 Treat your landscape and garden to the tranquil sound of water emanating from Hydro Rock Columns like the Fountain of Youth.
The "Monarch" Hydro Rock Column Kit features larger Hydro Rocks and pump but still simplifies installation by including everything you need in one complete kit.The light weight Hydro Columns simplify installation by removing the extreme weight of harvest basalt columns. The largest of the 3 columns, at 28"-34" tall, weighs an average of only 85 pounds. Compare that to a harvested basalt column of the same size that can weigh over 1,000 pounds and you'll see why Hydro Columns are so popular. No more heavy lifting and broken backs, or heavy machinery that tears up the landscape.
 Each "Monarch" Hydro Rock Column Kit features 3 custom made Hydro Rocks, a 2,040 gph pump, 4K Pump Chamber, 1½" flex pvc pipe, ball valves, couplers, fittings, union, rubber liner, underlayment, pvc glue, and primer. Everything is included except your pebbles or river rock. The kit is super easy to install, and you can install it in under a couple of hours.
The "Monarch" Hydro Rock Column Kit features:
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12"-17"w x 21"-24"t Hydro Rock Column
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12"-17"w x 24"-28"t Hydro Rock Column
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12"-17"w x 28"-34"t Hydro Rock Column
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2,040 gph submersible pump
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4K Pump Chamber
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25' of 1½" flex pvc pipe
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3 1½" ball valves
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3 1½" couplers
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1½" union
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1½" male pipe adaptor
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2 1½" pvc Tees
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pvc glue and primer
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Can of black Rockin' Foam
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15' x 15' 45 mil EPDM rubber liner
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15' x 15' underlayment
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2 lb. bottle of Hydro Vescense Scum Remover
Step-by-Step Installation Photos of a "Monarch" Hydro Rock Column Kit
The following photos are for you to see how easy our Hydro Rock Column Kits are to install. The "Monarch" kit in these photos was installed by4 people just like you, in under 2 hours time. Come and see it in person.
Click on the photos to enlarge, then hit your "Back" button to return
 The Monarch Kit features everything needed to construct a breathtaking pondless drilled rock water feature. Featuring 3 hand made Hydro Rocks from 21" to 34" tall by 12"-17" wide.
 Measure the height of the tallest Hydro Rock in your kit. You will use this measurement to determine the width of the excavation. In order to contain any "splash-out", you want the excavation to be twice as wide as the maximum height of the tallest Hydro Rock.
The tallest Hydro Column included with the Monarch Kit is approximately 34" tall.
 Measure the width across the group of Hydro Rock Columns. To determine the total width of the excavation: Add the width of the column grouping to twice the maximum height measurement.
 Paint a line around the perimeter of the Hydro Column grouping
 Remove the Hydro Columns to expose the paint line.
 This is the outline of the Hydro Rock Column group formation.
 Measure outward from the group line 34" and paint another perimeter line. 34" is the height of the tallest Hydro Column in the Monarch kit. You want the basin to be twice as wide as the tallest column to contain the water splash. Make this line completely around the inner group line.
 Once the outside perimeter has been painted, place the Pump Chamber near an edge (preferably closest to your electrical outlet) and paint its location.
 This is your completed excavation map. You will dig the entire area down approximately 6" with the sides tapering to the upper edge.
 Shovel the excavated soil into a wheelbarrow for use in other areas of the landscape.
 Measure the depth of the Pump Chamber to know how deep to dig its hole. You'll want the top of the Pump Chamber to be approximately 3" below the existing grade.
 "Dry-Fit" the Pump Chamber to make sure the hole is deep enough, and wide enough. You'll want the hole 6"-10" wider than the Pump Chamber to allow sufficient water flow to the pump.
 Taper the soil away from the Pump Chamber. You'll want to grade the excavation so that water flows to the Pump Chamber from all areas of the excavation.
 You finished excavation should look like this. Now you're ready for the underlayment and liner.
 Install the underlayment, make sure to push it all the way down inside the Pump Chamber hole. Fold over and flatten the large wrinkles.
 Once the underlayment is in place, unfold the liner over the underlayment.
 Just like the underlayment, make sure the liner is pushed all the way down to the bottom of the Pump Chamber hole. Fold over and flatten large wrinkles.
 Install the Pump Chamber.
 Set the Hydro Columns back on the liner. Make sure that they are all 34" from the outside edge. Remember that 34" is the highest column, and we want the edge of the basin to be equal to the highest column to contain the water splash.
 When placing the columns on the liner, simply set them down gently by hand - do not slide them or rotate them directly on the liner as this can cause a tear in the liner. If you are unsure, simply place the columns on flat pieces of Styrofoam sheeting. Hydro Rock Columns are very light weight compared to natural rocks of this size, so placement is easy, and doesn't usually require the use of Styrofoam.
