Blagdon Liberty 200 Solar Powered Pond Or Feature Pump And LED Ligh
Getting to know your Liberty Pump
The LED light has been designed to work at night, being operated by a light sensor on the solar panel
The Blagdon Liberty Pump has 3 operating modes, as indicated by the label on the reverse of the solar panel.
Continually on – activated by pressing the “Power on/off†button. In this mode it will run continuously until the battery has used its available charge. It will then restart by itself once the solar panel has recharged the battery to a sufficient level.
4 hours timer – activated by pressing the “Timer modes†button once. In this mode the pump will run for a pre-set 4 hours and will then stop. It will not restart automatically, requiring you to press the button to choose a mode.
Daily 4 hours timer – activated by pressing the “Timer modes†button twice (or once if the pump is currently running on the 4 hours timer). In this mode the pump will run for 4 hour period and then enter a 20-hour stand-by mode, allowing it to come on the same 4 hours every day.
Note: the indicator light next to “Daily 4hrs Timer†on the solar panel will blink slowly during the day whilst the pump is in stand-by mode, to save power it will stop blinking during the night, you can check the status of the pump in this period by pressing either of the buttons on the solar panel – the indicator light will be activated for a while before turning off again.
Below the mode indicator LEDs, there is also a red “Battery Low†indicator LED, this will blink when the battery is nearing the end of its available charge, indicating the pump will turn off shortly. The indicator will turn off once the solar panel has recharged the battery to a sufficient level.
This kit includes:
- Solar Panel with Battery pack
- Solar panel post and bracket
- Solar panel post ground spike
- Solar panel post wall mounting bracked
- Fountain fittings
- LED light
- Pump
- Pump float with mesh bag float anchor
Solar panel can be ground mounted or wall mounted
The performance of the Blagdon Liberty pond pump is highly dependent on the positioning and orientation of the solar panel – for optimal performance it must be sited in a position where it will receive the maximum amount of sunlight for the longest period. Place facing as far South as possible, with no obstruction from buildings, shrubs or trees, to ensure that it receives the optimal amount of sunlight to charge the battery effectively.
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Create your own unusual water featureWatch video for simple instructions! | Convert a tub or planterA great way to express your watergardening creativity with attractive and flexible applications and no running costs. | Add to an existing small pondUse the float and anchor. | Use in your nature pondFour different fountain heads provided. |
| Weight: | 1.1 kg |
| Dimensions: | 10 x 4.7 x 5.5 cm; 1.1 Kilograms |
| Model: | 1057233 |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Batteries Included: | Yes |
| Quantity: | 1 |
The old model used to have a separate battery and used a remote, which I couldn’t get a replacement for. The new model has the battery and control buttons on the solar panel, making it much easier to deal with. It doesn’t come with a mains charger though but fortunately I kept the one from the old model.
Really disappointed with product. Didn’t hold charge so light didn’t come on when dark and pump obviously didn’t work.
I can’t believe how good this little pump is even on fairly dull days which you wouldn’t necessarily expect. The little light on it I thought would be a bit naff but it’s rather nice in my galvanised trough on a summer evening once it gets dark. The water spout makes a gentle sound. Overall very pleased
We have tried a few different relatively cheap battery solar pump that work sporadically. This one however is pretty damn reliable, it works without fail on a sunny day (and into the evening after dark for a couple hours). The little light is also great under the waterfall in our pond. Note it is really important to palace the solar panel south facing toward the sun so it gets a good change when it can. The 4 hour timer mode is also great for darker days as it gives it a chance to charge up and then run for 4 hours.
Had been trying to find a powerful enough solar pump. This is great as it lifts water high and has a timer. Lights don’t work though.
We use the pump on a 4hour on, 20 hour off recharging mode which seems to work well. We didn’t use any cement- so lets see how long the waterfall/rock garden stays together and the plants last… but perhaps a better environment for bugs to live?!
Easy assembled, good length of cable, working very well in my pond
Amazing product, easy to build your own water feature at home. One thing i’d say is that it can’t be in a waterfall thing because there isn’t enough power. Although the power is crazy and it recharges easily and works easily. Can’t wait to surprise my mum with her own pond and water feature.
Excellent product. Easy to use, ample cable length, good instructions and options for use. I chose the cascade. The only con for me is the clip that fits on to the solar panel is easily dislodged, be carful how you hold it. Once your aware of this its an overall exellent piece of kit.
I require a indoor charger for this product, unfortunately it doesn’t come supplied with the product, any suggestions.
This pump is relatively easy to set up and works pretty well. I’ve put it in a half barrel as the trajectory and velocity of the water jets wasn’t quite strong enough for the pond though this could be due to the number of overcast days we have had. Maybe with a very sunny day the solar powered light may produce a good spurt but it’s nice enough anyway as a small water feature and the LED light is a good addition.
The Blagdon Liberty 200 Solar Powered Pond pump was easy to set-up (the instructions were not that helpful) but it was fairly intuitive, so not really an issue.
The pump, and light, work well after a full days charge. I use the setting where it goes on for 4 hours at a set-time, set to the evening (the four hours start from the time you make the change in the setting – you cannot input a time).
Its been fairly sunny since installing, and there has been enough charge for 3-4 hours use each evening, so hopefully in the heat of the full summer, 4 hours will be achievable each night.
