two pumps, one skimmer

[Spartamets]

The title of this thread kind of says it all. Has anyone done this? Does anyone know any reason why it might be unwise?

I recently built a small second waterfall, in part to add a little extra movement to a back corner of the pond, and also so I can add an external filter to it as a supplement to the main waterfall/stream, which is like a big boggish filter. The pump for it is kind of small; I think 2500 gph or so, maybe a little more. I ran the pump in the pond proper, directly to the new waterfall (haven't hooked up the filter yet) as a trial this fall, and it naturally attracted a lot of leaves. I can easily see it clogging quickly if I kept in in the pond all season, but I don't want to build another skimmer. That was the hardest part of the construction for me, with lots of problems, and I dread the idea of doing it again, not to mention that I've built and planted a lot around the pond's perimeter anyway.

So I though I could maybe put the second pump n the existing skimmer, where it would fit pretty easily. Could this work, or will I hit the usual unanticipated nightmare scenarios?

 

[Jack B. Nimble]

Yes

 

[Jack B. Nimble]

Two pumps in skimmer is fine I do it.

 

[Spartamets]

Two pumps in skimmer is fine I do it.

Awesome. That's a relief. Thank you!

 

[Gemma]

We had 2 pumps in one skimmer for a few months, one pump kept starving the other until one day it burnt out!
I believe the problem was with our setting, not the fact that 2 pumps shared skimmer...but I don't know for sure

 

[Spartamets]

We had 2 pumps in one skimmer for a few months, one pump kept starving the other until one day it burnt out!
I believe the problem was with our setting, not the fact that 2 pumps shared skimmer...but I don't know for sure

Thank you, Gemma--could you tell something was amiss? If so, I could change it when I saw the signs. If there was nothing obvious going on, though, that is a concern.

 

[Gemma]

Thank you, Gemma--could you tell something was amiss? If so, I could change it when I saw the signs. If there was nothing obvious going on, though, that is a concern.

Unfortunately we had no idea there was a problem until the first pump burnt out! Shortly after that we lost the second pump as well that's why we assumed it was the struggle of sharing one skimmer that killed them. We decided to go with a single 6000gph pump and install a Y fitting to divert the water to both falls, it has worked much better for us.
Obviously the 2 pumps 1 skimmer works for some, so it could be a matter of figuring out what size pumps to use.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help

 

[Tula]

I tried two pumps in the skimmer but it was too much draw and the pumps ended up sucking air. I placed the waterfall skimmer in the pond and covered it with the "pump defender " which is made of matala pads, for a little extra filtration. My waterfall pump is 3000 gph and the filter pump is 2000 gph.

 

[snoozer]

The skimmer size will determine if this would work for you. I have a pond sweep 1200 skimmer that has a flow rate of 3,000 to 10,000gph. I have two 4,000 gph pumps and have not had a problem with pumps sucking air. That is as long as i check when the maple seeds or leaves are falling as the skimmer net fills up fast.

 

[Donna F]

I had to do this. The first pump I bought would not pull thru the skimmer and the second was still weak. I hooked them both up and it is working fine.