Need Advice Most energy efficent and quiet pump 3500-5000gph

[GreatDanesDad]

Ok guys this one is simple for you who have been in the hobby longer than I. I currently have a 1800 gallon pond with a single two tiered waterfall that has a head of 3 feet. I am using a pump that is rated for 2500gph (really it does not push this much water), but I doubt is really pushing that much. I am also currently using a 1200gph pump to feed my bog and have it slowed with a ball valve.

So what I want to do, is purchase a larger, energy efficient pump that I can use for both purposes. I will use a splitter and valve to control how much water goes to the bog.

So I am looking for your input on what is the most efficient, reliable, and quiet.

Thanks for your advice in advance.

 

[taherrmann4]

Are you looking for internal or external? if external I have sequence with more gph than what you are looking for and they are very energy efficient and quiet. Mine is going on 9 or 10 years and no problems what so ever, that is running 24 hrs/day for 9 months out of the year.

 

[sissy]

I have been looking for one also and had a price limit but did not want external ,having to pullit and put it away not worth plus seems you have to prime most of them .I have a harborfreight one and it is 2150 but seems to pump more and runs 145 watts .Other is one I got at home depot really cheap and pumps 2900 gph but uses about 160 watts .The pond at the other house seems to not be enough and not working right but I had a limit of 150 dollars and looked on pondfilters. com but seems I am not sure about magnectically coupled pumps and watts was 126 to 164 and was a 3325 if I remember correctly .Seems I can't get much info on these pumps .Plus the power cord is shorter than I need I think .It was a cal pump .Thing is the newer ones seem to be more energy efficient but wonder about how long they will last .

 

[GreatDanesDad]

I have no preferance to external or internal. My pond is setup that if the external was quite enough, I could hid it easily near the pond. If I get an external pump, how far away from the pond does it need to be set, so it isn't audible when relaxing in the pond?

 

[Mucky_Waters]

External pumps, like the Sequence, will generally be more efficient than submersible pumps, but submersible pumps will be quieter (for you, not the fish).
The truth is, anybody who cares about their fish would never use a submersible pump, the constant motor noise transmits through the whole pond and the fish have to listen to it 24/7. Poor things :wacko:

 

[sissy]

I have yet to find an external pump that uses under 300 watts and the cost of them geeze ,Not sure why they should be that expensive and then you need on most ot them a leaf basket .The harbor frieght one I have can be external ,but after seeing what happens when the clamps vibrate loose and the pump burns out and sometimes water will still run and empty pond .Not sure why those pumps can't have some kind of safety feature to shut them down .Maybe some one here needs to invent one and get rich ,I know I have yet to see one .

 

[capewind]

IF money isnt an issue, look at Artesian external pumps by Performance Pro. We are running the AP1/2-HF-C-3 on the main pond (bigger than you need). It is plumbed 12' from 2 bay windows, and I cant hear it at all inside with the windows open, and outside, standing next to it, I only hear some gurgling, but it may be the sound effects coming through 3" pvc plumbing or the protein skimmer. I know hubby has been a fan of Performance Pro pumps for years. With minimal shelter, runs 24/7 year round.

IF money is tight, I agree that the 2150 gph submersible pump from HF isnt a bad deal. Under $100. Quiet, but dont plumb far at all. Great to have on hand as backup or an extra for multi purposes, but not going to do what you want...

 

[sissy]

mine is plumbed to go to both my filters and extra goes in the pond.This is all the extra water and hose to each filter is over 8 feet and did not want to cut hose for the extra water coming out the ball valve so just about the same length .My other pump just pumps to the bottom of the pond ,but had to take it over to the other house as that pump keeps stopping and starting .We got it free from a closed up pond I took out so can't complain
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[sissy]

why not go on one of those compare online sights

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I have yet to find an external pump that uses under 300 watts and the cost of them geeze ,Not sure why they should be that expensive and then you need on most ot them a leaf basket .The harbor frieght one I have can be external ,but after seeing what happens when the clamps vibrate loose and the pump burns out and sometimes water will still run and empty pond .Not sure why those pumps can't have some kind of safety feature to shut them down .Maybe some one here needs to invent one and get rich ,I know I have yet to see one .

http://www.mdminc.com/Sequence750.aspx 139 watts, 3600 gph 160 watts 4200 gph
That Harbor freight submersible pump uses more watts (175 watts) to pump nearly half the water (2150).
Energy efficiency, and smooth running (no vibration = long life) is what makes the Sequence pumps a more expensive.

