How do I Compare Submersible & External Pumps for Ponds?
Pumps keep pond water fresh--they are essential for ponds with fish, such as Koi, and for running fountains and waterfalls. There are two basic types of water pumps for ponds: submersible and external. Submersible pumps are placed in the water and are generally good for smaller ponds. Their ease of use is often praised, particularly when it comes to easy-connections to pond hoses. External pumps can be more expensive to buy, but are often needed for larger ponds. In addition, external pumps can offer energy savings over the long run. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Understanding Your Pond's Pump Needs
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Measure the size of your pond. You can use a submersible pump for a small pond but you may want an external pump for a large one. How many gallons of water are in your pond? Multiply the length times the width, times the depth, minus space at the top for air to determine your water volume. If you are using feet and inches, multiply your computed water volume by 7.5 to get the approximate number of gallons in your pond. Better yet, use a water meter.
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Determine how much water you need to circulate. You can determine this by the number of gallons in your pool and how fast you circulate the water. With Koi, you will want to circulate the entire pond-volume every half hour to an hour. However, if you have fountains or waterfalls you may need a stronger pump for the same amount of water circulated, to provide added pressure.
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Think about your energy expenditure. If you have a small pool, less water needs to be pumped and it is more reasonable to use a submersible pump. If your pond is over 1,000 gallons, however, you may want to use an external pump, which will often use less energy per gallon pumped. These points are especially relevant for ponds over 1,000 gallons.
Find out the specific energy ratings on the pumps you are looking at. A rough estimate is that a 4,000 gallon-per-hour submersible pump will draw 10 to 15 amps, while a comparable external pump will draw only two to three amps.
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Think about your connections. Submersible pumps offer easy connections to most hose systems, but if you already have the hoses, you need to make sure that things connect properly. If you don't have hoses yet, then you can expect that submersible pumps will, on average, provide a less-difficult setup task, compared to external hoses.
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Make sure you have a large enough pump for the gallons you need to circulate. External pumps can typically move more water than most submersible pumps. It is not just a question of energy issues, but also of the total volume of water you need to circulate in a given time frame.
Determining Your Pond Pump Needs
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Consider how much you want to pay, and when. Smaller submersible pumps may be cheaper to purchase, but there is the efficiency of external pumps to consider, as well as questions about the durability of submersible pumps in comparison to external ones.
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Consider how you want to work with the pumps once you buy them. Submersible pumps have some deficits, but for smaller ponds and for most hose systems, they are easier to set up. On the other hand, they may be harder to clean or involve a more time-consuming process.
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Remember that external pumps can do some things better than submersible ones. For example, they are easier to connect to pressurized filters. The also come with the option of removable leaf guards that are easily cleared.
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References
- Photo Credit Koi pond image by windzepher from Fotolia.com
