How Long Does a Pond Pump Need to Be on Each Day?
A pond pump and a filter are necessary to maintain pond health. A well-maintained pond adds value to a home, and even though a large pond with fish requires more maintenance than a small pond, it is worth the extra effort, providing movement, color and a dramatic landscape element. A pond’s pump should run 24 hours each day to ensure the pond’s water circulates through the filter to keep the water clear.
Pump Function
A pond pump may be submerged in the pond’s water or sit outside the pond, depending on the pump type, but both types work in the same way. The pump uses spinning blades, known as impellers, to pull pond water through a screenlike intake and expel the water through an outlet pipe. Generally, a large pond has an external pump and a smaller pond or water garden has a submersible pump. Any kind of pump requires regular maintenance of its intake filter and screen to prevent clogging.
Pump Size
Before buying a pond pump, calculate your pond’s water capacity to determine the size of pump required to circulate all of the pond’s water through the pump every one to two hours. Formulas can help you determine your pond’s water capacity in gallons from pond measurements taken in feet. The formula for a rectangular pond is length x width x depth x 7.48 = gallons. For a circular pond, the formula is radius x radius x 3.14 x average depth x 7.48 = gallons. The formula for an irregularly shaped pond requires dividing the pond into easier-to-calculate shapes, figuring the water capacity in gallons for each of those shapes and then multiplying the total sum of those gallons by 231 instead of 7.48.
Operating Cost
A pond that has a pump or other electric equipment requires electricity, and so it will increase your monthly electric cost. Some pumps cost less to operate than other pumps. Reduce the cost of pump operation by using a pump that moves the necessary amount of pond water while using the least amount watts; a watt is a measurement of electrical usage. Calculate the cost of operating a pump by using this formula: Divide the watts by 1,000, and then multiply that figure by 24 hours, the number of days per operation and electricity cost. An example is: 300 watts/1000 x 24 hours x 30 days x 0.08 for electricity cost = $17.28 as the cost to run the pump for 30 days.
Other Considerations
Mosquitoes can be a problem when a pond is in the landscape, but mosquitoes lay eggs in only stagnant water. A pump can keep the pond water moving, deterring mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water. Even a small amount of moving water can prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. So if a pump is not feasible, add a fountain bubbler to keep water moving.
How Many Watts Would a 2.5 HP Pump Use?
A pump helps circulate and filter the water in a pool. A pump’s horsepower determines how quickly the pump can process all the water. The goal is for the pump to sufficiently filter all the water in an 8 to 10 hour period, according to Aquascapes. Depending on the size and volume of your pool, you will need more or less horsepower to filter the water in that ideal time frame. Horsepower can be converted to watts, giving you a guesstimate of what your energy costs might be to run your pump.
Math Conversions
One horsepower is equal to 745.7 watts. When you multiply 745.7 watts by 2.5 hp, you get 1,864.25 watts. Energy costs are calculated in kilowatt-hours, and to get kilowatt-hours, you multiply watts by hours and divide by 1,000. So, if you run your pool pump for 8 hours in one day, 1,864.25 multiplied by 8 and divided by 1,000 equals 14.9 kilowatt-hours. If you run your pump every day for an average of 30 days per month — 30 multiplied by 14.9 — your pump uses 447 kilowatt-hours in a month.
Decorative Garden Water Features
Water features provide homeowners with a unique and creative way to decorate their outdoor living space. Many homeowners desire the soothing sounds of running water, but are just not ready for a pond or simply can’t afford one. Aquascape’s AquaBasin® system, paired with our handcrafted line of pond decorations and accessories, provides the perfect solution for capitalizing on these small, entry-level water features. Here are some of the decorative garden water features from aquascapes
Aquascape spillway bowls
Aquascape spillway bowls and basins can be used in a variety of ways to spice up your front or back yard. Notice the spillway waterfall that provides a relaxing atmosphere to any person nearby! These spillway bowls are not only relaxing and peaceful, but also beautiful to the eyes. Notice the water fountain in the center of this spillway bowl. These beautiful pieces of art have been traced back in history to Rome, and the main reason they have been around so long is because of how they affect those around it. Entrancing yourself with these water basins will become a daily occurrence as you grow accustomed to the nature being brought into your yard!
Spillway bowls typically come with lighting, but be sure they are on a timer so they come on at just the right time! Whether you have a large basin, small basin, or several basins, just one light per spillway bowl will be sufficient.
Aquascape water fountains
Sometimes adding in a fountain can add a focal point to the water garden and provide a relaxing moving-water atmosphere. Watergardens are unique in the aspect that they can be designed in a way that compliments the landscape provided.
