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Which pond pump? Which pump is right for your pond Why should I have a pump? You do not have to have a pump for a pond you may want it to look "natural" but what if you do want a pump, what benefit will it bring what choices are there? Benefit A pump is really the "heart" of any pond. It can be used not only to make it look attractive with a fountain it can also supply water to the filter Size The size of the pump you choose depends on what you want it to do. If it is just for a fountain then most pumps come with suitable attachments. If it is to run a filter and fountain then it needs to be bigger. The quantity of water in the pond dictates this. If you have a "average pond" then the water should be turned over every 3-4 hours, but it should be every 1-2 hours for a koi pond. Your choice of pump should be one that is big enough to turn the water over often enough and run a fountain (if required) It is better to have a bigger than required pump as this can be turned down where as a small pump can not be turned up. What is available The choice of pump is up to you, but you should take a few things into consideration. If you want a fountain and filter will the pump be strong enough to run both? also may we suggest that you have two separate pumps, one for each," WHY" you ask well suppose your choice of fountain is noisy, (Also do not forget at night the general ambient noise level is quieter than daylight) so what may be a pleasant "tinkle" becomes a "gushing" noise at night which may upset your neighbours so if you have two pumps you can turn the fountain pump off when it gets late, or better still fit a timer. Also if you plan on having a waterfall you will need quite a lot of water flow to make it look good. Another thing to be considered is how much will it cost to run? a cheap pump may be cheaper to purchase but what about its running costs a "sump" pump is fine for its intended purpose but will it be able to run 24/7 ? also most we have seen are "power hungry" but that is ok for its intended purpose, pumping out a pool or cellar when it will not be running for that long but a pump for a filter should be running 24/7 Mains or low voltage? Low voltage pumps still require mains but the transformer is usually some distance away from the pump enabling you to run the cable to the pump buried "as it is" under ground with no worry of electric shock should the cable be damaged. There are several capacities available but for big fountains mains operated is better. (as a note, low voltage pumps do seem to be more scarce) Mains pumps are better for big displays and filters since they are capable of higher flow rates, but the cables for them should NEVER be buried directly in the ground and should always be fitted with an R.C.D Typical example (information from suppliers sites) Sump pump
Fountain pump
As sump pumps do not have a screening filter they will suck in any small fish or even tadpoles, which is probably why they are not for use in fish ponds, so that really rules out its use in a fish pond before you start. The sump pump uses 450 watts of electricity, which in itself is not too bad, but run it 24 / 7 then it does become costly, where as the equivalent fountain pump uses just over half the electricity to pump 33 litres a minute more than the sump pump. The sump pump does not come with a fountain nozzle, so that is more expense for you and also you then have to make the nozzle fit on the sump pump. The fountain pump has a 5 year guarantee. Cost, I left out the cost as this will change over time, the sump pump is cheaper, but is not really suitable, but the fountain pump will last trouble free for years and uses less electricity, so although the initial cost is more, you will soon recoup your money on performance and running costs
Solar pumps If there is no electricity supply available you can use a solar pump. They mostly come in two varieties. "island" and "separate" Island solar fountains are so called because they float on the pool with their solar cells built in pointing upward, looking like an island. As they are usually small they need a great deal of sunshine to work and where does the water go? over the solar cells eventually leaving mineral deposits on the cells obscuring them from much needed light, so they need cleaning regularly. Also the water cools the solar cell down making them even less efficient. Separate solar fountains are just that, they have a separate solar cell or cells which can be positioned away from the pond pointing towards the sun and the pump is sitting in the pond. As most* separate solar fountains have big solar cells they can run much more powerful pumps giving a better display, we have even seen some which have a "battery pack" to run the pump at night. Also because they have bigger solar cells they need much less light to start working and as the solar cells are not under water they need cleaning less often. As with most things in this industry you get what you pay for, Island solar fountains are fairly inexpensive and if they get damaged you throw them away but separates you can replace the broken part. * You may also want to read this very interesting solar pump test Solar pump / biological filter On the face of it, it sounds a good idea, but when the pump stops all the bacteria will die, (within a few hours) then when it starts again you will in effect be dumping a load of dead bodies into the pond. There is yet to be a solar operated pump that can run a biological filter, since these need to run 24/7 without fail, which a solar pump can not do. Do you have a different view or opinion? Then contact me (or fill in the guest book)
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