Why not just use pool filter/pump setup?
- Thread starter dave99gst
- Start date
Do people normally poop in pools? Or have plants in them? Or throw handfulls of food in them? Nope. The filters are not designed to handle that same type of waste that pond filters are.
I think one of the biggest reasons not to use a pool pump is pump efficiency. From what I've read, most pool pumps are big time power hogs. I don't think most people run their pool pumps 24/7 like we do with our pond pumps.
Pool filters also usually use sand. They would clog very fast
They do use sand filters for ponds, however you hit the nail on the head mentioning the need for adequate pre-filtering. And they seldom use standard pool type sand filters, although they could be used. Here's a link to a homemade sand filter specifically built for ponds.
And yes, pool pumps tend to be energy hogs, but there is no reason you can't use them, in fact I have used a small one for a little greenhouse pond I built once. The thing is, it doesn't take long for a new efficient pump to pay for itself when you start calculating energy efficiency. Break even point is usually about one year of constant running, where your free pool pump starts costing you more per month in electricity then the money you would have saved buying a new, more efficient, pond pump.
Don't be fooled though, some pond pumps aren't very efficient either. Make sure you compare the specs.
For that mater, some commercial pond filters are pretty bad too. LOL
And yes, pool pumps tend to be energy hogs, but there is no reason you can't use them, in fact I have used a small one for a little greenhouse pond I built once. The thing is, it doesn't take long for a new efficient pump to pay for itself when you start calculating energy efficiency. Break even point is usually about one year of constant running, where your free pool pump starts costing you more per month in electricity then the money you would have saved buying a new, more efficient, pond pump.
Don't be fooled though, some pond pumps aren't very efficient either. Make sure you compare the specs.
For that mater, some commercial pond filters are pretty bad too. LOL
Koi ponds need good bio-filtration to remove the ammonia/nitrites. Pool filters are filled with sand and have no bio-filtration. I turned my swimming pool into a fish pond thinking the same filter set-up would work....it didn't. The pump was a 7500gph pump that was not cheap to operate. When I bought my bio-filter designed for koi ponds, I also bought a new 7500 gph pump designed for koi ponds, thinking it would be more cost effective to operate. It wasn't. In fact, except for being a newer model, the motor driving my koi pump was the exact same motor and wattage as my swimming pool pump. So I see no problem using swim pool pumps. They cost more to operate because they are just flat out need bigger motors to push more water.