How to add a Flow Valve Regulator
Controlling the flow of water on your chosen water feature is just as important as choosing the exact water feature itself. The size and style has to suit the surrounding environment but equally important, and often overlooked, is how you get that perfect flow of water at the top.
Water flowing too fast will not only be noisy and disruptive but also increases the risk of running the container or reservoir dry and that’s not advisable. The pump needs to be submersed in water at all times to operate correctly, therefore lots of splashing and a loss of water could potentially cost you a new pump as well!
Regulating the flow of water to suit the style of your chosen water feature is the key to ensure you get the relaxing running water sound that allows you to just unwind and relax and enjoy your favourite space in the garden.
The pumps do come with an in built regulator but the flow adjustment is minimal. A Flow Valve Regulator is a simple device which regulates the flow of water to a predetermined flow rate and gives you greater control and flexibility. Below are some very simple steps to follow to allow you to easily connect a Flow Valve Regulator (tap) to your water feature.
Size Is Important
All of the water features reservoir packages we supply come with the correct hose size for your particular feature. We either use a 12mm hose and flow valve regulator or a 20mm hose and flow valve regulator. 12mm seems quite thin but these are used on our slate pyramid style water features. This runs up through the marine grade 316 stainless steel tube which is part of the stabilising plate. 20mm is used on pretty much every other feature including boulders, monoliths and window stones.
Hose Adjustment
The length of hose supplied with our Pump and Reservoir Packs will be more than required, so can be cut down accordingly. The Flow Valve Regulator should be installed between the pump and the water outlet (usually the top of the water feature).
Once the hose has been connected to the pump and secured with the hose clip provided, cut the hose about 10cm in. Insert one side of the Flow Valve Regulator into this shortened hose and tighten the jubilee clip. The correct size hose clips will always be provided to match the hose size.
Finally attach the longer length of hose to the other side of the Flow Valve Regulator and again secure this with a clip.
The pump is then ready to be placed into the reservoir and the longer hose threaded up through the water feature. For complete end to end instructions please visit our How To Install A Water Feature blog post.
Buy Water Features
Welsh Slate Water Features stock a huge range of beautiful natural stones suitable for garden designs and landscaping projects of all scales. From small boulders to large monoliths, there is something to suit every development! If you have any questions on any of the above or require more detail about installing a water feature in your garden, please contact us.