How to Determine Waterfall Pump Size

A waterfall can be a nice addition to a swimming pool or garden pond. To make sure that your waterfall keeps flowing at the rate that you want it, you need to install a pump that is large enough. The size of the waterfall pump is measured by how much water the pump can move from the pool up to the top of the waterfall. If your pump is not large enough, your pool or pond water can stagnate and the pump will break down faster because it is overworked.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring tape

1. Measure the height of your waterfall from the water level in the pond to the top of the waterfall.

2. Determine how wide your waterfall is at the point the water flows over the cliff by measuring from one side to the other.

3. Determine how deep the water should be when it goes over the edge of the waterfall. The deeper it is, the faster the water will need to be flowing.

4. Use a waterfall pump sizing chart to determine how many gallons per minutes your pump needs to be capable of based on the flow rate found in step three and the width found in step two. These charts are available online (see Resources). For example, if your waterfall is 2 feet wide and you want the water over the fall to be 1/2 inch deep, you would need a pump capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per hour.

5. Select a pump that provides the capacity found in step four at the height found in step one. This is important because a pump that is capable of 1,500 gallons per hour at one foot may only be capable of 1,300 gallons per hour at two feet. This information can be found on the pump's manufacturer's information.

References

• Size Your Waterfall Pump
• Pump to Waterfall Sizing Chart