It can be a daunting and confusing task choosing good pond pumps due to the variety of manufacturers, styles and sizes available. This is a breakdown of the various pumps available and how they are generally used.
Fountain pumps are the most common pumps available. The design of these pumps means you get a fountain in the centre of your pond or water feature. They come complete with a variety of fountain jets and fountain jet extensions.
Fountain Pump Hint: Avoid using a fountain pond pump to power a filtration system; this will lead to issues with water clarity.
Waterfall pond pumps have solids handling capabilities, this is so they can pump any free floating debris from the pool and pass it to a filter system, thus keeping your pond clear and free of debris. Small particles of blanket weed, fish waste, pebbles and plant matter can go through most of these pumps.
The maintenance of these pumps can be reduced to a minimum due to this solids handling capability as they won’t block up often.
Filter Pump Hint: If you want a fountain and filter system in your pond then add a fountain pump and a filter pump. The fountain pump shouldn’t block up because the filter pump will remove all the free floating debris.
Garden water features come in a vast range of designs, shapes and sizes; from a converted watering can to a custom made stainless steel sculpture. Feature pumps are best for powering water features because they are usually designed small yet have a high pumping pressure. These robust pumps can be sited in shallow water or sometimes positioned dry.
Water Feature Pump Hint: The pipe size you run the water through to the top of your water feature will have a deciding factor on which size pump to use. Narrow tubing causes massive restiction on pumps flow rates, therefore a larger pump than normal will be required, thus costing more money.