You want to build a new fountain but how do you know which pump you will need?
You have to first know how big or small your fountain is going to be.
Let's show some examples.
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Fountain Number 1;
This is a small tabletop fountain and it will be around 10" tall when finished. For this fountain you only need the water to go up and then down without all the splashing that is "allowed" as in an outdoor fountain.
The pump that will work for this fountain is a pump with a GPH ( gallon per hour ) of 45 - 65. This will move the water to the top quite easily and you won't have all that splashing. Pumps for small indoor tabletop fountains should have a waterflow adjustment on them so you can regulate the flow if needed.
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Fountain Number 2;
This fountain is a medium size fountain. Still a tabletop fountain but larger that the small tabletop fountain. This fountain will go up 20+ inches but no more than 36". You need a pump that "can" go up 36".
You want to be able to adjust the water flow on this pump. When you start going up higher it is always better to have too much pressure than not enough. This is why you need to know the pump you are purchasing does have a waterflow adjustment on it. For this fountain the pumps GPH ( gallon per hour ) should be from 100 GPH to 200 GPH.
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Fountain Number 3;
You are building an outdoor fountain with an area 8' x 6' and is 2' deep. This is pretty large but a good size for an outdoor fountain.
This is a simple fountain and you want to have a fountain head in the center, that's it.
The pump only has to move the water from the bottom to the top of the fountain head and be able to make the fountain head operate properly. For this pump you would need a pump with a filter and a GPH ( gallon per hour ) of 180 to 250. This will have enough pressure to operate the fountain head quite nicely. For this pump although most do come with a waterflow adjustment, you don't need that feature because you want all the pressure the pump will put out.
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Fountain Number 4;
This fountain is a little more elaborate. You want the fountain head but would also like to have a waterfall. We'll stay with the same size pond area of 8' x 6' x 2' deep.
Only with this fountain you want the pump to do 2 jobs. You can also use 2 pumps but the cost of a good pump is usually less than the combine cost of 2 pumps. You also need a (T) this would go just above the pumps spout.
This will divert the water into two uses. The fountain head will be right on top of the (T) and the part of the (T) will go to the waterfall. You can use PVC or vinyl tubing for the run to the waterfall. PVC will be more durable. The waterfall would be approximately 4' away from the pump and go up around 3' high. You want the water to flow up and over some rocks and then back down into the pond area. For this type of application you would need a good pump with a filter and have a GPH ( gallon per hour ) of 1000 and up. Remember this is doing the job of 2 pumps! You will have a very unique and beautiful fountain.
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You can find pumps for all these applications by going to Fountains n Slate.
We carry pumps for every fountain from the smallest tabletop fountain to the largest outdoor fountain.
To view our pumps, click on these links; United Pumps, Fountain Pro Pumps and Outdoor Fountain Pumps!
To return to our Pumps Information Page, click on this link!
