Prepare the barrels

• 1). Use the paint brush to coat the inside and outside of the barrels with the sealant/preservative to make them watertight and to protect them from the elements.
  
  
• 2). Once the sealant/preservative has dried (may take a couple days), fill the barrels with water. Allow them to stand for a few hours so the staves (the wooden side pieces of the barrel) will swell and you can check for leaks. If you find leaks, plug them with a dab of silicone sealant.
  
  
• 3). In the half barrel, drill a 2-inch hole, 2 to 3 inches from the top of the barrel. The hole should be above the top hoop (the metal bar running around the barrel staves).
  
  
• 4). Insert the bamboo pipe into the drilled hole so one inch of the pipe is inside the barrel and the rest is outside. Run a bead of silicone sealant around the pipe on the inside and outside of the barrel to hold the pipe in place and to prevent water leaks.
  
  

Set up the fountain

• 1). Place the wooden barrels in their permanent location (they will be difficult to move once filled). Be sure the location is near an electric outlet so you can plug in the pump. Position the barrels so the bamboo spout in the half barrel is over the quarter barrel.
  
  
• 2). Place four bricks under each barrel to elevate them slightly. On ground surfaces, this step protects the barrel from moisture in the ground, and on hard-scape surfaces, this step helps the water stay cooler in the summer.
  
  
• 3). Attach the plastic tubing to the pump outlet and place the pump inside the quarter barrel.
  
  
• 4). Run the plastic tubing from the quarter barrel to the half barrel. The tubing will be less obvious if you run it under and up the back of the half barrel.
  
  
• 5). Fill the barrels with water and plug in the pump. The water will flow down the bamboo pipe from the half barrel to the quarter barrel, and will then be pumped back into the half barrel.