Buying
Pond Fountains for your pond or water garden requires a hefty investment, so choose with care. The following questions and answers will help you make an informed decision.
- What GPH value should my fountain pump have?
GPH stands for gallons per hour and denotes the rate at which the pump moves water. The higher this rate, the better, but note that the maximum head of the fountain, which refers to the height that the pumped water can reach, is even more important. Chose a pump with a low head and your fountain will turn out to be a pitiful trickle.
- What value should the head of the fountain pump be?
Measure the height of your
Otterbine Aerating Fountains, and make sure it exceeds it a little. Consider also where the pump will be sitting. If you’ll place it under the fountain, you will need to account for those few inches under water by increasing the maximum lift of the pump. The head pump is noted as HP preceded by a figure standing for meters/feet; so 5HP would mean a head pump of 5 meters.
- Where in the pond should I put the fountain?
In a round or oval pond, a fountain looks best in the center, assuming of course that there are no rocks or shrubs that will mask it. But if you have an irregular pond, put it where you think it looks best and can function without disturbing the plants.
- What height should the fountain spray have?
To make sure that the water spray won’t reach your lawn, choose a fountain pump that can lift the water at a height that doesn’t exceed half the diameter of the pond. So if your pond is circular and has a diameter of 4 feet, the height of the fountain spray should be below 2 feet.
- What water spray pattern should I get?
Consider the size of your pond. A fountain that sprays water in all directions will look magnificent, but unless your water garden or pond is wide, it won’t fit. Fountains that spray water high are excellent for narrow water gardens.
- What types of fountains are there?
Most water garden/pump fountains you’ll find in stores are either decorative or aerating. Decorative fountains provide some aeration, but they are mostly focused on adding beauty to your water garden, by spraying water in beautiful patterns. Good quality products like the
Kasco Aerating Fountains offered by Living Water Aeration come with several interchangeable nozzles that you can use to give the fountain different patterns. Aerating fountains are decorative too, but they also keep the water clean and oxygenated by moving it all the time. Living Water Aeration offers Otterbine Aerating Fountains that come with elegant water patterns and can work in even in 75cm of water. You might also want to consider fire or light fountains. They are wonderful at night. Good luck finding the right fountain for your water garden or pond!
