“Submersible pond pumps are best suited to small to medium sized garden ponds with approximately  200 – 800 gallons of water The superior and better choice in pond pumps is one of the external kind as over all they are more powerful and less costly to run on a yearly basis. Submersible pond pumps are often the best choice for the small or medium garden pond as  they connect easily to most of the submersible pond filters that are available for small to medium sized garden ponds.”

Or at least this is what most pond books and websites tell you, I started “ponding” long before it became the popular garden trend that it is today. That was about 15 years ago that long ago there was no such beast as the internet merely bulletin boards and they were a new thing. What I am trying to say, is there was not the vast amounts of knowledge to be accessed at the flick of a switch that there is now . All my pond and garden knowledge I  have gained by hands on trial and error experiences, the invaluable resource of the internet came much later . In fact  it is only  recently that I have sort knowledge from the net about building a new garden pond ,as we have found it  necessary because of  the building of a  subdivision around my once private garden, to fill in my very large old garden pond and patio ,and build a new smaller one in the center of my garden which is now the least overlooked spot. Despite the fact that the new pond will be only about 40ft from where the old garden pond was located  the conditions could not be more different . So I started to do some research on the net as to whether my current pond pump would still be adequate to do the job. In the old pond because it was largely in the shade a veggie filter and a 35 ft stream bed filled with other plants were the ponds only filter system .The new garden pond though considerably smaller in surface area  is much deeper than the old one but is in full sun, so will probably need some kind of powered bilogical filter, and I was wondering if I would have to replace my pond pump.

Some of the information that  I came up with, if I did not know lets say a little about garden ponds and pond pumps  etc already, then some of what I found on the internet would be dreadfully misleading to say the least .Most search engines through up mainly US results which I don’t have a problem  with except living in Canada as I do, I could not buy anything from these sites even if I wanted to. But that aside most of these pond websites both manufacturers and hobbyist sites alike, all appear to be from or authored by people who live in warmer climates,  where the average pond depth is only 2 ft. Many retail sites selling koi pond kits, some with  prices as high as $3,500.

These pond kits  came with liners included but the liners were  not big enough for the size of pond they are saying you can build with these koi pond kits, as they do not allow any over lap on any side, for the liner to be kept in place by either rocks or coping stones. To be able to create a pond with the supplied liner you would have to make it 4ft smaller in both width and length, making the pond pump that comes in the kit way to big for the pond . These so called koi pond kits only allow for a maximum depth of two feet, koi prefer deeper water , even in warm climates a  minimum of 3ft 6 is probably the  minimum if not more as they prefer cooler water .

All across the net I have found numerous sites maintaining  that a 2 ft deep pond is adequate for fish a plant health without qualifying these statements as to area or temperature. So if you are a wanna be  garden  ponder living  in places where ice doesn’t form on the pond in winter where temperatures don’t fall below zero you are ok.   It is not just here in Canada that we see harsh winters many places in the States do too and for any newbie pond enthusiast living in cold winter areas who have taken their instruction from these sites will be very bitterly unhappy in the spring time when the thaw reaveals a pond full of dead fish. If you are new to gardening and keeping a garden pond please take my advice and double check even triple check that the advice and pond building instructions you are following are meant for your area . And even when that is said and done do not take anything as gospel what works for one may not work for another. A lot of aspects of owning a garden pond are trial and error one of the commonest statements I see made on many websites around the net is “build the biggest garden pond you can from the get go, as you will only want a bigger one later”. This is absolutely true ,if you end up falling in love with owning a garden pond, but what if you don’t ?  my advice is the complete opposite . Start off with a small  garden pond, if you discover that you do not like pond keeping a three by three foot hole is a lot easier to fill in than a 30x 10 4ft deep hole is.  A big garden pond requiring an expensive pond pumps and filters not to mention the expanse of pond liner  a large garden pond requires is no joke . A large garden pond is  a lot harder to maintain than a small one , if you cannot cope with the small version a giant pond will not be easier . You have to love the hobby its not just a piece of garden decor that you can place and walk away from, a pond is a mini eco system or or wild life habitat within your garden ,yes garden ponds do make beautiful garden decor and focal points for your yard but they are not labor free .

