Algreen 84001 Madison 49 Gallon Fountain and Rain Barrel

Comments about Algreen 84001 Madison 49 Gallon Fountain and Rain Barrel:

Beautiful and works great!

Comments about Algreen 84001 Madison 49 Gallon Fountain and Rain Barrel:

The adjustment of the height of the fountain was very difficult because the slightest of movement on the dial translated to a large increase. The two instruction sheets left a lot of questions unanswered.

Comments about Algreen 84001 Madison 49 Gallon Fountain and Rain Barrel:

The most significant problem is that this was designed for beauty not functionality, and likely by someone who has never actually used a rain barrel. For instance the two overflow outlets only have small holes that could not handle any more than the flow from a very light rain and right between these two inadequate holes is a large gaping hole through which the cord for the pump feeds. I cut half of each of the overflow tubes off to provide adequate overflow capacity and reduce water running over the electrical cord. The other major problem was the adjustment on the pump to regulate how much water is pumped and the height of the fountain. If you turn it any higher than the lowest setting, you get so much water that it splashes water out of the top excessively which would cause the water to run out and potentially burn out the pump. I tried to adjust the pump six times before I gave up and settled for the lowest setting. The suckers on the bottom of the pump that are supposed to hold the pump down also do not grip sufficiently to work, but this does not effect the operation of the pump, luckily. Finally the instructions for assembly are practically non-existent with several references to parts that use a specialized terminology that few people will understand - unless your a professional plumber.

Regardless of these problems all but one of which can be overcome, I plan to buy more of these fountain/rain barrels, but it seems like the flaws are rather silly and avoidable. The unit is quite attractive for a rain barrel. It has the advantage of gravity fed water for any plants below the level of the outlet in the base of the unit, or water under pressure by connecting a hose to the fountain head whereby you can water plants at any level above or below the outlet. Finally, the dual feature of a rain barrel that doubles as a fountain makes it an excellent value.