| Aluminum | Concrete | Cast Iron | |
| Corrosion resistance | X | X | |
| Winter operation | X | X | |
| Light weight | X | ||
| Pre-piped | X | ||
| Easy Setup / Breakdown | X |
Aluminum is very light weight and will not rust in water.
Concrete will not rust but its downfalls are weight, and deterioration.
Cast Iron will begin to rust /corrode in as little as a couple of days.
Aluminum and Cast Iron can both be operated year round.
Concrete MUST be drained and removed from the elements during winter.
Simply draining a concrete fountain for winter may not be enough. If the bowls
are exposed to the elements, any moisture still left in the pores of the concrete
could freeze and expand and begin stress fractures deep inside the piece.
Freezing water in the pores closer to the surface can cause chipping. It will
soon be time to get a new fountain or start dumping more money into the fountain
trying to "seal it up".
Cast Iron and concrete are both heavy and cumbersome and often require up to 4 people, or heavy equipment to assemble.
Unfortunately some Tiered Fountains pieces (from other companies) are knowingly sold to the public in an inoperable condition.