Pond Pumps

[Big Lou]

I believe it would be very beneficial if a knowledgable pond keeper wrote about the various type of pond pumps. Hope someone will take on my request.

 

[dieselplower]

For some reason I am having trouble copy and pasting on my phone but I typed "different kinds of pond pumps" into Google and it comes up with tons of articles that give excellent descriptions.

 

[Tula]

I like and have good success with Pond Master pumps. I've been using the same 950 for over 7 years and it recently started up like a champ!

 

[j.w]

I've had my submersible pond master 2400gph pump going on 12 yrs or so now w/o a glitch. It does use more power than say a Laguna which will be my next purchase someday.

 

[taherrmann4]

I have a sequence external pump. It runs 24/7 for 9 months of the year and I have had it for 10 years. Fairly quiet and very energy efficient! I would definitely get another one if and when this one quits.

 

[DoDad]

There are many excellent pumps on the market, Laguna, PondMaster, Sequence, Elite and many more.
You just have to know which one is best for your situation.

 

[herzausstahl]

I just recently got 2 lagunas, very happy so far. Haro on here sells them in Canada and can answer questions about them for you. Was very helpful answering mine.

 

[JohnHuff]

I'm sort of an accidental pond keeper so I don't have that much experience in pond pumps. My only experience is from replacing pumps that have broken since I've owned this pond. What I know are:

1) I call these sump type pumps.

http://little-giantpump.com/566409.htm
These horrors are what I had for most of the time. They came with the pond and I had to replace it once or twice. The problem I have with them is that there is no way to prefilter this other than adding a jerry rigged basket with matting. The only way I could clean this was by hauling it up by the cord, removing the basket and hosing everything down. I absolutely hated pond maintenance at the time and called down curses on my house's previous owner when I had to do it.

2) Pumps like Laguna that have an intake coupling. Even though Laguna's max flow pumps can circulate water with small suspended particles in them, I have chosen to install my pump with prefilters. For me, that means hauling filters out of the pond to clean them rather than cleaning filters above water. I like it that way right now. What I've also done is to spread out my prefilters so they are at different sides of the pond. This will serve to help circulation. There is a term for this where the intakes are spread out, can't remember the name for it. (Called something something return.)

Anyway, as a designer, I feel it's more effective or more pleasing when the mechanical filtration is done upstream of the pump where solids are filtered by being sucked into a filter, rather than downstream where solids are filtered by being pushed against a filter.

PS, for some reason, images can no longer be attached to posts.

 

[JohnHuff]

I just recently got 2 lagunas, very happy so far. Haro on here sells them in Canada and can answer questions about them for you. Was very helpful answering mine.

Haro is a dealer?

 

[herzausstahl]

In canada. I didn't order from him directly, not sure what he does exactly but know that he has access to laguna reps & knowledge of their production. At the time he said they had started manufacturing their fountain pumps in china & the quality had dropped, but their pond pumps were still good quality.

 

[morewater]

Herzausstahl, bist du eine Deutscher?

 

[falconut]

The one I'm currently using is a Pond Master (MD 18). I had it on my reef tank for close to nine years running 24/7 and I only had to replace the impeller once. It was on my pond the past year. I've also got a MD 7 & MD 9.5. From my experience, they are a very durable pump, just use a little more electricity then some of the other models.

My previous pump was a 10 year old Laguna Power Jet 3000, that just died. It would start, run for about 30 seconds, then stop. I think it's something to do with the therm switch. My dad had used it and gave it to me last year.

 

[morewater]

I had one choke last summer, and when I took it apart there was a large score on the impeller rod that prevented the magnetic drive from engaging properly. It was about 6 years old, so I pitched it. I found this 1/2hp, 4150gph on sale at Princess Auto for $189, as it was stainless steel thought it a good deal.

 

[HARO]

Herzausstahl, bist du eine Deutscher?

Nice try, MW! Und Du?

Thanks for the invite, Big Lou. Judging from some of the above posts, at least some of the GPF'ers are paying attention! Just to set the record straight, I am NOT a 'dealer'. Not by ANY description, Dr. Sir, etc! I'm retired from the rat race, but put in a few hours now and then at a local garden centre, basically running the pond/water garden section. Nothing special, mostly stuff for backyard water features. I've been doing this for, I think, seven years now, but even before that I was doing seminars for the previous owner. I DO NOT offer any pumps on the internet, but I WILL sell you one if you walk into the store.
Regarding Laguna, I have been using their pumps for about 14 years, and consider them among the best FOR THE MONEY. Apparently there ARE better pumps out there, but I for one really can't afford them. Laguna pumps were made in Italy for years, but about 6 years ago they introduced a 'more affordable' line of small pumps made in China. After having to replace a number of impellers in these pumps, (One needed three in a month or so), I told the rep that I would not be carrying them any more. I don't like to sell crap. BTW, the problem with these pumps could easily be remedied by using a better plastic. The impellers basically wear out in no time. Chinese plastics were made with lead, and when North America realized the danger of lead and banned it in most products, China was caught with it's pants down, so to speak, and is now playing catch-up. Time will tell.
Anyway, the pond pumps sold under the names 'Max-Flo' and 'PowerJet' are the ones that would interest most pondkeepers, and are still made in Italy. The MF series is a basic pump intended to move water to filters or waterfalls, and has a cage around it with 5/16" holes, while the ones on the PJ line, which come with everything needed to run a fountain as well as a diverter valve to move water to other features, are 1/4". If my memory is correct, these pumps now come in sizes from 600 GPH to 4200 GPH. They are not exactly cheap, but in my opinion are good value for the money. Sorry for the long-winded post, now I have to go soak my typing finger in ice-water!
John

 

[j.w]

I copied your post Haro to keep it on hand so I'll be able to refer to it whenever I do get to order that new Laguna pump I want eventually..................thanks for posting that again