Information About Fountain Pumps

A Guide To Water Fountain Pumps

With the many fountain pumps that are on the internet, purchasing a replacement pump can be very overwhelming! Don't feel bad if you just aren't sure, we get many questions each and every day about how to chooose the right pump so we would love to help you too! We have put together some general guidelines on how to select a replacement pump.

(You will find detail about each fountain pump we carry on the product pages)

Fountain Pumps with a WT model number can be used for indoor and outdoor fountains. This means they will have a 3 pin plug. The WP pumps and Mini Jet Pumps are rated for indoor fountains only, only a 2 pin plug. You will also see that some pumps have an on/off switch on the cord while others you just have to unplug and plug back in. Keep this in mind when selecting a pump for your fountain or pond.
A common measurement to look at in a pump is the GPH when looking at the specs. This stands for Gallons Per Hour. and it determines the flow rate of your fountain. Example: a small tabletop fountain such as the Water Bell Fountain, would only need a pump that pushed 50-100 gallons per hour. A wall fountain such as the Inspiration Falls would need a larger pump like the WT 470 which pushes 370 Gallons Per Hour.
Very important, always look at the “Max Head” of the pump. This is the maximum height the pump will push water. You need to measure the height of the base where the pump sits in your fountain, up to the distribution unit. You will always want a pump with a max head higher than the height you need because at the Max Height the pumps water flow is no longer as strong. With a fountain that is 4.5 feet tall, I want my pump to have a max head of at least 5-6 feet so that the water flow is still strong at 4 feet and is powerful enough to cover the face of my fountain. In this case, the WT 345 with a max head of 8.1 would be plenty for my needs. (Keep in mind the width of the distribution unit as well. If you have a wide fountain, ie; 3+ feet wide, you will want a pump with a max head quite a bit stronger because the pump will have to push water the entire width as well as height of the fountain.
Also look at the tube size to be sure the tube that is included with your fountain will fit the opening of the pump. This is pretty standard but check just to be sure it will work. The measurement should be the inside diameter of the tube that came with your fountain.

As a note, all of fountain pumps we carry are adjustable so you will be able to adjust the flow speed of the pump. A flow speed set too high or a pump that is too powerful for your fountain will cause splashing.

We are always here to help you selection a new pump for your water fountain. We just need to know what water fountain you have or the dimensions as described above. You can simply email us your information or call us at 1-888-881-4668 and we will be happy to make a recommendation.

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