How to Build a Wine Barrel Fountain

Place the genuine wooden wine barrel or half barrel in the position you want to make the fountain. You can carefully cut a whole barrel in half with a saw to make a half barrel. Once completed, it will be virtually impossible to move, so choose a position wisely. It should be out of the way but still accessible and placed out of any direct sunlight that may cause evaporation and algae growth troubles.

Slip the plastic wine barrel liner, purchased at a home and garden center, into the cut wine barrel. If the barrel is correctly built and not too weathered or old, this liner can be omitted. Wine barrels are designed to be tight enough to hold wine, so water should also not penetrate it. The plastic barrel liner may help prevent leaks in the future and also help reduce evaporation.

Place the bricks or flat stones in the bottom of the wine barrel. These should provide a platform approximately 2 inches from the bottom of the barrel. Place the submersible pond fountain pump on top of these stones or bricks. They are designed to raise the intake tube up from the bottom. This reduces the chance of debris getting into the filter and causing it to stop working.

Attach the rigid tube to the top of the submersible fountain pump with provided fasteners or a clamp. Check to be sure the tube is sticking straight up to the top of the wine barrel with a bubble level. Connect the chosen fountain head to the top of the rigid tube. This fountain head should be the appropriate distance above the top of the wine barrel, based on the type of fountain you are using.

Fill the wine barrel with water from a garden hose. Stretch the electrical cord from the submersible pond pump to the nearest outlet and plug it in. Adjust the fountain head, if possible, to provide the desired size and style of fountain spray. Turn the pump on and sit back and enjoy the wine barrel fountain.