You may have a water fountain in your garden or hall that needs cleaning. Although, cleaning a water fountain requires a lot of patience and specificities. So, while you’re cleaning it, how much vinegar to add to the fountain?
Pouring one or two cups of vinegar into the water fountain can give you the best results as vinegar kills the germs by directly keeping in contact with contamination. Adding vinegar is the natural way to clean your water fountain as it does not contain any harsh chemicals, which may be harmful to your water fountain.
Today, I will discuss the amount of vinegar you need to add to your water fountain to clean it, the mechanism of action by which vinegar cleans the water fountain, and the impact of vinegar on the pump and the water fountain’s algae. Read more to get a new perspective on water fountain contamination.
Can You Put Vinegar in Your Water Fountain?
Yes, you can incorporate vinegar into your water fountain. Vinegar is a synthetic product, but it is organic in nature. Thus, it does not require another reagent or chemicals to initiate the cleaning process. Adding a small amount of vinegar will help you clean your water fountain. You can also mix water with vinegar to dilute its concentration.
Does Vinegar Have a Pungent Smell?
Vinegar has a strong, pungent smell. So, after you add some to your water fountain. It can create a sharp or irritating odor. But stay calm; this pungent smell does not remain within your water fountain for a long time. It will indeed vanish within few minutes, leaving your water fresh and stain-free.
How Much Vinegar to Add to The Water Fountain?
Pouring a cup or two of vinegar into your contaminated water fountain will eventually help you. You can either add white or apple cider vinegar. But for cleaning purposes, apple cider vinegar will be preferred. If you have a large indoor water fountain with excessive contamination, then use a half cup of vinegar into a gallon of warm water to make a solution.
Does a Combination of Water and Vinegar Clean?
A solution made of water mixed with vinegar helps to clean a large indoor water fountain. Indeed, adding a gallon of solution into a heavily contaminated water fountain removes hard and resistant strains. At the same time, water-based vinegar solutions kill the germs and pathogens that were growing inside your fountain.
Will Vinegar Hurt Your Fountain Pump?
You don’t need to worry, vinegar does not harm your fountain pump and is much more efficient than other solutions to clean mineral deposits within your water fountain. Indeed, vinegar removes contamination from your fountain pump by breaking down the mineral deposits, which sometimes decrease the water flow. Once the product dissolves mineral deposits, the flow can be easily corrected by the high-pressure flow of the pump itself.
How to Clean Your Fountain Pump?
Cleaning a fountain pump is not an arduous task. Firstly, you have to remove the pump from the water fountain. Then, open the pump from the backside. What you see next will not look good to your eyes. A high buildup of microorganisms will be blocking your fountain pump. Thus, put your clogged pump into the apple cider for a few minutes. Then, rinse it with high-pressure water. The rest of the dirt or blockage can be removed using a toothbrush.
Rinse the pump once more with water, and then allow it to dry. After that, you can close your pump. Access the water flow after you finish cleaning the fountain pump. You will get favorable results by following this method.
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Will Vinegar Kill Algae in Your Fountain?
Vinegar possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties, which directly kill algae from your fountain. Algae is a blue-green microorganism that often grows into the water fountain. The presence of contamination, debris, and dirt within your water fountain often helps algae form (source
). These germs also need light to grow. If you have placed your water fountain in an open area, then there is a high chance of algae formation.
How to Remove Algae?
Drain the water from your fountain basin. Pour a well-measured cup of white vinegar into your fountain and leave it for a few minutes so it can kill the algae. Then, use a scrubbing brush or sponge to wipe the algae off from the surface of the basin. Once you have cleaned all the residue from the fountain, rinse the basin from the regular water. Check the fountain basin and water flow after removing the algae.
How to Prevent Algae?
You can prevent the formation of algae within your water fountain by deep cleaning it once every three months. You should also use white vinegar once a week to clean debris and dirt from your fountain. It will help resist the growth of algae within fountain pumps. You can also add natural preventive products, such as hydrogen peroxide, into the basin. It will eventually clean the water by turning it into oxygen and will not harm your fountain’s natural environment.
The Bottom Line
Vinegar not only helps you to clean you water fountain effectively, but it can also kill the growth of algae within your fountain basin. Besides, it is a safe compound as it does not create breakage within the fountain basin and pump contrary to chemicals such as bleach and other reagents. Vinegar is also readily available and provides cost-effective measures for all your water-fountain-related problems. Thus, you can add a proper amount of vinegar to your water fountain.
