Pond Pumps

Hints & Tips on selecting a pond pump
Pond pumps can be used to run fountains, filters, waterfalls or a combination of these. Where more or larger features are required a more powerful pump will be required. There are a number of factors which need to be considered when selecting a pump:-

Maximum Head
The higher a pump lifts water above the surface of a pond, the less water it will pump, the maximum head is the height at which it stops pumping. Note the "head" is measured from the surface of the pond, not from the position of the pump in the pond.

Flow rates
Many pump manufacturers quote maximum flow rates on their boxes, this is the flow rate at zero head; although this figure can seem very impressive, it is important to consider what the pump will actually deliver at the head you intend to use it at. We quote flow rates for pumps at 1 metre & ½ metre head. These figures give realistic flow rates for the majority of waterfall features. However if your waterfall is significantly higher then you will need to take the maximum head into account. e.g. a pump with a maximum head of 3 metres, which delivers 500gph at a 1 metre head, is likely to give about 250gph at a 2 metre head.
As a rule of thumb a small fountain will require a flow of about 100 gph (7.5 lpm) whilst a waterfall will require between 300 - 400 gph (22.7 - 30.3 lpm) for every 6" (15cm) of pouring lip.

Pump type
Some pumps are designed as "dirty water" pumps, these are ideal for use as filter or waterfall pumps as they require very little maintenance. This type of pump is not suitable to run a fountain as the jet will become clogged with small particles. For fountains a pump with an efficient strainer which is large enough not to need frequent cleaning is required.

Running Costs
The higher the wattage the higher the running costs will be. Pond filters must be run 24 hours a day throughout the spring summer and autumn; and in general it's a good idea to do the same for waterfalls and fountains. It obviously makes sense to choose a low wattage pump. As a rough guide a 100 watt pump running 24 hours a day will cost about £1.30 a week to run.

Hose size
Most pumps can be used with a variety of sized hoses. Small hoses will restrict the flow. For waterfalls up to about 600gph 1" hose is usually sufficient. For larger waterfalls, 1 1/4" or 1 ½" is usually more appropriate. Where a pump with a low maximum head is used or where a particularly long length of hose is used a larger diameter of hose is usually required.

Electrical Safety
Most pond pumps are 240v mains voltage. These are supplied with 10m of electrical cable. Should you need to extend this cable we supply a range of waterproof and outdoor cable connectors.
It is strongly recommended that an RCD trip is used with all mains voltage pumps. We also stock low voltage pumps, unless otherwise stated these are supplied with a transformer which needs to be housed indoors.
If you are in any doubt about the correct installation of a pump - please consult a qualified electrician.

Our Range of Pumps

We stock an extensive range of pumps from a wide range of manufacturers, these include :-

Blagdon Amphibious

These British manufactured pumps have been around for many years and have proven themselves to be extremely reliable and long lasting. They range from the P2000 with a flow rate of 185gph (gallons per hour) at 1 metre head to the P9000 with a flow of nearly 1600gph at the same height. They are particularly well suited as fountain pumps, and the smaller models (P2000 - P4000) are supplied with a range of fountain jets. The standard Amphibious range have 3 year guarantees.
New for 2004 is the Amphibious plus range. There are 4 pumps in the range from the A2500 - A4000 they feature a wider range of fountain jets, an improved strainer system and an extended 5 year guarantee.

Oase Aquamax

The Aquamax is an idea filter pump. Designed to need the minimum of maintenance, they are low wattage for cost effective filtration. Manufactured in Germany, all except the smallest (2000) model have 5 year guarantees. Flows range, at 1m head, from 218gph for the 2000 to 2640gph for the largest 15000 model.
For even larger flows the Promax 20000 & 30000 are in effect two Aquamax 10000 or 15000 pumps in one housing. The Promax 30000 will therefore deliver 5280gph at a 1m head. The Promax pumps also feature a remote control which allows the flow to be fully controlled & adjusted from the comfort of your deck chair!

Oase Nautilus

Totally redesigned for 2004 the Nautilus range are intended for use as fountain pumps. They have no foam strainer but feature fine plastic mesh pre-filters, these include the innovative detachable "wings" which can be remotely sited to allow easy access for cleaning, particularly useful if the pump is located in the middle of a large pond.

Another useful feature is the numbering system for the different models which indicates the maximum height of fountain that the pump will run. Thus the smallest the 50 will produce a fountain up to 50cm high with the jet supplied, whilst the largest, the 450, will run a fountain up to 4.5m (14' 9") high!

Nautilus pumps are low wattage & have a 5 year guarantee.

Oase Atlantis

Like the Nautilus and Aquamax range these pumps have 5 year guarantees. They are designed to be used as waterfall pumps. Although they can also be used to run a filter. They a finer mesh strainer than the Aquamax range so can not pump large particles, and their strainers will clog from time to time. When this happens a unique spray cleaning system enables the strainer to be cleaned in situ by using using tap water run through a garden hose. Where these pumps score over the Aquamax is that they have higher maximum heads, and there is no risk of wildlife such as newts or baby fish getting past the strainer.

Other Pumps

We also stock the following ranges of pumps:-

Fishmate - British made, low wattage & competitively priced.
Tetra a mostly new range for 2004.

Oase Aquarius - a basic but reliable range from Oase.

Blagdon Hydratech Multi - a budget range from the distributors of the Amphibious.

Blagdon Torrent - a powerful sump type pump with a unique self cleaning impellor.

Blagdon Minipond - small inexpensive pumps ideal for small water features.

Oase Aquasolar - High quality solar pumps based the Aquarius pump, reliable solar power.