 The inside of every Hydro Column is an 1½" stub-out pipe. You'll connect the supplied flex pvc pipe to this stub-out with the supplied coupler using the supplied pvc glue and primer.
 First clean the stub-out pipe, and both inside ends of the couple with the pvc primer. Apply a liberal amount of pvc glue to the stub-out pipe and attach the coupler with a slight twist.
 Clean the end of the pvc pipe with the primer, then apply pvc glue to the pipe, then insert the pipe into the coupler that you previously attached to the stub-out pipe. Extend the flex pipe out of the cut-out in the Hydro Column.
 Let all glue joints sit without movement for a couple of minutes to let the glue completely set.
 Set the columns upright with the pipe existing the cut-outs. Use small stones to shim the columns if necessary.
 Extend the flex pvc towards the pump chamber for connecting to the ball valves and pump.
 Lay out the Tees and ball valves like this so that you'll know what pieces of pipe you'll need to cut to fit together.
 Using the primer and pvc glue, attach the ball valves to the flex pipe. Use the primer on both insides of the ball valves, and on the end of the pipe. When applying the glue, only apply the glue to the pipe - do not apply glue to the inside of the ball valve. With glue on the pipe only, the excess glue will be forced outside of the ball valve. If you apply glue to the inside of the ball valve, the excess will be forced inside the ball valve and glue the valve open or shut.
 Install the pump by connecting the male pipe adaptor to the pump outlet, glues a piece of flex pvc to the pipe adaptor and pvc elbow, glue the elbow to the union. Glue a piece of pvc pipe to the union that passes through the Pump Chamber pipe opening to the first pvc Tee.
 Connect the Tees and ball valves like this. Make sure that the Tees are connect with the water direction across the Tee, not from the bottom up. When you connect a Tee from the bottom up, you create head pressure that reduces the flow rate. Always make sure to run water across a Tee, and not up through it.
 You are now finished with the plumbing and are ready to install the river rock.
 Start by placing large river rock by hand around the Pump Chamber. You want to have rocks larger than the Pump Chamber's water intakes so that they won't fall through.
 Once the area around the Pump Chamber is filled with river rock, you can now start pouring in the rest of the river rock. Place the river rock completely around the entire basin, but leave the valves uncovered until you have adjusted them. You will adjust them when the basin is full of water and the pump is running.
 Place river rock in the gaps between the columns also.
 When the basin is full of river rock up to the perimeter edge, you can start filling the basin with water.
 While the basin is filling with water, use the black foam to fill in the gaps between the columns. This helps support them, but also forcers water from the tall columns to cascade over the tops of the smaller columns rather simply falling between them in the gaps.
 When the basin is full, and the foam is dry - usually in 15-20 minutes - turn on the pump and adjust the valves to your desired effect. You'll notice that when you first turn on the pump, the small column will have the most water, the middle column will have less, and the tallest column will have very little or none at all. The valves correct this gravity problem by slightly closing the valves on the smaller columns. This allows for more water to be pushed to the higher columns. Experiment until you are pleased with the flow of each column.
 When you are satisfied with the water flow to each column, you can then proceed to coving the valves with river rock to hide them from view. Typically, once you have the valves set the way you like, you don't have to adjust them again. So it OK to cover the valves - just try to remember where they are if you ever do need to adjust them.
 Now you can install the Stainless Steel screws that make the Pump Chamber child and theft resistant. They're not required for the system to operate, but the added safety is always a good thing and no other manufacturer gives you this option.
 Now you can hide the Pump Chamber with a thin layer of river rock.
 You valves and Pump Chamber are now invisible.
 After the basin is filled, and the pump is running and you've examined the entire perimeter of the basin and determined that the liner is above water level - cut the excess liner off. Its a good idea to leave about 6" extra in case their is any ground settling in the coming years.
 Trim the excess underlayment off as well.
 Blend the river rock and surrounding landscape together. Here at our Flagship Store, we simply blend the crushed gravel of our grounds with the river rock. Your Monarch Hydro Column water feature can have concrete, slate, brick pavers, or any other type of landscaping around it.
 You can plant a variety of aquatic plants directly into the river rock for a softer look. When planting aquatic plants, simply remove them from the pots, rinse off any excess soil, part the river rock, and place down into the water. Its that simple.
 Maintenance of your Monarch Hydro Column water feature couldn't be easier. When leaves or other debris gets trapped on the river rock simply pick it out by hand - or better yet - blow it out with a leaf blower. When algae starts to grow on the columns or gravel, turn you pump off, sprinkle the GreenClean that's supplied with your kit directly on the algae like salting a potato. Wait 5-10 minutes or until the algae turns yellowish-white, then turn the pump back on. The algae will then fall off - you can brushes it off for faster removal.
Depending on your local climate, you'll need to periodically add water to the system because of evaporation. Simply add it with a garden hose, or you can install an automatic fill valve inside the Pump Chamber.
Homeowners - you can install Hydro Rock Column Kits yourselves! | 
