When purchasing an outdoor fountain, there are a lot of things to consider. Today, there are so many styles, sizes, shapes, and materials on the market that it can be hard to find that perfect one for you. One of the most important things to consider when you do your shopping is how you want to power your fountain. Electricity has been the traditional choice, but there are more and more solar fountains coming onto the market every day. Today, we’re going to look at the pros and cons of both electric and solar fountains.

Let’s start with electric. Ease of use is one reason these fountains have always been so popular. You just plug them in and that’s it – nothing more to it. And that’s another plus to them. Unlike solar fountains, electric fountains will run all the time, no matter if it’s day or night. Of course, it might stop if your power goes out, but then you’ve got bigger issues than just your fountain not running. Finally, electric fountains tend to come in all sorts of designs. With solar fountains, they need to be made in a way that lets the solar panel be well positioned to catch the sun. With an electric fountain, you can have much more intricate designs, like stacks of pots, statues, and geometric shapes that you don’t find in solar fountains.

But electric fountains aren’t without their drawbacks. One is the fact that you’re limited in where you can place it by the electrical cord. Most models have only a 6 or 8 foot cord, so you’ve got to keep it fairly close to the electrical outlet. Sure, you could run an extension cord, but do you really want an unsightly extension cord running across your lawn and patio? Probably not. There’s also the issue of electricity costs. Keeping your fountain plugged in all the time, whether running or not, costs money, and though it doesn’t seem like a lot, it can add up over the course of a year.

With solar fountains, the benefits are numerous. One of the biggest is that once you buy your fountain, there are no more costs with it. You never have to pay for power to run it, and since most are made from fiberglass or resin, there’s very little maintenance. Another benefit to them is that they’re environmentally friendly. Being green is so important nowadays, as we all need to do what we can to help the planet and conserve resources. By using the sun’s power to run your fountain, you’re helping to conserve electricity, something we could all be doing a bit more of.

Of course, there are some things you may not like with solar fountains. If the sun’s not out, many models won’t work. You can always get one with a backup battery that stores the sun’s power to keep it going at night or when it’s cloudy, but if you don’t then you’re out of luck. Another issue is the styles available. While you can get electric ones in all sorts of looks, solar fountains most often come in birdbath designs with 1 or 2 tiers. Not that they don’t look good, because they do, but some people prefer a design other than that for their yard.

When you’re searching for your next water feature, keep these things in mind. The choice between electric and solar is an important yet often overlooked one!

About The Author – Alicia Walker is a writer with OutdoorLiving.com/learning-center/ and just loves outdoor fountains. For more on garden fountains, electric fountains, solar fountains, and fountain accessories, visit OutdoorLiving.com.