How to: Choose the Right Pump for a Waterfeature

When creating a waterfall feature and sizing the correct pump you must establish a couple of fundamental aspects to your design.

1. Head or height in meters - measured from the surface of the water to the highest point.
2. Width of feature
3. Desired effect; sheer or projected descent
4. Nominal flow rate to produce desired effect
5. Size of pipes to deliver nominal flow

For our example of the 300mm wide projected waterfall you will need a pump that will deliver no less than 3000L/hr at 1m head, per 300mm.

For a sheer decent work on the principal of 3000L/hr per 1000mm. 

When choosing the right pump:

For your water feature, choose a pump that is bigger than what is required for flow. It is easier to reduce the amount of flow to the water feature, as opposed to not having enough flow. The excess flow can be controlled via the throttle on the pump to deliver what is required.

E.g. if your feature requires 3000 L/hr @ 1m head, choose a pump that can deliver 3500 to 4000 L/hr at 1m head.

When choosing the right pipe size:

Always use as large a bore size hose as you can, especially if there is a long run of hose that has to be used.

If you require any assistance choosing the right pump for your requirements call us on 1800 244 389 and we will guide you through it.