Choose the Pump for Your Pond

Submersible or External?

The first decision you must make is whether you want a submersed pump or an external?  For most ponds we would recommend an external pump. 

The reasons we prefer external pumps are:

• Low Maintenance! - No matter what type of pump you buy you WILL be removing debris and leaves from the water intake of the pump every time it gets clogged up.  On some ponds this could be every day.  You will know the pump needs cleaning when your waterfall or fountain isn't running as well as normal.  An external pump is so much easier to clear than a submersible pump because you only have to empty out a basket - barely getting your hands wet.  With a submersed pump you must lift it out of the water (and it's very heavy) then clear it by pulling off the yucky stuff that has accumulated around the intake.  This is a chore!
• Savings Over the Life of the Pump - Though an external pump will cost you more up front you will save a LOT of money in the long run - realizing the difference within a year or two!  They tend to last much longer than submersible pumps and parts can be replaced whenever they go bad.  You have to trash most submersible pumps when they go bad and buy a new one.  Most external pumps are energy efficient (and that's something you must check out when selecting the model).  This feature will save you on each month's utility bill - and can be as much as $60 per month! - though an average savings is probably around $25 to $30 per month.  It all adds up!
• A Better Cleaning Job - Any time you use external components on your pond you will be automatically removing debris from the pond.  If you lift out a submersible pump you will notice that a cloud of sand and dirt will puff up around it - sand and dirt that will stay inside the pond and would have otherwise been filtered out of the water.  This makes for a cleaner environment.  

Read this article for more information on external versus submersible pumps:

Singing the Praises of the External Pump

Reasons why you wouldn't want an external pump:

On ponds smaller than 600 gallons it is over-kill in most situations.  Sometimes people who are planning to move within a year or two (before they can realize the savings) will opt for a less expensive submersible pump.  A submersible pump will, however, add to the cost each month to run it and add to the amount of maintenance involved with cleaning it during the time it is used.

Choosing the Right Pump

What you want out of your waterfall or fountain will dictate the model pump you buy.  The rule of thumb is that you should circulate your pond at least once per hour if it's less than 2000 gallons but you can circulate it less often as the pond gets bigger - down to once every 2 hours for larger ponds.  Start with the amount of gallons then add more strength if you want "white waters" or a strong flow to your fountain or waterfall.  Look at each model's performance charts to determine that you have enough power to get what you want as far as flow.  Remember, that with every foot you push the water UP you will lose water flow so keep that in mind when looking at the head loss of the particular models.  Also if you are planning to have a waterfall and fountain or other water feature you must calculate enough flow for both.

Another factor to consider is what type of filter you will be using.  The BioForce will only allow a certain amount of gph to go through without blowing the gaskets and causing leaks.  A bead filter or compressed system filter such as the ProBead™ and SuperPro™ can withstand more water pressure while filtering but will need more pressure when backwashing.  Check each manufacturer's information about the maximum and minimum flows needed for your filter to work correctly.  You can construct by-passes (which we will go into later during the construction phase of our project) to obtain the right flows from your pump.  You can create less flow from a pump by adding valves and by-passes but you cannot create MORE flow than the pump can give so DO NOT UNDER ESTIMATE the size of your pump.  When in doubt, go up on the flow amount!  Get more insight on factors to consider when sizing your pump from our article: Choosing the Right External Pump for Your Koi Pond or Water Garden

As always - the Pond Doc is here to help you determine what pump you should have to get the results you want!  He's good at that.  Call him at (770) 663-6325 or contact him via email.

Submersible Pumps

If you've decided to place a submersible pump into your pond you've saved yourself a little time during installation but you've opted to cost yourself a lot more time in maintenance - just thought I'd throw that in one more time!  And, if you still want to put that submersible pump onto your pond we would recommend a Cal Stainless Steel for ponds smaller than 1200 gallons that have waterfalls less than about a foot wide and a few feet tall.  For ponds larger than 1200 gallons and/or have waterfalls that are over 1 feet in width and higher than a couple of feet we would recommend one of the Waterfall Pumps by Cal. 

External Pumps

YES!  I'm so glad that you are considering an external pump.  We have the best article already written on choosing an external pump.  This article should be extremely helpful!  --  Choosing the Right External Pump for Your Koi Pond or Water Garden

Position of the Pump

Where you place the pump can mean the difference of it performing well or not very well at all.  Submersible pumps are pretty easy - just place them in the deepest end of the pond - which should be located as far away from the water return as possible.  External pumps are a little more tricky.  In order to determine what model pump you need for your pond you must know whether you will be positioning the pump higher or lower than the water level of the pond.

If you have a place to install the pump that is at a lower elevation than the water level of the pond gravity will fill the priming pot (leaf basket) of the pump and keep a prime.  This is the most effective way to install any external pump.  If that is impossible and you must install the pump higher than the water level of the pond you must purchase an external pump that has self-priming abilities.  It should be placed the closest you can get it to the side of the pond (within a few feet) and you don't want to install it more than a foot or two higher.  Pumps with self-priming abilities will work fine when placed lower than the water level of the pond so, if ever in doubt of the elevation of where the pump will eventually go, I would suggest purchasing only a pump with self-priming abilities.

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Our project pond will be approximately 5500 gallons. 

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