FAQs

Thank you very much for your interest in Solariver's solar water pumps and kits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which solar water pump is right for my project?
Our solar water pumps are made for fountains, waterfalls, ponds and agriculture projects. Selecting the right pump depends on what you’re creating, where you live and if you need the water to travel vertically. Take our quiz to find out which pump is right for you or explore product recommendations for fountains, waterfalls and large water features, aeration for ponds and agriculture.

 

Does the whole solar panel need to have direct sunlight in order for the solar water pump to work? Even on a cloudy day, our solar panels will often still provide some power to the pump. This is because a certain amount of photons still penetrate the cloud cover and hit the panel.

However, if there are any close-up obstructions, such as shadows from trees or your person, the solar panel will not be able to provide power. Even a small shadow on one section of the panel may disable it.

 

Can a solar water pump run without water?
Our new pumps (released March 2020) are now all dry-run protected. This means as soon as the water level gets too low they will automatically shut off.

Our first-generation water pumps are not dry run protected (if you purchased before February 2020). Therefore, if the pump runs dry for any amount of time, it is subject to failure. Be careful not let too much water evaporate from shallow fountains, pools, etc.

 

There's a little box on the back of the solar panel. Is this a battery?
The solar panel itself does not have a battery. The small box on the back of the panel is a junction box. 

 

Do you offer a solar water pump kit with battery backup?
We do offer a version of our 360GPH Solar Water Pump Kit that comes with a larger solar panel and a 12V battery It can be found here. It is possible to add your own battery to our other kits but this requires some experience with electrical wiring and we do not provide instructions on how to do this. Also, any modifications to the system will void the warranty.

 

What is your return/warranty policy?
We offer a 1 year, 100% money back guarantee if any of our products fail.

 

For any other questions, comments, or concerns about solar water pumps or panels, contact us. We'd love to hear from you and what other products would help you accomplish your solar water feature design goals. Drop us a note.