Pond Pump

When you set out to buy a pump for your garden pond you need to know certain things to help you choose the correct one.

Firstly, how many gallons does your pond contain? It is essential that you don’t just guess at this figure because the strength of the pump is based upon how many gallons it can turn in an hour [GPH].

If your pond is rectangular in shape then you simply multiply the length in feet x width in feet x depth in feet and the answer is your cubic feet calculation.

For a circular pond you would multiply half the diameter in feet x half the diameter in feet x the depth in feet and again the answer is cubic feet.

Freeform pre-shaped ponds are bit more tricky. You need to breakdown each portion into a series of rectangles and circles and calculate as explained above. Then add all the cubic feet together to give you an estimation of the cubic feet.

Each cubic foot will contain 7 1/2 gallons of water so to calculate the total you multiply the total cubic feet x 7 1/2 and the answer will be gallons.

For instance if your pond pump was required to turn at least 250 gallons per hour, i.e. half of the pond capacity [500 gallons] although 500 gallons per hour is preferable.
You would need a pump that is designated at at least 500GPH. It is better to have a pump that can handle more GPH rather than spot on the amount you have in your pond. A bit of power in reserve is more desirable.

Then you need to know whether you just want a pump to lie in the pond and turn the water or you want it to run a fountain.

A submersible pump is the most economical type of pond pump for a small pond although this type of pump can sometimes suffer a seal rupture and this unfortunately allows coolant to get into the water and this can be dangerous for your fish.

The best kind of pump is a magnetically operated one. It may be more expensive to buy but you will find that it is less expensive to run and less prone to problems.

You need an outdoor outlet for your garden pond pump and this needs to be placed at about 6 feet from the water. This should be equipped with a ground fault interrupter which will detect if any water gets near the wiring and it will cut the power to your pond pump.

A garden pond is a lovely sight and you need to keep it healthy, therefore, be careful to choose the correct type pump for your pond.