A common question we get ask a lot by clients is ‘how long should a pump last’. Well, the answer to that is very broad and not completely straight forward.
There are various reasons why a pump fails from the quality of manufacturing to design. Using the right pump for the right purpose place a huge part in what makes a pump last in its operations.
When it comes to pond pump, impeller design plays a huge role in the outcome. Impellers are design to pull water into the pump and push out water through the outlet. When designing your pond, (i.e. figuring out if you want your pump(s) visible or not) there are things you’ll need to consider:
- Pump visibility – you can install some pump externally or submersed in the pond.
- What the manufacturer designed the pump – whether recirculatory/water feature or dirty water pump.
- Amount of work you require the pump to do; distance of pumping, pipe size and head height are all important. Note head height refers to how much a pump in terms of flow rate about the water level i.e. the higher a pump needs to pump above water level, the more energy it needs to carry out task.
Using the wrong type of pump can easily wear out your pump. For example, if you are using a water feature pump for the task of filtering a Goldfish or koi pond – this sort of ponds requires 24/7 filtration for optimal result. Using a water feature pump instead (though cheaper) will not produce the right amount of result and besides, you might will go through a few every couple of months.
Filtration pump impeller is design to allow particles of between 2mm to 4mm to grow through so that it can be trapped in the filter giving you crystal clear water, whilst water feature pump is not design to do that, that’s why most water feature pumps will have sponges in front of their impellers.
A very key part for protecting you pump impeller is positioning of the pump. Elevate the pump 10 to 15cm above the pond floor especially for ponds that have pebbles, rocks, leaves and twigs on the bottom of the pond. This will limit and prevent the number of debris the pump sucks up that can potentially wear it out. Fine sand and pebble tend to wear out the impeller quickly and leaves and twig can bring the ceramic core and blade.
Lastly, the standard pump maintenance is checking the pump every couple of months especially if there is a large fish load or debris in the pond. Ensure that you inspect the impeller system, remove debris. Most good brand pumps running 24hrs should last for a good while before needing replacing (follow the manufacturer recommendation)
If you have any question, please contact our team.