topic Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem! in Garden

Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

CamilleP — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 04:26:16 GMT

I ordered one of these when they were a TSV earlier this year (springtime?), and almost immediately water started leaking into the battery compartment and shorting them out. I used rubber safe grease on the O-rings and solved that problem, but last week the fountain just started turning itself off, no matter what the timer was set for. We took the pump apart and cleaned the impeller according to the directions, but no matter what we did, it just kept shutting itself off. Finally it wouldn't turn on at all. I called and left messages with the help-line, asking for help, but no one has called back, so DH and I got fed up. We went to our local True Value hardware store and bought a plug-in fountain pump, cut a hole in the bottom part of the Bernini plastic fountain for the cord to go through, and hooked the pump up to the bottom of the hose piece that runs up to the top of the fountain. Voila, a water fountain in the bird bath that runs reliably for as many hours as we want to leave it plugged in! And now the massed bird chorus of complaints has ceased, because believe me, those juncos, goldfinches, doves, chickadees and woodpeckers were giving me verbal chastisement like you would not want your grandchildren to hear every time that doggoned Bernini fountain shut itself off! My birdie catering services were getting bad reviews on "Chirp" (bird version of Yelp?), I had to do something!

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

Kachina624 — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 22:40:06 GMT

I don't know why more people don't come up with your brilliant solution. I've suggested it but people just don't "get it".

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

SunnysMom — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 23:17:02 GMT

I saved your information to my notes for future reference. And I think I will do that for next year instead of messing with the batteries. Thanks for the info

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

CamilleP — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 23:21:50 GMT

Kachina, I think people just can't imagine taking something apart and putting it back together at all, let alone swapping parts. Everyone in America has been thoroughly indoctrinated to believe that you don't fix things, you throw them away and buy new things, whether it be houses, cars, clothes, electronics, equipment, tools, whatever. Things aren't even made to be fixable, everything is sealed up, glued together, and if you open anything up you void the warranty, which the manufacturer will never honor anyway. We've become a nation of learned incompetence. Look at how much it costs to get a plumber or electrician to do work for you nowadays. That's because there are so few tradesmen in business that those who are can charge any price they want, because we need them and will pay what it costs. Yet nobody wants to become a tradesman, they all want a college degree, a corner office and a six figure salary less than three months later, so long as they don't have to ever take their eyes off the screen of their digital device! Makes me glad I don't have much longer to go on this rock, I fear for the future of the country and the planet...

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

CamilleP — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 23:25:16 GMT

Glad I could be helpful, Sunnysmom. We bought the smallest pump they had, it cost us less than $20, and we plugged it into an outdoor timer so that it will turn off at night and on again the next morning, I don't have to keep going outside to re-start it. The birds are now VERY happy with me, LOL!

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

Kachina624 — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 00:17:46 GMT

I've made many of my own fountains using bright, large ceramic containers thst are available in abundance in Albuquerque. They all operate basically the same.

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

ValuSkr — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 00:42:28 GMT

@CamilleP You are right - it seems many things aren't made to be fixable. I have a Hunter Retro Table Fan in Brushed Nickel that I love, but it doesn't work any more, and the manufacturer says it's not reparable. Likewise, I have an Ott Lite Fluorescent Desk Lamp in stainless steel with a matte silver finish that I love, but the manufacturer says it's not reparable. For the latter, the ballast needs replacement and a lamp repair shop told me it would be near impossible to find and, if found, would likely cost more than just buying a new lamp. Both items are all metal - no plastic - and well-made. They cost only $60 - $70 but I hate to throw them out. So I keep them, hoping one day to find a repair.

I don't like this throw-away society. But, in the future, I'll check an item's repair-ability before buying.

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

Seashell girl — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 03:23:53 GMT

Yes I agree. Things are not made to be repairable any longer. The newer refrigerators that are energy efficient are not repairable and last 10 years instead of 20. Same with washers and dryers. Hubby has been able to fix and buy parts over the years for all of our appliances but after 20 years they are on their last legs. I hate the thought of them going all at once.

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

CamilleP — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:58:58 GMT

As an addendum, Bernini customer service did call me this morning, and were willing to send me a new pump/controller apparatus, since my fountain was less than a year old. That was very kind of them, and had I not found a powered pump locally, I'd have taken them up on it.

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

JustJazzmom — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 19:23:18 GMT

@CamilleP wrote:
Kachina, I think people just can't imagine taking something apart and putting it back together at all, let alone swapping parts. Everyone in America has been thoroughly indoctrinated to believe that you don't fix things, you throw them away and buy new things, whether it be houses, cars, clothes, electronics, equipment, tools, whatever. Things aren't even made to be fixable, everything is sealed up, glued together, and if you open anything up you void the warranty, which the manufacturer will never honor anyway. We've become a nation of learned incompetence. Look at how much it costs to get a plumber or electrician to do work for you nowadays. That's because there are so few tradesmen in business that those who are can charge any price they want, because we need them and will pay what it costs. Yet nobody wants to become a tradesman, they all want a college degree, a corner office and a six figure salary less than three months later, so long as they don't have to ever take their eyes off the screen of their digital device! Makes me glad I don't have much longer to go on this rock, I fear for the future of the country and the planet...

Not everyone is college material so in addition to free state college, I’m in favor of trade schools being free to those who cannot afford a trade school either.

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

itsmetoo — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 00:39:52 GMT

@JustJazzmom wrote:
@CamilleP wrote:
Kachina, I think people just can't imagine taking something apart and putting it back together at all, let alone swapping parts. Everyone in America has been thoroughly indoctrinated to believe that you don't fix things, you throw them away and buy new things, whether it be houses, cars, clothes, electronics, equipment, tools, whatever. Things aren't even made to be fixable, everything is sealed up, glued together, and if you open anything up you void the warranty, which the manufacturer will never honor anyway. We've become a nation of learned incompetence. Look at how much it costs to get a plumber or electrician to do work for you nowadays. That's because there are so few tradesmen in business that those who are can charge any price they want, because we need them and will pay what it costs. Yet nobody wants to become a tradesman, they all want a college degree, a corner office and a six figure salary less than three months later, so long as they don't have to ever take their eyes off the screen of their digital device! Makes me glad I don't have much longer to go on this rock, I fear for the future of the country and the planet...
Not everyone is college material so in addition to free state college, I’m in favor of trade schools being free to those who cannot afford a trade school either.

@JustJazzmom

Just curious - who will be paying for all that 'free' college and trade school you want to give away?

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

JustJazzmom — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 00:51:10 GMT

@itsmetoo Don’t you want everyone in life to succeed or just certain people?

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

itsmetoo — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 03:41:05 GMT

@JustJazzmom wrote:
@itsmetoo Don’t you want everyone in life to succeed or just certain people?

@JustJazzmom Of course I do but I repeat, who is to pay for it? It sounds like a great idea but realistically someone has to pay for it.

Re: Finally solved my Bernini fountain problem!

esmerelda — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 04:33:13 GMT

I won’t buy clothes if they need to be altered. I certainly won’t buy or keep something I have to take tools to to make it work as it should.