IMPORTANT : Before attempting installation, examine contents of package carefully to ensure no damage has occurred during shipping. Should you find damage created by the shipper, at once file a damage claim.

The shipment includes: one water wheel, one axle, two pillow block bearings, two hex head wrenches.

The axle is packaged separately from the water wheel and has a heavy coating of oil. The oil should be wiped off prior to installation.

The pillow block bearings, along with the necessary hex wrenches, are packaged with the water wheel.

CAUTION : To reduce the risk of bodily injury, please keep unattended children and pets away from water wheel, even when not in operation.

NOTICE : One of the characteristics of the glue we use in construction of our water wheels is expansion during curing. This is a foamy looking substance you see around the joints of your wheel. Over time the foam will darken with age and appear as natural sediment on your wheel. The foam can be easily removed if you desire.

INSTALLATION : Before sliding the axle through the locking collar on the hub of the water wheel, note there is a dimple drilled about 10" from one end of the axle. This dimple has been highlighted with red paint. Ideally it should be positioned directly underneath one of the retaining set screws in the locking collar. This will allow the setscrew to seat on the axle in a way to ensure the water wheel will never spin on the axle. If your setup does not allow for this alignment, it is recommended that a new dimple be drilled in a more desirable spot on the axle. It is very important that the axle turns with the water wheel. Should the wheel spin on the axle, it will wear the locking collar and axle rapidly and void your warranty.

After the axle has been successfully inserted through the hub of the water wheel and one setscrew has been tightened into the dimple on the axle, tighten the eight lag screws holding the locking collars to the hub assembly. After tightening the eight lag bolts go back and tighten the remaining set screw snugly onto the axle. Next, slide the pillow block bearings on each end of the axle and tighten securely with the hex head wrench provided. No dimple is required here.

Your water wheel is now ready to be set onto its prepared stand.

OPERATION : Your water wheel is our rendition of what has been referred to for centuries as an overshot water wheel. This means the water wheel operates by water falling from a flume over the top of the wheel landing on the buckets at the point on the wheel between approximately one and two o'clock. The weight of the water then turns the wheel. The speed of the rotation can be somewhat controlled by sliding the flume forward or backwards making the water strike the wheel at a different location. Very little water is required…60 gallons an hour or less for most of our water wheels.

Puddle & Pond currently has set up kits available containing posts designed to hold the water wheel and also the flume. Please call us or check our website if interested.

MAINTENANCE : Bearings should be greased after 90 days of continuous operation. Setscrews located on the locking collar holding the wheel to the axle should, along with the setscrews on the bearings, be checked at this time. We recommend using high quality marine grade grease and only one or two pumps from a standard grease gun should be applied. Do not over grease.

Q: Should I put a finish on my water wheel?
A: Finish is an option. The wood will stain beautifully or if left unfinished the wood will weather a silvery gray.

Q: How high off the ground should my wheel be?
A: Water wheels look best with 6" or less space underneath between the ground or water surface and the bottom of the wheel. (This is a personal opinion).

Q: How long will my water wheels last?
A: With proper maintenance they should last one or two generations.

Q: What size pump do I need to operate a water wheel?
A: Very little water is needed for any of our water wheels as they are balanced. Todetermine the size pump take the diameter of the wheel and add 2' to that and find a pump that will deliver 60 to 100 gallons per hour at the height you calculated. Example: if you have a 6' wheel, add 2' to that and look for a pump that will deliver 60-100 gallons of water at least 8' high.

Q: Do I need a special type pump to operate my wheel?
A: No special pump is necessary but it is recommended that a small pump be dedicated only to your water wheel that will deliver the proper amount of water at the correct height.