A pond pump, together with filters , are two of the essential accessories to keep our garden pond in good condition.
It is necessary to distinguish within the different pond pumps, if what we want is a pump to feed the biological filter or we want a submersible water pump to create a fountain or waterfall.
Selection: Best Pond Pumps 2020
Guide: Which pond pump to buy
You may be feeling overwhelmed by the number of options available on the market, and you don’t know which pond pump you should buy.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, the first thing we must distinguish is between a pond pump to feed the biological filter, which in this case will be very important the flow of liters and the power of the pump, or if we want to install a submersible pump for a fountain or waterfall inside the pond.
The two are complementary and not exclusive, since … if we want to have a perfectly clean pond, we will need to mount a filtration system, but if we also want it to be decorative and enjoy the murmur of the water, we will need to mount a waterfall .
Water pump for biological filter
To correctly choose a water pump for a biological filter , we must take into account two factors: consumption and flow.
Flow
The flow rate that a pond pump is capable of moving is measured in liters per hour.
If we have a pressure filtration system, the typical filter that maintains the flow that the pump commands and assuming that it does not have losses, the minimum flow that the pump must have must be enough to move all the water in the pond every two hours.
It may happen that my filter is not pressure, in this case the flow of the pump has to be equal to the size of the pond. For example, if I have a 1,000 liter pond, the pump should have that flow at least.
Loss of load. Maximum pump head capacity
If our pond has unevenness, or we have to raise the water from the pond to the filter, we must bear in mind that the flow of the pump decreases, as the height to where it has to carry the water is greater.
It is important to take this detail into account, since many filters and germicidal lamps work with a minimum flow and if it is not fulfilled, they do not work correctly.
Each pump is different and among its characteristics it marks the flow that the pump gives, depending on the height of the water column.
Tube section
Another factor that influences the flow of water that comes from the pump to the filter is the section of the tube that connects the pump with the filter.
If the tube that comes out of the pump does not have the adequate diameter, we will be throttling the flow of the pump, not letting it pump the liters for which it is designed.
This point is crucial, since we will be worsening the filtering capacity, but also overheating the pump motor and shortening its useful life.
Hose length
Another factor that influences the flow of water that comes from the pump to the filter is the distance that the water has to travel.
It is not the same that the filter is 1 meter from the pump, that it has to travel 10 meters and clear a gap of 1 meter in height.
The best pumps incorporate a flow regulator, so that, if the pump we have bought exceeds our real needs, we can always reduce the flow that the pump sends to the filter.
All these details about the flow are what we must take into account to choose the right pump.
Consumption-power of the pump
In most cases, the pond pump must work 24 hours a day. This constant operation influences energy consumption and, obviously, the consumption bill.
The lowest consumption pumps are the submerged ones, also called sunken ones. Dry run pumps are more energy intensive and are being phased out.
These submerged pumps need little current, in addition we do not have to worry about them being in the water.
They are protected so that the rotor does not clog and they are very quiet.
In the market we can find very low consumption pumps, but at the same time they are capable of having a high water flow.
Submersible water pump for fountain or waterfall
Submersible fountain pumps are hermetically sealed to prevent the pump from deteriorating through oxidation.
One of the peculiarities of these pumps is the ability to increase the water flow. Some can raise it up to 8 meters high without any problem.
Another point to take into account is whether or not they have a water level sensor incorporated . The pumps that incorporate it maintain the fluidity and height of the water automatically.
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