Selecting the Proper Pump for your Backyard Water Garden Feature

By Gerry Fung

Nowadays, most reliable pond pumps are magnetic-driven and can consume as little energy as a 60W light bulb. Our advice is to always choose the magnetic-driven pumps over the direct drive pond pumps. Magnetic-driven pond pumps are designed for continuous pond pumping, are quieter, and are more reliable than the direct-drive pumps. The next biggest question that many potential pond owners have is: "What kind of pond pump do I need?"

Pond pumps are available in both submersible and external (out-of-pond) models. For the smaller pond (up to 1000 gallons of water), a submersible pond pump is the more economical and practical option. Submersible pond 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).

Pumps are sized by gallons per hour (GPH) output at one foot of lift or height. Manufacturers usually offer pond pump sizing charts that break down the power of each size pond 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 pond 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 pond 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. One high-end waterfall pump that we strongly recommend is the MaxFlo series of waterfall pond pumps.

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 pumps for aquatic life and hydroponics. 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 pond 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.

Before you spend money on a pond pump, make sure you do your preliminary research. Ensure that you're investing in a high-quality pond pump with the right specifications, and you will enjoy your water feature for many years to come. Go to our DIY pond guide for more information about pond pumps.