I apologize, I have ranted a little and I have departed from the original intended  topic of  this post which was Submersible pond pumps vs. External pond pumps but we’ve kind of ended up there anyway I have read on many websites that
“Submersible pond pumps are best suited to small to medium sized garden ponds with approximately  200 – 800 gallons of water. The superior and better choice in pond pumps is one of the external kind, as over all they are more powerful and less costly to run on a yearly basis . Submersible pond pumps are often the best choice for the small or medium garden pond as  they connect easily to most of the submersible pond filters that are available for small to medium sized garden ponds.”

Not to rock the boat but in general I don’t agree the above statement once again is way too generalized and is although it doesn’t say so it is once again appears to be tailored to garden ponds in warmer areas they are talking of cost savings on running a external pond pump 24 /7 365 days a year well certainly then, there ,certainly would ultimately, be some be some cost advantage. But unfortunately we ponders who live in colder areas do not get to run our pond pumps 12 months a year and it would take considerably longer to make back the much more substantial outlay for an external  pump over the comparatively cheaper submersible pond pump.

Submersible pond pumps require no plumbing skills unless you count attaching one end of a piece of flexible hose to the pond pump outlet and the other to the filter inlet as plumbing, if you do then steer well clear of all external pond pumps as they require real and in my opinion considerable plumbing skills . Submersible pond pumps you just plonk them  in the pond and off they go. There is no worry over priming them nor is there  worry about them losing prime while you are away. You do not need to worry about taking in a submersible pond pump in the winter time if your pond is deep enough all you have to do is turn it off  and back on in the spring after the thaw . In cold winter areas external pond pumps must be dismantled and all the water drained from the piping to ensure the pipes don’t freeze and burst over the winter . External pond pumps and their rigid piping also must be hidden from view in some way, in my opinion external pond pumps make more noise than submersible pond pumps or at least all the ones I have experience of have. Submersible pond pumps are generally  less expensive and easier to install. However, some claim that overall they may cost more to operate and usually don’t last as long as external pond pumps this has not been my experience. I do not see any hyro spike on the months I run my pond pump my electricity charges appear not to increase at al,l and the  submersible pond pump I am currently using this will be  its 12th year original cost back then was around $90.

Many  variables may determine the longevity of use of a submersible pond pump. How dirty the water is , how often the pump is removed from the water and cleaned , whether it operates on a  continuous or intermittent basis all these factors contribute to the  life expectancy  of a submersible pump. As stated earlier mine is now in its 12th year the only thing that I do that may of prolonged the life of my pond pump is rather than let it sit directly on the pond bottom I house it in two small  black bins one inside the other the pond pump residing in the smaller bucket.   A  hole in the lids through which the power cable and the hose pass the sides of the bins  are drilled   with smaller holes the water passes through the holes and into the uptake of the  pump the outer bucket serves to protect and trap any large debris between it and the inner bucket and prevent it also from going back into the pond ,usually I haul the contraption out and hose the pond pump   down every other week even though more often than not it doesn’t need it.

External pond pumps are generally claimed to be more  energy efficient and longer lasting, but involve a little more plumbing than a submersible pond pump and you will usually as stated previously  purely for aesthetic purposes  most people try  to find a way of hiding or disguising the pump from view. as they are not a thing of beauty in most peoples opinion.
As is the case with most things the final decision is yours one way of reaching a decision would be to work out the cost, how long would you have to run an external pond pump before you made back its extra cost by its supposed more frugal energy requirements.

You can calculate the operating costs of any pond  pump by using this formula: amps x volts divided by 1000 x KWH cost x 24 hours-a-day x 30.4 days-per-month = cost per month.
The information for the formula can be found actually  the label found on the pond pump itself it should also be printed on the packaging of the pond pump.
If the pond pump is rated in watts rather than  amps which is sometimes the case use this formula: watts divided by 1000 x kWh x 24 hours-a-day x 30.4 days-per-month.

KWH is the kilowatt-hour cost, which is particular to area but should be printed somewhere on your  hydro bill or you can call your local hydro supply company and ask them what it is.

What ever type of pond pump you decide to go with whether it is a submersible pond pump or an external pond pump make sure it is correctly  sized for your garden pond water volume and all the toys you want it to run such as spitters and fountains waterfalls weirs streams and of course don’t forget your pond filter. What ever way you decide to go  happy ponding.