Whether you have a preformed or a liner pond, a pond pump
is a paramount component of any water feature. Stagnant
bodies of water attract mosquito infestations, which are
a nuisance, and also undesirable, due to the recent outbreaks
of the West Nile virus. Therefore, it is paramount that
you utilize a pond pump that circulates your body of water.
Pumps are available in both submersible and external (out-of-pond)
models. For the smaller pond (up to 1000 gallons of water),
a submersible pump is the more economical and practical
option. Submersible pumps can be placed directly in the
pond and require relatively little installation. They are
free of distracting noise, and for smaller ponds, can easily
be utilized to drain your pond (if you hook up a hose to
the output flow).
In the old days, the main disadvantage of submersible pumps
was that the pump seal could rupture and release oil coolant
into the water. However, this is not the case nowadays,
because newer pumps are magnetic-driven, and no longer require
coolant. “Mag-driven” pumps are slightly more
expensive, but they have the added advantage of consuming
less electricity.
Pumps are sized by gallons per hour (GPH) output at one
foot of lift or height. Manufacturers usually offer charts
that break down the power of each size pump according to
incremental heights of one foot. It is recommended that
you circulate your body of water at least once every 2 hours.
Therefore you will need to size your pump to ensure that
it has half the GPH rating as the volume of your pond in
gallons. For example, if you have a 1000 gallon water feature,
you will require at least a 500 GPH pump.
Calculating the proper pump for waterfalls is a bit trickier,
because you must estimate your waterfall's height. To do
so, you must measure the vertical height from the top of
your pump to the top of your waterfall. In addition, you
must add another foot of height or lift for every 10 feet
of hosing you will be using (this will allow for loss of
volume from resistance within the hose). To calculate the
required pump GPH, a general rule of thumb is that each
inch of width of the channel will require an extra 100 GPH.
For example, if your stream or waterfall spillway will be
10 inches wide, you will need a pump that produces an excess
flow of 1000 GPH at your waterfall's height.
If you plan on having fish, your water circulation demands
will be drastically increased. Fish rely on the oxygen in
the water to survive, hence a proper pump for a fish pond
must ensure that extra oxygen is both introduced into the
pond, and distributed throughout the pond. The general rule
of thumb is that you must double your pump GPH if you plan
on raising fish. An example of a pump that would be appropriate
for fish is GardenSuperMart’s UltraFlo line of pumps.
These pumps have oxygen intake valves and an unique air/water
air mix system which effectively increases the oxygen concentration
in your pond.
The advantage of GardenSuperMart’s low-maintenance,
magnetic-driven UltraFlo pump kits is that they contain
a sealed unit with a large enclosure that prevents debris
from clogging the water intake. The UltraFlo line of pumps
starts at 200 GPH, and increase up to 660 GPH. All UltraFlo
pump kits come complete with a telescopic riser and diverter
and 3 fountain heads.
If you require a more powerful pump, GardenSuperMart also
has a SuperFlo line of pump kits that can provide up to
1585 GPH. All SuperFlo kits come complete with a telescopic
riser and diverter, 4 fountain heads, and a sponge pre-filter.
An optional SuperFlo Mechancial and Biological filter can
also be added to the pump to provide additional water filtration
for your fish.
Both the SuperFlo and the UltraFlo pumps can be purchased
online at GardenSuperMart’s store, www.buypond.com.
In late May 2005, GardenSuperMart will also introduce a
new line of MaxFlo waterfall pumps that can provide up to
2780 GPH of pumping power. Please stay tuned for further
news and details.
About The Author
Gerry Fung is the Vice President of GardenSuperMart,
www.GardenSuperMart.com.
More information about their pond pump lines can be obtained
at http://www.gardensupermart.com/buypond/c230094.2.html
