Pressure or pond pump head... critical cost factor in pond pumps.

What is pond pump head? In simple terms it is the pressure that must be generated by pond pumps to run the waterfall, fountain and other pond components. Accurate pond pump head definition includes friction losses in pipes.

You must be able to determine the correct pump head for your system in order to specify the correct pond pump.

 The pump head is distance from pond surface to water fall inlet as shown by the arrow on this diagram.

In addition to fully specify a pond pump you need to know exactly what the pump flow is.

Think of a pond pump's head as meaning that the pond pump must be capable of lifting the required volume of water to a certain head or height.

For the sake of understanding the principle; think of the pond pump's head as being the distance between the pond water surface and the inlet to your pond waterfall.

Consider the following:

if the outlet pipe from a pump was lifted 50 cm above the pond surface then a certain amount of water would flow out of the pipe.

If the pipe was then lifted to 1 metre above the surface of the pond then a reduction in flow would be seen.

What we now understand is that the higher the pump head for pond pumps to operate against then the lower is the amount of water pumped. This is because the pump has to generate more pressure and can only do this by reducing the water flow; in simple terms more flow equals less pressure or less pump head from the same pond pump.

This relationship between pump head and water flow rate is a very important observation, which can be critical when selecting pond pumps.

To specify the total pond pumps head accurately for a pond pumps the pond pumps head lost (ie pressure lost) as water flows through pipes and fittings in the garden pond system must be taken into account. This head loss is referred to as friction loss. For practical purposes in small ponds this can be ignored if you do the following:

  • Do not use pipe diameter of less than 25mm or 1

  • Do not use a length of pipe more than 3 metres (10ft) long

If you must have a smaller diameter pipe or a longer pipe run it is best to get the the free Excel computer program available when you buy the book above . This program will calculate the total pump head your system requires very accurately.

When in any doubt go for a larger pond pump than you think you need. However I think you would be better off to save this money by understanding your pond pump head as it relates to your own system. It is easily calculated using the FREE Excel program and you will save money.

Knowledge of pond pumps head will also give you great power when dealing with retailers who do not fully understand correct pond specifications. this pond pump head knowledge will almost certainly guarantee you discounts when buying pond pumps. It will also save you operating costs.

This important subject is covered in far more detail in my book. Understand this concept and you will save yourself a lot of money and hassle.

In order to fully specify a pond pump you need to know in addition to pond pump head exactly what pump flow is needed for your garden pond. This pump flow depends upon whether you have a waterfall or not, whether you have koi or goldfish or just plants in the pond.

The pond pump you'll need will depend upon which job you want a pump to do.

Choose from the 3 main functions below ...

  • Your pond must have a waterfall ... this is most difficult pump to specify correctly (for a filter pump specification use this link if your system also has a waterfall)

  • Your pond will have a fountain but no waterfall or stream. Can be difficult so follow this recommendation here

  • Your pond will have no waterfall and no fountain ... in other words you want a pump to circulate pond water. Selection is simple and depends upon pond's volume. For a filter pump specification use this link if your system does not have a waterfall

Click here for best range of pond pumps in USA and here for UK Supplier