Keeping Your Pond Pump Running Efficiently

An efficient pond pump can be a vital part of any garden or water feature.

A good pump properly cleaned and maintained will ensure the correct amount of flow as well as keeping the water clear.

If you keep fish in your pond, never turn off your pond pump for longer than about an hour – you will prevent oxygen from reaching the bio-filter. Ideally a pump should be operating continuously. Some people even use two pond pumps, that way one can always be running while the other one is being cleaned or repaired.

If you use an external pump, to help keep the pond pump running smoothly, try to place it outside the pond but below the level of the water surface. Always ensure that your pump is full of water and that you never run it while dry as this will damage the pump’s impeller and seal. The impeller is the propeller-like device that actually pumps the water.

Try to keep the pump’s motor unit sheltered from rust and rain, but at the same time allow air to circulate effectively, so the pump can cool properly. If you need to seal up threaded joints on your pond pump, use Teflon paste rather than tape.

Ideally you should clean your pond pump in early spring, when water temperatures average between 40 and 55 degrees – cleaning during the summer may remove some bacteria which are actually beneficial to the pump’s smooth running.

Always follow manufacturer’s instructions when cleaning a pond pump; if you have a magnetic drive pump, you should wipe clean (but not scrub) the impeller and the chamber housing the impeller.

A submersible pump can be cleaned by simply pulling away the debris that collects there. Some external pumps have leaf baskets attached, in order to trap leaves and other debris. The basket must be thoroughly cleaned every so often to ensure proper working. If the debris clogs up the system too much, the pump’s motor may burn out – if this happens, many experts say it is easier to just buy a new pump rather than try to repair it.

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