Garden pond pumps are the heart of all ponds. The pump provides aeration to all living creatures. Thus if you have a pond in your garden or are considering building one, you definitely must have a pump to circulate water. If not, water will become stale and foul smelling.
When deciding to purchase a pump, determine the flow rate required in the pool. At least the flow should be half the volume of your water content.
For a medium to large ponds, external pumps are more suitable. These generally circulate more than 1000 gallons of water per hour. For smaller ponds, a submersible pump is more suitable, as this can circulate less than 1000 gallons per hour. Getting the right pump will improve your garden appearance and will enhance life in your pond. Each of the following has a specific, unique feature and application.
Magnetic drive pumps are energy efficient. To circulate water, the impeller uses electromagnetism, forcing water out. This type of pump is generally used for waterfall effect or for ornaments.
To create a small fountain, this is the most suitable pump. It has low head pressure, which means that water forced out will not rise higher than 3 feet. This type of pump is used for decorative purposes rather than to aerate the water.
This is an inaudible pump since the unit is submersed in the water. Since the pump is entirely submersed, it rarely overheats. The pump functions by forcing water upwards, generally having water inlets either on the side of the body or through an independent inlet. The submersible pump is a preferred choice because it is easily installed and very enduring, the only disadvantage being that should the pump develop a fault, you must remove the unit from the water.
Debris pumps fall under the submersible category. Its function is to cleanse the pond of debris and other materials, however still supplying water to any ornament in the pond. As the inlet is quiet large, it is unlikely that the pump will become clogged by solid materials.
This type of pump requires little maintenance and is excellent for high head pressure and flow rates. However, it can be very noisy and needs protection from all elements to eliminate regular servicing.
Purchase of this pump comes as a set, which will contain the pump, the filter and the fountain itself.
Compared to conventional pumps, solar pumps can be both external and submersible. The difference from conventional pumps, as the name implies, is that they are powered by the sun. Thus they are environmentally friendly and safe to operate, as no electricity is involved. The disadvantage with this type of pump is that it is limited to warm and sunny environments and if not supplied with backup batteries, you cannot rely on its continued functionality on cloudy or rainy days.