There are several pumps available for indoor and outdoor fountains. Below are a few tips to help you find the right pump for your fountain.
You have possibly noticed "GPH" on your pump. This denotes "Gallons Per Hour." GPH tells you about the flow rate needed for your fountain’s adequate flow of water. The sort of pump you need buy will depend on the GPH. Such as, a table top fountain will be having a comparatively small GPH of 50-100. A larger fountain could have a GPH of 350-570.
You should know the "head height" of your fountain. The head height is the distance from the fountain basin to the water release point. The depth of the basin doesn’t affect the head height. You must measure that from the start of the tube, which is out of the water, to the definite point from where the water gets discharged. The "max head" means maximum height in which the water can be pushed up by the pump.
Always think of buying a pump that has a max head higher than your fountain. It is so that the water flow will be reduced at its maximum height. Such as, if you have a fountain that measures 4 feet from the basin to the water discharge point, you will need a pump which has a max head of approximately 5 to 6 feet. This will confirm that the water flow is strong enough at even four feet.
The size of outlet tube is also very important. The known outlet tube size will guarantee that the fountain tube will be fitted to the opening in the new pump. The dimension is the inner side diameter of the tube in the pump of the water fountain.
Most pumps in both indoor and outdoor water fountains come with a WT model number, which have a three pin plug. Pumps that are used exclusively for indoor fountains have pumps with a WP model number and mini jet pumps. Those come with a two pin plug.
Small sized indoor fountains do not need a large size GPH. If you are thinking of buying a powerful pump, it will likely result in extra splashing. Normally, table fountains around 10 inches would require only a GPH of 40-70.
The medium sized fountains (around 36 inches high) require a GPH of about 100-200. Large fountains (around 6 feet high) require a GPH of about 250-350. The common rule is that when a fountain goes over 12 inches, it will be better to buy a slightly extra powerful pump. The majority of the fountain pumps currently have switches which can control the water flow. So, you may adjust the flow of water according to your requirements and preferences.
A good quality fountain pump should last for a year or more. With proper maintenance and care it could last much longer.
