Water features divide into two categories that look similar and behave completely differently. Choosing wrongly is expensive, since a fountain designed for a desk will not survive a British winter and one designed for a garden will overwhelm a small room.
Power supply is usually the deciding factor
The practical constraint people discover last and should consider first.
Indoors, a fountain needs a socket, and the cable needs to reach it without crossing a walkway. That sounds trivial until you have chosen the perfect corner and found the nearest socket is behind the sofa on the opposite wall.
Outdoors, the requirement is considerably more serious. Any mains powered outdoor electrical item needs an outdoor rated socket protected by an RCD, and installation of outdoor sockets is notifiable electrical work in Britain that should be done by a qualified electrician. Solar avoids this entirely and comes with its own limitation, since a British winter provides very little useful sunlight.
Our tabletop water features are indoor fountains, which sidesteps all of the above.
Noise, and why it differs by setting
Indoors, sound is the main consideration and the one most people underestimate. In a quiet room a fountain is always audible, which is the point, and it can become intrusive in a room where you also want to watch television or hold a conversation.
Outdoors the calculation reverses. Garden fountains compete with wind, traffic and birdsong, so a feature that sounds substantial indoors is barely audible in a garden. Outdoor features are consequently larger and louder by design.
The practical consequence: never buy an indoor fountain for a garden expecting to hear it, and be conservative about flow rate indoors.
Splash and what it lands on
Indoors this decides where a fountain can go. Fine spray carries further than the visible water, and over months it will mark polished wood, leave rings on stone and lift the finish on painted surfaces.
Always use a coaster, tile or tray under an indoor fountain. This is the single most useful precaution and it costs nothing.
Outdoors splash matters less, though a fountain on decking will keep the surrounding boards permanently damp, which encourages algae and makes them slippery.
Freezing, which ends outdoor fountains
The failure that catches people every year. Water expands as it freezes, and water left in a pump, a pipe or a shallow bowl through a British cold snap will crack whatever contains it.
Outdoor fountains need draining before the first hard frost, with the pump removed, dried and stored indoors. A fountain left running through winter may survive several mild years and then split in a single cold one.
Indoor fountains have no such problem, which is one of the quiet advantages of keeping water inside.
Evaporation and topping up
Indoors, evaporation is modest and topping up is an occasional job, though it matters, since a pump that runs dry overheats within hours.
Outdoors, evaporation is much faster in summer and the reservoir is usually larger, so the maintenance is less frequent but the consequences of forgetting are the same.
Our guide to why tabletop fountains turn green covers the water itself, which is the other half of maintenance.
Sizing to the room
For indoor use, match the piece to the surface and the room rather than buying the largest available.
The 21.5cm golden Buddha pots feature suits a desk, a bedside or a small side table. The 30cm golden Buddha lotus and the 30cm vitarka mudra are living room pieces that become a focal point. The cascading lotus pots at 19 by 19 by 28cm have height rather than footprint, which suits a narrow surface.
Conservatories, the awkward middle
Worth a specific note, since a conservatory is neither indoors nor out in any useful sense.
In summer a conservatory is hot and bright, which accelerates both evaporation and algae growth considerably. In winter it is cold and can drop below freezing overnight in a British cold snap, which is exactly the condition an indoor fountain is not built for.
If you want a fountain in a conservatory, treat it as an outdoor piece for winter purposes and either drain it or bring it inside from November.
Questions people ask
Can I use an indoor fountain outside?
No. Indoor fountains are not built for frost, and water left in a pump or bowl through a British cold snap will crack it. Outdoor use also requires outdoor rated electrics.
What do I need to power an outdoor water feature?
An outdoor rated socket protected by an RCD, installed by a qualified electrician, or a solar unit. Solar works well in summer and poorly through a British winter.
How loud is an indoor fountain?
Always audible in a quiet room, which is the point, and occasionally intrusive where you also want to watch television. Choose a modest flow rate and be conservative on size.
Will a fountain damage my furniture?
Fine spray and condensation will mark polished wood and stone over months. Always use a coaster, tile or tray underneath, which is the single most useful precaution.
Can a fountain go in a conservatory?
Treat it as outdoors for winter. Conservatories can drop below freezing overnight in Britain, so drain the fountain or bring it inside from November.
