Backyard Pond, Waterfall, and Water Garden Pump Selection Guide

Magnetic Drive Water Garden and Pondless Waterfall Pumps - the economical choice for low head pressure applications

Magnetic drive, or mag drive pumps, are the newest innovation in pond pump technology. They are incredibly energy efficient and very economical to use. They are capable of moving large volumes of water, up to 5000 GPH. And due to their design, mag drive pumps typically enjoy a longer operational life span than an equivalent sized direct drive pump. For this reason, mag drive pumps usually offer a longer warranty than direct drive waterfall pumps! The biggest drawback to mag drive pumps is their lower maximum head pressure ratings, which means that mag drive pumps are not a very good choice when raising water to any significant height. They are best used when your total head pressure requirement is 6 to 8 feet - typically when your waterfall is at your ponds edge, or connected by a short spillway run.

We offer mag drive pumps from Alpine, Atlantic Water Gardens and PondMaster, so you can be sure to find a pump that meets the needs of your application!

Direct Drive Pond Or Waterfall Pumps - for larger backyard ponds and pondless waterfalls with highter head pressure

Direct drive or waterfall pumps are light years removed from earlier submersible pumps. They are incredibly powerful, and are perfectly capable of driving high waterfalls or very long streams. And direct drive pumps are now much more economical to operate, with some models rivaling a mag drive pumps efficiency. The best pumps on the market feature a vortex impeller. Rather than driving the water directly, vortex impellers create a pressure differential that creates water movement. This indirect method of water movement enables these pumps to pass solids that would clog a traditional direct drive impeller, which makes them ideal, low-maintenance candidates for a fish pond environment. They are often referred to as "solids handling" pumps.

Direct drive pumps require a certain amount of back pressure to operate efficiently, and in fact they work best in the midrange of their pump head pressure charts. Under or over sizing a direct drive pump (meaning the pump will work towards either end of the pump head chart) can lead to premature pump failure. You will either need a pump sized correctly for your application, or a pump slightly larger, with a ball valve to restrict the flow a bit and bring its operation towards the center of the head curve.

We offer pond and waterfall pumps from Anjon Water Gardens, Atlantic Water Gardens and Oase, so you can be sure to find a pump that meets the needs of your application!

Inline Pumps - your economical choice for high water volume applications

Inline pond and waterfall pumps are the economical option when you need to move great volumes of water - and move water to great heights. However, unlike mag drive and waterfall pumps,inline pumps are not submersible. And because pumps are more efficient at pushing water rather than pulling it, they need to be located fairly close to the water source they draw from.

Inline pumps typically draw water from a ponds bottom drain, and are usually coupled to an external filter to provide the biological and mechanical filtering that a ponds water requires. The external pump and filter combination can pose minor landscaping challenges if you mind having them sit openly on your pond's perimeter. And since they're not submersible, inline pumps need to be primed to operate unless you have a self-priming model.

We offer Sequence inline pumps so you can be sure to find a pump that meets the needs of your application!

Selecting the pond, water garden or waterfall pump thats right for you

Your first step is knowing your ponds requirements. At a minimum, your pump will need to turn your pond's water volume at least once every 2 hours. Next, you need to calculate the head pressure requirements.

Head pressure is more than the vertical distance you'll want your pump to raise water - the restriction of the total length of your flex pipe and your plumbing fittings, especially 90 degree elbows, will add to the head height.

And last, if you're planning a waterfall and/or stream, you'll need your pump to move enough water volume at your waterfalls spillway. Generally, you need 100 to 150 GPH per inch of spillway width. Planning this is easier than it sounds, if you use the handy calculator on our Pond calculations page, located on the "Build your pond" menu. We also feature a Pondless calculations page to help you plan your pondless waterfall requirements.

Now that you know your requirements, you can select a pump that's right for you. Generally, if your total pump head pressure is less than 6 feet and the flow is less than 5000 GPH, a mag drive pump is your best choice. At greater head pressure, and flow rates up to about 6500 GPH, a direct drive pump is your best bet. And for flows greater than 7000 GPH regardless of head pressure, an inline pump will more than likely be your most economical choice.

A final word - about pond and waterfall pump economy and value

One last point about choosing a pump: please don't confuse price with value. Not all pumps that are rated at equivalent GPH consume electricy at the same rate, and quite often the more efficient pump is slightly more expensive. However, over the life of the pump you will pay more to your utility company every month for the "cheaper" pump than you would with the more economical pump. The break even point in total expenditure usally occurs well within your first seasons use.

Simply note each pumps consumption in watts, and use the electric rate calculator in either calculations page to compare their operating costs and make an informed choice. Happy ponding!