more complicated.

Fountain pumps

Fountain pumps are sold specially, with built-in filters. To make it easier to make a fountain with your own hands, you can buy such models. It’s very easy to work with them: put them in a container, secure it so that it doesn’t move, fill it with water, carry out the starting manipulations (described in the instructions) and turn it on.

Fountain pumps come in different capacities and raise the jet to different heights. Often the kit comes with replaceable nozzles that change the nature of the jet. They are powered by a 220 V network; there are models powered by solar panels. They are made hermetically, so there will be no problems when connecting, no step-down transformers are needed. The only thing that won’t hurt is an automatic machine and an RCD on the line to which the pump will be connected. This is just in case, to increase security. The price of the smallest and lowest-power fountain pump is $25-30. Productive models cost several hundred or more.

You can use any submersible pump for the fountain. But you need to buy or make a filter for it (you can make a sand filter) and a step-down transformer. A security group from a machine gun and an RCD on the line will not be out of place here either. This circuit is worth tinkering with if you have an old pump that is not currently being used.

How to do it without a pump

Is it possible to make a fountain without a pump? It is possible, but it is open type. For example, bring a water supply pipe into the pond - central or supplying water from a well or borehole. The water coming out under pressure will produce a jet of some height. By installing a tip on the pipe, we can change its shape. But with such a construction, it is necessary to figure out where to divert the water. You can go back to the well or to the river, to the irrigation area, etc. Although with such an organization there is a pump, it pumps water into the house, and the fountain is only one of the flow points.

Scheme of organizing a fountain without a submersible pump

The second option is to place some kind of container at a height, supply water to it, and from there it is supplied through pipes to the fountain located below. To create a more or less decent jet height, the container must be raised 3 meters or higher. But the question remains: how to supply water there. Again using a pump, but no longer submersible. They are cheaper, but require a filter. You will also need a pit in which the equipment is installed. A system of pipes connects it to the bowl of the fountain.

Heron's fountain - recirculation system without electricity

Heron of Alexandria was a Greek mechanic and mathematician who lived in the second half of the 1st century AD. This scientist is placed on a par with the most brilliant inventors of mankind in its entire history.

The engineer's inventions include: the first automatic doors, a self-loading crossbow, a steam turbine, the first odometer and much, much more.

This inventor was noted for the creation of many devices that work with water. The famous fountain without a pump also belongs to them.

Fountain using polyethylene film

For this you need the following materials: durable polyethylene, shovel, sandy soil, pumping system, stones.

Execution steps:

  • We prepare the hole, remove the stones and compact the base;
  • The bottom is completely covered with sand, pre-sifted;
  • We cover the entire pit with plastic film, covering the edges around it;
  • The foundation pit, covered with film, is securely fixed around the entire perimeter with stones;
  • We install the pump;
  • We decorate the fountain with decor;
  • Fill with water.

Scheme and principle of operation of the Heron Fountain

The classic Heron fountain consists of three containers connected to each other in a certain sequence by tubes. Below is a diagram of the interaction of these vessels.

  • The first container (No. 1) can be open - it is often made that way.
  • A tube from it leads into a hermetically sealed vessel (No. 2). It reaches almost to the bottom.
  • Another tube originates from the lid of this vessel. It shouldn’t touch the water, that’s why it’s shortened. The tube extends to the next sealed vessel (No. 3), ending exactly under the stopper.
  • Another tube also practically reaches the bottom of the third vessel. Its second end goes out and is a pipe from which the stream will hit.

It all works according to the following principle:

  • The third vessel (the second hermetically sealed flask or No. 3) must be completely filled with water. This can be done in advance, before sealing it.
  • Then a little water is poured into the open container (No. 1).
  • This water begins to flow into the first closed bottle (No. 2), resulting in a closed circuit.
  • Water flows downward under the influence of gravity. This causes air pressure to increase in the vessel, which is transmitted through the chain to the third container (No. 3), squeezing water out of it. As a result, it is emptied and water flows into the closed flask number one (No. 2).
  • It is easy to understand that as soon as the water in the last container runs out, the fountain will stop working. This is an important flaw of the famous scientist, which does not allow him to create an eternal device.

But the issue can be resolved. In order to obtain an improved Heron fountain, the design needs, oddly enough, to be simplified.

  • We get rid of the third container, which, in fact, is completely unnecessary. The circuit will consist of one sealed and one open container and two pieces of tubes of different diameters.
  • To maintain stable pressure in the system, it is necessary that the drain tube be slightly larger in diameter than the outlet through which the jet will flow.
  • So, the containers are connected by tubes. Along the short one, which does not reach the water, the water will flow down from the bowl. Along a long, reaching almost to the bottom, the liquid will rise back, again replenishing the water level in the bowl. As a result, the chain is completely closed.
  • To start Heron's eternal fountain, pour water into the bottle to completely cover the long tube. Then we pour some water into the bowl, and the device starts working.
  • If nothing happens, then the air lock must be removed from the system. To do this, you can suck in air from the outlet pipe of the fountain.
  • Heron's Fountain from two bottles can be assembled as a first test before attempting to build something more serious.
  • Everything is extremely simple. It is even proposed to make a perpetual motion machine using this principle. To do this, a turbine is located along the flow of water, which is driven by the liquid.

