Unlike solar lighting, most fountain which are solar powered do not offer the ability to hold or charge a battery. With no battery, the solar power simply sends all available power directly to the pump and the flow of water is directly related to the amount of sunlight available. No sun, no power! A standard solar fountain will function while the sun is shining directly onto the solar panel, if a cloud block the sun the water flow will diminish and then come back to full strength as the sun re-emerges from behind the cloud.
Solar-on-Demand technology takes the solar garden fountain to the next level and gives you the ability to control when you want your fountain to run: day or night. With a self contained battery attached to the solar panel and a simple on/off switch, you decide when your fountain will run.
In the ON position, the fountain will run like a standard solar panel with a twist. When the sun is bright on the solar panel, the pump will run as usual but when a cloud passes over head instead of turning off the unit switches to the battery back up so that it continues to operate without interruption. The fountain will function throughout the day and store any excess power it captures in the battery. As the sun goes down and less light is available, if there is still extra power left in the battery, the fountain will continue to run for a short time on the stored power. The fountain will shut off when the excess stored power has been used and the following day when the sun comes out the fountain will turn on again. This function allows for uninterrupted water flow on most days (unless there are consecutive days with very little sun and therefore not enough energy to run the pump and charge the battery simultaneously).
The second option is to charge the unit for night time use so that it can be enjoyed when you come home from work or for a special evening party. In the OFF position, the fountain will not run during the day time and instead will take all the power that is available and store it in the battery. On a bright day, with the solar panel in direct sunlight the battery will charge in one day. If the solar panel is not in direct sunlight or it is not a bright day, it will take longer for it to charge. Simply leave the unit turned off to charge and when you need it to run, turn the switch on the panel to the on position. With a full charge, the unit will function for up to 6 hours at night.
In the ON position, the fountain will run like a standard solar panel with a twist. When the sun is bright on the solar panel, the pump will run as usual but when a cloud passes over head instead of turning off the unit switches to the battery back up so that it continues to operate without interruption. The fountain will function throughout the day and store any excess power it captures in the battery. As the sun goes down and less light is available, if there is still extra power left in the battery, the fountain will continue to run for a short time on the stored power. The fountain will shut off when the excess stored power has been used and the following day when the sun comes out the fountain will turn on again. This function allows for uninterrupted water flow on most days (unless there are consecutive days with very little sun and therefore not enough energy to run the pump and charge the battery simultaneously).
The second option is to charge the unit for night time use so that it can be enjoyed when you come home from work or for a special evening party. In the OFF position, the fountain will not run during the day time and instead will take all the power that is available and store it in the battery. On a bright day, with the solar panel in direct sunlight the battery will charge in one day. If the solar panel is not in direct sunlight or it is not a bright day, it will take longer for it to charge. Simply leave the unit turned off to charge and when you need it to run, turn the switch on the panel to the on position. With a full charge, the unit will function for up to 6 hours at night.
