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223 Woodcliff Ave.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677
TEL: (201) 573-1515
FAX: (201) 573-0437
galaxy@bellatlantic.net

Pump Selection

The selection of a particular pump (or multiple pumps) depends on many factors including performance, purchase cost, operating cost, ease of installation and maintenance, expected life, etc. PSA balances and applies five primary concepts to select the best pump for a pond:

• Pond area to evaluate pump size and skimmer location or locations

• Pond volumes to evaluate water turnovers for biological filtration

• Waterfalls width

• Waterfalls and stream height and length

• Short term vs. long term costs

1. Skimming Considerations- For best skimming action, the pump volume in gallons/hour should be about 10-15 times the pond area in square feet. A 10' x 12' pond at 120 square feet would skim effectively with a 1200 to 1800 gph pump. Higher pump volumes will provide more aggressive skimming for unusual pond shapes or heavy tree/debris loading. For skimming larger areas, another common solution is to simply use two or more skimmers, each with its own pump.

2. Biological Filtration- For ponds under a few thousand gallons we would like all of the water in the pond filtered through the system at least once per hour, so the pump gallons per hour rating should match or exceed the size of the pond. The smaller the pond is, the more often the water should go through the filter system. Because the water chemistry is more stable and the pollution chemicals more diluted in ponds over a few thousand gallons, they can be filtered through the system less often.

3. Waterfall Flow Rates- For attractive and natural-looking waterfalls, PSA recommends 1000gph for each foot of waterfalls width. A 1,000 gph pump, as measured at the waterfall, will produce a one-foot wide waterfall. Higher flows are acceptable here as well. For the 120 square foot pond, a 1-1/2' wide waterfall is desired. The pump should then have a capacity, after pumping height and friction losses, of at least 1,500 gph.

4. Pumping Height and Distance- Always look at the pumping height rating for the pump you are considering. All pumps supply considerably less than their maximum rating at higher pumping heads. Be sure to use the right pipe diameter for the flow expected. A general rule-of-thumb is one foot additional head pressure results for every 10 linear feet of piping, and one additional foot of head pressure for every 90 degree elbow.

5. Short Term Versus Long Term Costs- Energy efficient pumps require about 100 watts of energy for each one-thousand gallons per hour of flow. Less efficient pumps many require as much as 500 watts to pump one-thousand gallons per hour. A 100 watt pump will cost about seven dollars per month to run, compared to thirty-five dollars per month for the less efficient pump. The lower long term cost may pay for the difference in the higher purchase price. Another point to keep in mind, however, is that many pumps that are low on energy use cannot pump large amounts of water to very high waterfalls. You should make the energy use and the pump flow rate comparisons at the specific pumping height and distance you will be using. To reach higher heads also consider using intermediate ponds to raise the water in smaller steps.

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