Many water garden features don’t have water at all. We call these Fire Fountains. Some fire fountains include water, and some don’t. A few of our water features have the capability of both! When considering which fountain to place inside your water garden, try to think of where your guests will walk around. Are they on the patio? Is the fountain close enough to the water garden and your guests? When we install a new water garden, we consider all aspects of the design to create a feature that will be both pleasant to your guests and your family.
Aquascape water garden lightning elements
Watergarden lighting doesn’t have to be just for waterfalls or for you to see your fish! Many aquascape urns already have lighting inside the feature so that you can enjoy it even at night. Imagine a backyard water feature with the focal point being a stunning display of water, fire, and light. Paradise is just around the corner with our beautiful water features.
Water Garden Urns
Water garden urns come in a vast array of sizes, colors, shapes, and water flow. These urns are a highlighted product by aquascapes for one reason; they’re beautiful. What better reason for impressing your guests is there?
Why should you have water features in your garden
Any water features can easily mix and blend with your backyard. You can add a water pond, artificial river, or fountain in your garden, and it will immediately become a focal point of your garden or backyard. Water features can be suited to large as well as small gardens. They can change the complete ambiance of your backyard.
Water introduces calmness in your garden.
A water feature such as a fountain or a waterfall creates a tranquil and serene sound that helps calm down your mind. A garden with water features is the best place to unwind yourself after a hectic workday. A garden with water features provides a small piece of heaven right into your backyard. You can add other water garden features like decorative stones, water plants, and flowers for more therapeutic effects.
Adding water features makes your garden look bigger.
The reflective properties of water tend to make the spaces look bigger. For more enhanced effects, you can use dark colours for water features like waterfall stones or fountains. Another way to enhance this effect is by using the underwater lights at night time. You can save on energy bills on these lights by using solar-powered lights that charge during the day to glow at night.
Having water in the garden helps to attract wildlife.
Birds and other small wildlife animals like frogs frequent your garden when it has sources of water. The garden pond or fountain acts as a source of fresh drinking water for birds. A garden pond can also attract small aquatic animals. You can also add fishes in garden ponds to create a natural aquatic habitat.
Maintenance of water features is easy.
Water features such as ponds may require regular cleaning up. However, the cleaning task is a lot easier. Also, the water machinery installed like water pumps or water filters needs to be maintained regularly for the proper function of the water features and to prevent any malfunctioning and blockages. These tasks can be easily carried out at home without incurring any additional costs. It also provides a very indulgent activity helping to take away your mind from work-related stress.
Different Water Features for Your Garden
Having water features in the garden adds an entirely different dimension of calm and serenity. Moving or still, water is peaceful to look at. It makes you and your guests feel good over a gathering in the garden. A garden water feature could be as simple as a water pool or a complex mechanism like a waterfall with a fish pond. Here are some of the water features that you can install in your garden.
Fish Ponds
These are small to medium-sized ponds build to fit in your garden. Various varieties of fish can be added to such ponds like goldfish and koi. The critical thing to keep in mind while selecting fishes for a pond is to avoid rival and predatory species. Fish added the colours of nature to your pond. Fish will require life-sustaining mechanisms in your pond, like the supply and circulation of oxygen by installing pumps and filters.
These water features come in different sizes, shapes, and styles. Regardless to say, a fountain adds an extra charm and beauty to your garden. The beautiful sound of water splashing along with its stunning architectural looks makes water fountains a very appealing water feature for the garden. Fountains do come with an increase in the cost of installing mechanisms like pumps for creating a sustainable water flow.
Waterfalls are a prevalent water feature for gardens. Waterfalls can be added to an existing pond or fish pond to make it more appealing. Like fountains, it adds the splashing sound of water to your garden. Waterfall gives a very relaxing and soothing effect on the mind. One can easily relax beside a garden waterfall after a hard day of work and get revitalized. It usually is creating by adding stones and boulders and adding a water flow. Like a fountain, a waterfall requires mechanisms to maintain constant water flow like pumps and filters. Adding a waterfall to a garden pond can also help to keep the water clean as it’s continuously flowing.
Garden Streams
Streams can be easily created in the garden along pathways or around pools. Water streams are normally created as a part of the overall garden water feature and a waterfall and a garden pond. The water from streams is made to flow in a waterfall, which then gets flowed into a garden pond. Different plants can be grown along a stream and garden pond to provide a small natural aquatic habitat for visual aesthetic purposes.
With years of experience, our experts can help you create any water features in your garden customized to your needs.
