The basic cleaning instruction for waterfall fountains is “Keep the water running”. For you to better keep track of the process, it is best to put the waterfall on a timer. Aside this natural process, here are some essential cleaning and maintenance tips you can use:

• Replace the whole water from the waterfall with a new one, once every month. This way you’ll clean the dust and debris that was accumulated in the waterfall pond. You can also use waterfall fountain treatment to get rid of algae, mineral deposits and white scale.
• Keep the water level at its peak. The pump should never run out of water. If that happens it will get damaged and you’ll have to replace it with a new one. So make sure there’s always enough water in the waterfall, which may even mean that you’ll have to water it, like a plant, every day, especially if you live in hotter areas, where the temperatures are hot and the days are dry. In such regions, the evaporation is very high, because of which the garden waterfall can empty.
• Protect the outdoor waterfall and its pump from the falling leaves and other debris. This is particularly important for the pump, because they can cause damage to its inner functioning. It is best to cover the pump with some shade cloth screen.
• In the colder months of the year winterize the waterfall. Make sure there’s no water inside its basin, so it won’t freeze and damage the structure, and take the pump off and keep it inside, where’s dry. If water freezes inside the waterfall, don’t try to break the ice on your own, but allow it time to thaw by itself.
• If the waterfall hasn’t been used for a longer period of time, there may be some problems with the tubing. To resolve this use a garden hose to put pressure on the obstruction inside. This obstruction may be caused by some debris, or even an insect nest.