 

[sissy]

watt testor on mine says 145 watts used and it was bought in 2010

 

[Mucky_Waters]

watt testor on mine says 145 watts used and it was bought in 2010

And the GPH is?

***Edit*** Never mind I went back and re-read your post more carefully, it seems you have that same particular HF pump. (2150 GPH)

It's no doubt true that you get a lower watt reading on your pump, I think all pump manufacturers take their watt readings at maximum head or something, when the pumps are under their heaviest load and drawing max watts. I have the 3600 gph Sequence pump and it also reads lower then the spec watts on my watt meter. I think it reads closer to 120 watts. I assume the 4200 GPH Sequence pump would show a lower actual wattage reading as well.

Anyway the point is, and I'm not sure why it is, but they seem to be able to get more efficiency out of an external pump than a submersible.
When running pumps 24/7. year after year, the saving on the electrical bill of the more efficient pump can easily pay for itself after only a year or two.

 

[Waterbug]

So I am looking for your input on what is the most efficient, reliable, and quiet.

I don't believe there's any Consumer's Reports type testing for reliability so there's no way to judge. I had a Fishmate pump was that ran dry for several hours and still worked for years. Had another Fishmate that died in less than a year. I hardly check brands at all. Some pumps last, some don't, I've never noticed any one brand stand out. In each price range they're basically the same imo.

Quite is easy...submersible. Deep enough you can hear them at all standing right above them.

For most efficient you'd have to check each manufacturer's performance chart for each pump. Like this one. Head matters. A 2500 GPH 100 watt pump may be more efficient than a 2500 GPH 120 watt pump...depending on head. Some times two 1200 pumps are more efficient than a single 2400 pump, so you can consider that. And to make it just about impossible manufacturers sometimes mislabel performance charts...same pump will have different values on different charts. Real pain. And of course many mass market pump manufactures don't publish any info other than saying the little foam filter will keep your pond sparkling clean. So I'm not sure it's possible to ever tell which pump is most efficient.

 

[sissy]

I have been looking at pumps and amazed at head difference and watts used I really think like waterbug says you can't really thrust any of the stuff they put on there sights .Consumer reports has just started looking at pond pumps since they seem to be widely used and there are lots of them out there .I have been suggesting it to them for years .Gosh I still have my first harbor frieght pump for my small pond and that was 420 gph and another after that one that is 940 gph and another one that is 1250 gph and did not pay more than 22 dollars for each and the 22 dollar one was the 1250 gph .I have seen others that seem to have nothing but problems with there HF pumps .I must have got the good ones . :cheerful: Only ever had one I had to take back and that was the 940 one as the plug prong was loose .I am still looking at the cal pump and still trying to find one for the other pond .Right now we have a 2900 gph and my 940 gph one in the other pond .Waterfall weir I got for free is a big one .I filled it with lava rock for now so there was enough water going into it and out .940 just helps aerate the water .yeh lets not get into those stupid foam filters geeze ,not sure what they were thinking .Those things can destroy a pump if you don't clean them often .I just take them out and put the pump in a crate or bucket with bags of lava rock ontop .Just pull the bags hose them off and put them back in . I sometimes wonder if that is why my pumps lasted .Maybe more people need to tell consumer affairs .

 

[sissy]

Have to ask why are most of the power cords on pumps 20 ft and not many over that ,is it because they figure if you pull the pump out by the power cord there would be less stress .I heard people pull it by the power cord which all pumps warn you not to do that but seems it happens .When you figure some ponds are around 4 feet or more deep and then allowing slack and length to get to your power source that is not much power cord .Plus I read that most electric to a pond should be a certain distance from it for safety and a certain height also from the ground .