Pick a location with access to a mains outdoor power socket. Before anything else, lay the cable along your planned route and confirm it reaches comfortably with a little slack to spare. Plan your cable trench route — along a fence line, through a border, or under gravel all work well.

Only once you are confident the cable reaches should you mark your hole position.

The hole needs to be exactly 300mm deep x 300mm wide. Dig cleanly and keep the sides as vertical as possible — the container needs to sit snugly without rocking. Set the soil aside neatly as you will use some of it to backfill around the container once it is in.

Lower the container into the hole. The top of the container should sit slightly above ground level — approximately 10-15mm proud of the surface. This keeps water from running in during rain and makes the finished feature look intentional rather than sunken.

Place your ruler, a length of timber, or any straight flat object across the top of the container resting on the rim on both sides. Place the mini spirit level on top of the flat object. This gives you an accurate read across the full diameter rather than just one point on the rim.

Adjust the container by adding or removing small amounts of soil underneath until the bubble sits perfectly centred. Check in two directions — front to back and side to side. Pack soil firmly around the outside to hold it in position, then check level again after packing.

The cable exits from the side of the container through a watertight seal — this seal carries a 5-year guarantee and must never be cut or interfered with. The cable is armoured but armoured does not mean indestructible — treat the route as permanent and avoid:

For grass or soil — push a flat spade into the ground along your route to create a narrow slot 50-80mm deep. Lay the cable in and press the turf back over it. Leaves virtually no trace.

For gravel — move the gravel aside, lay the cable beneath, and replace the gravel over the top.

Leave a small loop of slack cable near the container before it enters the trench — this prevents tension on the watertight seal.

The flow valve attachment is fitted to the bottom end of the tube. Connect this end to the pump outlet inside the container. Hand tighten the nut firmly, then use your spanner or adjustable wrench to pinch it approximately a quarter turn further. Secure but not overtightened.

Take the tap and fit it onto the top end of the tube — this is the end with the small holes drilled into it. Apply gentle downward pressure to ensure a correct and secure fit.

For the best stability, align the tap so it sits directly inline with the pump below — this keeps the assembly balanced and the water column straight.

Fill the container with clean water to approximately 20mm below the brim. This leaves enough headroom to prevent splashout during normal operation while keeping the pump fully submerged.

Dry your hands thoroughly. Connect the cable to your outdoor power socket. The pump will start immediately and water will begin flowing. Check for:

The flow rate is controlled by the adjuster screw on the flow valve — the component fitted to the bottom of the tube where it connects to the pump. Turn clockwise to reduce flow, anticlockwise to increase. Make small adjustments and allow a few seconds to settle between each turn.

If the water column leans to one side, the container is not fully level. Unplug, adjust with the spirit level, and retry.