The aural effect of running water is very calming to almost everyone, and whether it is raindrops, a stream or a river, the sounds are soothing and relaxing. When water is added to a beautiful bronze fountain, the end result is extremely pleasing to the senses. Water fountains add a prominent touch to almost any patio.

The making of bronze dates back six thousand years. It consists of copper with tin as an additive. Bronze is well known for its durability, resistance to corrosion, and being less brittle than steel. Bronze is used for motor bearings, springs, bushings, tools, fittings, weatherstripping, statuary, musical instruments and other products. This metal has many great characteristics, particularly when used for open-air fountains.

As a result of the higher manufacturing costs, bronze is usually not used for indoor fountains. Outdoor bronze water fountains, on the other hand, exhibit a large selection of sizes, shapes and styles. You can buy an elegant bronze water fountain to put in your garden or yard for only a few hundred dollars. There are fountains that are petite and delicate-looking, just the right size for a tiny backyard, while others are enormous structures, weighing a ton or more and costing thousands of dollars. These sculptures are shaped as plants, animals, birds, butterflies, fish, mountains, and those weird shapes found in parks and recreation areas. Since there is an incredible variety of products available, finding something that fits your taste and pocketbook will be fairly painless. A note of caution: never introduce plants or fish into a water fountain (regardless of size) because the excessive aeration can harm them, plus the continuously falling water generates a turbulent environment, which stresses the fish.

If you are fortunate to have a pond on your property, putting in a fountain, either floating or fixed, will definitely improve the water quality through aeration, thus reducing the naturally occurring algae. A second benefit is that the flowing water works as a filter keeping the water clean. Once again, the falling water is very hard on fish and plants, so keep them separate. The biggest concern with a pond fountain is the problem of getting electrical power to it. Unless you know precisely how to do it, find a qualified electrician to install the power. Remember, water, electricity and humans do not mix well. Leaves floating on a pond are far more pleasing than dead people!

Creating a fountain yourself is another possibility if you are somewhat mechanically and electrically inclined. Some of the things you will have to obtain are a basin, underwater pump, electrical wiring, lights, tubing, a switch and the tools necessary to put it all together. The topic of building a fountain is outside the scope of this article, but there are quite a few websites on the internet that have advice on building a fountain. This writer has built outdoor fountains in the past with rocks and mortar (but not bronze) so here’s some “learned the hard way” advice: carefully design it on paper ahead of time so you can avoid the distress of having to redo the parts that don’t harmonize with the overall style of your backyard.