Pond Pumps

1. The primary criterion for rating pond pumps is simply the amount of water they move over a given time. Gallons per hour (GPH) refers to the amount of water the pump can move in an hour over a height of one foot.

2. So, if your pond pump is going to have to move foot more than one foot in height, you'll likely need to look for a stronger pump.

3. With any electrical pond pump, you'll need to install, or have installed for you, a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). These are those switches on your bathroom outlet that cut off the electricity when you curl your hair while taking a bath.

4. While some pond pumps are solar powered, they are generally less powerful and often only used with fountains.

5. For trickier calculations about how much water a pond pump will move and how different depths affect its performance, you can consult a manufacturer's chart.

6. Above ground pumps are nice because they are easy to perform maintenance on and troubleshoot. You also won't get any of the environmental damage from sand and gravel that can wear down a submersible water pump over time.

7. Submersible pumps, on the other hand, are more popular for smaller applications because they are invisible. They are more difficult to maintain, for obvious reasons, which may lead the owner to neglect regular performance checks.

8. The most powerful pond pumps are measured in horsepower. These will be best for your larger scale applications that require lots of water moving.

9. A garden pond pump should circulate the pond water once an hour as a minimum. You'll need to do some basic geometric math to determine the volume of water you're dealing with.

10. We advise against using swimming pool pumps in your fish and garden ponds. Swimming pools are considerably cleaner environments than ponds and therefore these pumps are not designed for the things pond pumps need to do.