My water feature is very small, so to save the water being emptied by the pump sending the water outside the pond, I use the lowest setting. It would work better in a slightly bigger pond.
My only criticism (hence one star removed) is that some of the parts feel a little cheap, and at times the extension tube has come away from the pump, but for a non-plumbed solution, I am happy with this product.
The LED light ring can be positioned around the fountain head so it lights the spray above. It’s not particularly bright but it’s a cute feature and adds a bit of sparkle. The light comes on automatically at dusk, there’s a sensor built into the solar unit, and it’s a bit preemptive coming on quite early and well before it’s really dark. To be honest the light’s only really effective when it’s dark outside but usually the power has run out before it gets that late.
The solar unit is a much chunkier and heavier unit, thanks to the inbuilt rechargeable batteries, and comes with a simple mounting bracket and spike you drive into the soil. There’s also a bracket for attaching the solar unit to a wall but in both cases the unit just clips into a grooved mount and is only held there by gravity, it just lifts on and off and isn’t particularly secure although in one respect this is handy because the control buttons are on the back and you might need access to them. You can choose to have the fountain (and/or the LED light ring) switch on automatically for the same four hours per day or to come on whenever there’s enough charge in the battery to run it, staying on until it runs out of power again.
Inevitably the solar unit needs to be carefully positioned and angled to get the maximum direct sunlight every day. Ours has a clear south-facing aspect but only generates enough power to keep the fountain going continuously on the sunniest days. On cloudy days it will switch on for an hour or so then go off for another couple of hours, repeating that during daylight hours. It doesn’t come on immediately at dawn, it has to charge up the battery for about 3 hours (on sunny days) before beginning. On sunny days the solar unit generates enough charge to light the LED’s at dusk and keep the fountain and lights on for a couple of hours at most.
If you need a fountain for a small water feature this is a worthwhile kit and you’ll probably be able to get something effective going with minimum fuss. The throughput of water is so slight that it will probably only help oxygenate water in the smallest ponds or features. In a bigger pond it looks good but a bit underpowered. It’s disappointing the solar unit can’t generate more power and keep it running for longer on dull days, but it’s a nice addition to your garden although it seems a bit pricey at full retail.
A big bonus is the solar panel, which recharges the battery housed behind it in the same casing. Suddenly you can add a fountain to that pond halfway up your garden without needing to spend a fortune on an electrician, and mains wiring! Their bill for wiring a socket would be more than the cost of this entire kit. The panel comes supplied with two mounts – a ground spike and a bracket for alternate fence / wall mounting. You get a full 5m of wire between the pump and the solar panel, so finding a good mounting position with direct sun should be easy.
Simple controls are on the back of the solar panel, and you can either switch your pump on and off manually as required, or for a set four hour period every day. Whatever time you turn it on the first day it will run continuously then switch off four hours later, repeating the same pattern each day thereafter at the same times. If you do have a nearby power source an optional adaptor plug is available from Blagdon, to power this pump continuously. The LED light ring switches on only at dusk, and I chose not to attach it. I’m not a fan of lighting effects on fountains, and removing it saves on power.
This kit is very flexible, and comes with a sectional upstand pipe, meaning you can have the spray head close to the water or higher up if preferred. There are four spray heads to choose from, two upward facing cone sprays, a side spray cone and a single upward jet. The last is my favourite, and best for creating that iconic sploshing water sound that’s so relaxing. On my setup, the cone spray throws water to a diameter of four feet, so whoever said the pump is tiny and this is not suitable for a pond must be doing something wrong. If the jet it too powerful for your requirement, simply attach the included regulator valve to the upstand pipe. You can then dial up or down the amount of flow, as required.
The compact pump submerges and floats just below the surface with the addition of the foam buoyancy aid. The pump has rubber feet and could alternatively be placed on a submerged surface if you don’t wish to see the pump at all. In use, when below water, the pump cannot be heard. A removable and washable filter helps keep it from clogging, and I recommend you clean it on a weekly basis to help keep it running smoothly, avoiding the use of more battery power than necessary.
So, this is a high quality and flexible kit that gives you plenty of options for mounting, power and spray patterns. You could even buy a length of rubber tube, attach it to the pump outlet and feed the water to a wall mounted spout if you wanted. Recommended.
Over the last year I’ve been looking for a fountain but it needed to be solar powered. The ones I’d seen didn’t always have great reviews and were so expensive as well.
When I saw that with this you could make your own water feature I was over the moon, as I’d a huge black plant pot not doing anything, (had no holes in the bottom), so I couldn’t wait to get started.
When it arrives you’ll that it includes:- the feature pump, instruction booklet, LED light ring, pond fountain float, single jet fountain head, star jet fountain head, 7 hole Daisy jet fountain head, 12 hole Daisy jet fountain head, wall bracket and fittings, flow control valve, 3/8″ hose adaptor, 1/2″ hose adaptor, solar panel ground spike with an adjustable bracket and a solar panel with battery backup.
The solar panel is easy enough to put together and the pump was easy to set up with the chosen fountain head I wanted on my feature.
I’ve placed the solar panel in our long flower trough, (next to were I’ve placed my water feature), as it will get a lot of sun. 🙂
It’s lovely and relaxing to watch during the day. At night with the LED lights on it looks pretty. 🙂
I’ve always loved the sound of water as I find it so relaxing to listen to. 🙂
I’m really pleased with the results and I can highly recommend this product. 🙂