Solar fountains are slowly becoming a popular household exterior decoration. They add a unique twist to the decor of the outside of a home, and they don’t use any electricity. Fountains have always been popular in commercial areas such as malls and parks, but these days they are showing up in residential areas more and more.

The solar fountains which are found in residential yards or gardens are often much smaller than the larger ones that are seen in public places. Often they are only a few feet in diameter and are somewhat non-intrusive. Many models are also no-install and can just be set up and turned on. The solar factor is also a big selling feature, as once these are invested in these are free to use and the fountain will not run all night.

Today’s solar outdoor decorations and other items use nikel hydride batteries, which can maintain a charge while using one - so while the sun goes down, the fountain will remain on for a few hours. This rinses and repeats each and every night. Many of these batteries can run for five to eight hours after the sun has gone down, though this duration could be shorter for larger fountain models. This retained charge and night time running power makes them great for evening get togethers or parties.

Finding solar fountains may take a few trips to home improvement, gardening, interior decorating, or hardware vendors. These kinds of retailers do carry these types of fountains, though not all of them do. If none within your area carry them, there are plenty of on-line retailers and vendors that carry them as well. If you do find some inside your vicinity, you can also use the internet to price shop to make sure that you get the best deal.

The two-tier style is the most popular type of residential home fountain, which has the bottom larger pool with one at the top. The water is pressured up past the top part and trickles down to the bottom and back up through the internal pipe again. They often do not need refilling because of the reuse of water, unless it is particularly hot or you have a great deal of birds enjoying the new “pool”.

There are actually a wide number of solar outdoor decorations these days, most of which small. The most common are lights. Some of they are novelty items, while some are simply decorations. These too run for a few hours after the sun has gone down, and they make great accents for your new fountain. Some homeowners choose to make an elaborate set up with the lights and the fountain, while others models come with lights installed.

With the increasing focus on going “green” and the general ease of use and installation, solar fountains are fast becoming some people’s favorite yard decoration. With so numerous styles available, there is one out there for almost every taste, yard, and home.