In fact, the scheme can be further simplified. The photo shows a perpetual motion machine invented by Robert Boyle.

The cone-shaped vessel at the base is connected to a hose. If you create a pressure difference in it by drawing out air in the same way as drivers do when draining gasoline from a car tank, the water will begin to rise above its level in the vessel.

The circuit is also closed, and the fountain will run indefinitely.

Choosing a place for a fountain

The correct location of the fountain not only ensures maximum decorativeness of the structure, but also makes it easier to care for during operation. If the fountain is located in a completely open area, which is actively heated by the sun, the water will evaporate and bloom faster.

You cannot build a pond with a fountain next to trees and deciduous shrubs. Firstly, this will lead to damage to the pond bowl by the roots, and secondly, leaves, small twigs and other debris will get into the water. In such conditions, filters quickly become clogged and fail, and the water becomes cloudy and acquires a putrid odor.

Choosing a location for a fountain is of great importance

The fountain should be located on the leeward side and no closer than half a meter from buildings and garden furniture. Due to splashes and water spray, the surfaces will always be wet, which will lead to the development of fungus and the gradual destruction of materials. But you shouldn’t place the fountain too far from the house either. Electricity is required to connect the pump, and a cable that is too long causes additional inconvenience and expense. A backlit fountain looks very impressive, and for this it is also necessary that the energy source be at the optimal distance from the reservoir.


The illuminated fountain looks very impressive

And last but not least, the fountain must have a decorative background and be clearly visible from different corners of the site. It makes no sense to install such a structure if there is no opportunity to admire it and show it to guests.


A decorative fountain should be located in a visible place

How to make Heron's fountain: what can be improved

They say that there is no limit to perfection, and almost any thing can be modernized ad infinitum - this is not entirely true, but nevertheless, the possibility of improving any product is almost always available. The Fountain of Heron is no exception in this regard - there are many things that can be modernized in it.

The very first thing is to increase the flow of water. We have already said above that it depends on the distance between the upper and lower containers - you yourself understand that it may not be possible to increase this distance to infinity (or at least until the necessary moment).

There is one trick here - if you correctly pair two such systems of containers and tubes, then at least the height of the jet will double. In general, you will need not one, but two bottles full of water and two equally empty ones, connected to each other by tubes in series - a full, empty, then full again and again empty jar. Full cans on top, empty cans on the bottom – it won’t work any other way.

In general, despite the fact that in general Heron’s fountain is a very well-thought-out product, there is still room for its improvement and, apparently, there is no limit to this place. To conclude the topic, it remains to add that according to the principle described above, it is possible to produce quite a lot of different systems, ranging from small experimental models of fountains to huge working models.

With the latter, however, the problem of recharging arises, which is very, very difficult to solve without a pump or other ingenious modern devices.

Possible materials

Of course, everyone’s favorite plasticine, modeling clay and polymer clay. Making a fountain out of plasticine or play dough can be appealing to a child, but adults often prefer polymer clay. The technique for working with these materials is approximately the same. Choose what you like and what best suits your idea. There is also liquid polymer clay with which you can even recreate water.

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Examples of plasticine work:

And this is what clay crafts look like:

Another common material is paper. With its help, you can make a model of a real fountain from your city, as well as a very simple craft for kindergarten. To create a paper layout you will need cardboard, colored paper, scissors, and glue. If desired, you can use additional materials. Ideas for work can be found below.

What if you make not just a decoration, but also a souvenir? Yes, one that attracts money? Of course, it will be a fountain of coins! Both for yourself and as a gift, it impresses with its beauty and unusualness. The most common craft idea is a money waterfall “flowing” from a mug.

To create it you will need coins, a coffee pair (cup and saucer), thick wire or fork/spoon, and a heat gun.

First you need to give the wire or fork the shape of water pouring from a cup, bending it slightly, as in the photo:

Next, the wire is glued with one end to the saucer and the other to the cup:

It is advisable to use coins of different denominations. They can be spray painted gold. Apply glue to each coin and carefully glue it to the wire on both sides. We glue a few things in the cup itself, and you can make a whole pile of them on the saucer.

Fixing the structure

To prevent our fountain from falling apart, we need to connect two wooden support strips together. Take the third plank and use a glue gun to attach it at the top, parallel to the floor, in a horizontal position. As a result, you should have an arched structure: two long vertical strips connected together by a shorter horizontal one at the top.

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