Maintenance and repair of the GUM Moll fountain

In Russia there are more than a thousand cities. Streets, squares, parks and atriums of shopping centers in many of them are traditionally decorated with fountain jets of water. In large cities there are dozens, and in Moscow and St. Petersburg there are even hundreds of fountains. People make dates, take pictures by the fountains, admire their foamy and transparent jets, colorful water illumination. But they hardly think about who and how takes care of trouble-free operation of the fountain complex.

At the GUM Mall fountain

A big fountain is a complex hydraulic structure, including water tanks, fountain nozzles, pumps, filters, pipelines, electric cables, lighting and electronic equipment, automation system with software, sealed structures made of concrete, steel, glass, stone and other materials. All elements of the fountain complex during operation should work under the control, periodically checked, cleaned and repaired.

Outdoor fountains are built and operated in the open air, so they do not require year-round maintenance and are turned off for the winter. But quite a few large fountains please visitors to large shopping centers at any time of year and therefore are serviced without seasonal interruptions.

GUM Mall Fountain in the New Year without water

Design and build fountains specialized organizations with relevant permits, working in accordance with the rules and regulations of hydraulic engineering. Construction companies are thoroughly familiar with the device their objects, so they trust the technical operation, regular maintenance and repair of fountains. And the most experienced and trusted companies are entrusted to serve not only their own built, but also historical sites, whose creators no longer exist.

Thus, one of the most famous and old fountains of Moscow located in the center of the 2nd GUM's line is not only maintained but if necessary, repaired by our company. The fountain in GUM was built over a hundred years ago and fundamentally reconstructed in 1958.

All 33 nozzles of the fountain of GUM in action.

At that time the round bowl was replaced by an octagonal marble one, and the upper part was made higher and made of bronze sculptural compositions (photo 2).

The upper fountain bowl full of water.

Fountain top with central and 16 peripheral nozzles.

The marble lining of the octagonal fountain bowl holds six cubic meters of water

In 2007 the owners of GUM automatized control of the fountain jets by inviting foreign specialists. However the Chinese equipment was not durable. Two years ago our engineers have replaced Chinese automatics with a more reliable one, mounted modern pumping equipment, electromagnetic valves and valves, replaced elements of the pipeline fittings.

New fountain control panel

Employees of Aqua Logo Engineering have provided uninterrupted operation of the fountain of GUM since that time. They perform maintenance at night, starting from 10 p.m., when the store is closed for visitors, and automatics turn off the fountain pumps. Maintenance is performed by two technicians at the same time.

Drainage of water before checking the work of nozzles

Half of the water (about 3000 liters) is drained from the fountain bowl, with one person at the fountain and the second one downstairs in the basement where all the fountain equipment is located.

Переход на ручное управление насосами фонтана

Switching to manual control of the fountain pumps

Pumps, which supply water to the fountain nozzles, are switched on in turn on the control panel.

Pumping equipment with total power of 7 kw

In the first phase of service task is to adjust height of water jets coming out of 16 nozzles of the bottom bowl of the fountain. If necessary, the operator at the fountain over the radio asks his comrade below to turn the pipe tap of the desired nozzle. All nozzles have their own number, and the corresponding taps are located under them on the ceiling of the basement (photo 9). Then check the work of the other 17 nozzles.

The water supply to the nozzles of the lower circuit is regulated by numbered valves

Water supply to the nozzles of the lower loop is regulated by numbered valves and in the set mode is blocked by solenoid valves (they are green).

By the way, the whole multi-ton structure of the fountain below is not based on columns, as one would assume, but lies on the metal profiles (bends), mounted in the floor slab. This was the idea of the authors of the fountain at the beginning of the last century.

After checking the nozzles, the water is completely drained from the fountain, the mechanical strainers are flushed and put back in place. LED sealed lights mounted in the bottom and sides of the bottom bowl are checked and replaced if necessary. The work is completed and must be reported to the dispatcher on duty via the retro phone located near the pump room.

Maintenance work is done

The work does not always go smoothly. Fountains under the roof, unlike the street ones, have no problems with cleaning water from leaves and debris carried by the wind. However, in GUM fountain is periodically used not for its intended purpose: during the promotional events or New Year holidays it is common to drain the water from the fountain and transform it into a cake or a flower bed for about two weeks. After these events, you have to shovel sand, pebbles, paper and other debris out of the bowl and filters, repeatedly drain and refill all the water.

But no matter what happens, the result of our maintenance of the fountain is always successful: at 8 am the automatics will turn on the water supply to fill the bowl of the fountain, after 105 minutes the water supply will stop and exactly at 10 am the fountain will work by itself. Every three minutes the operation mode of the 33 illuminated water jets will change and the fountain will live its own life pleasing the visitors of the famous store in the center of Moscow.