how do i safely get electricity to my small garden fountain in the backyard?

You have two options - a temporary solution like an extension cord or a permanent one like adding or extending an existing circuit.  Obviously running an extension cord is the cheapest/easiest solution.  Green extension cords are available that would better hide in the grass but you do need to be careful not to damage it with, say, a lawn mower.  It must be plugged into a GFCI recepacle or on a circuit protected by a GFCI breaker.

Depending on your skill level you may be able to run electricity out to your fountain using approved wiring methods.  If it's something you want to do yourself, we can go over what you need to do.  Otherwise you'll need to hire a licensed electrician.

Howdy Jase,

Welcome to the Home Depot community where we share; ideas, expertise, and opinions about home improvement.

Here is a simple list of things you should take into consideration when hooking up electricity to a water feature.

The water pump runs on electricity, so you'll need to have the proper electrical outlets and hookups.First figure out where you want your garden fountain and set it down. Keep in mind that a garden fountain will be a focal point for anyone who visits your garden, so put it in a place that will give it the attention you want.

Before putting water into the fountain and plugging the pump in, ensure that you've installed Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GCFI) outlets. The GFCI outlet will cause the pump to shut off and the electricity in the line to shut off in the event that there's a short in the pump. Without this protection, a person who touches the water when there is an electrical short present can be seriously injured so always think safety.

Start by digging a foot deep trench about 4 inches wide from GFCI outlet to the fountain.

Next, lay out the pump cord plugged in to the extension cord to get a good idea if you have enough length.

Now use a saw to cut 3/4 inch pvc pipe to match the trench length and cut excess.

After you have connected everything, make sure it works  before glueing and burying the pvc pipe.

After everthing is working perfect, fill the trench with dirt and replace the grass pieces.

Happy Gardening,

Coach Dave

I will be puting in a small fountain in our front entry garden.  I have a GFCI nearby. My question is do you somehow seal the ends of the PVC with the extension cord connection or leave them open. Is water getting into the pipe a problem?

Robert

Howdy Robert74,

I would recommend you find out from your local city government if you need to have certain wiring needs so you don't have to do this project twice.

Depending on what you find out, you may have to use a watertight conduit like Non-Metallic Conduit which is designed to hold power, control and communications cables in commercial and industrial applications where flexibility is required.

Since the cord from the fountain pump is not meant to be buried, I would have the GFCI relocated closer to the pump or simply move the fountain closer to the GFCI.

Happy Gardening,

The fountains are really great idea to decorate the house both inside the house and outside. I would like to build something like this at my backyard