How to Keep Your Pond Pump from Clogging this Fall

Your pond pump is an essential part of what keeps your favorite ecosystem functioning. During the fall, it has to work extra hard to try to combat all the leaves, sticks and other falling debris bombarding your pond on a daily basis.

Because of all the falling debris, your pump would probably need to be cleaned out daily just to keep the water flowing. Not only is that a time-consuming process, but it can really disturb the ecosystem you’ve worked so hard to create.

Since your pond pump takes care of your fish and pond plants, what can you do to take care of it during this strenuous season?

You can change the size of your filter screen, but if you have a significant amount of debris coming off the trees around your pond, it’s unlikely that this will make much of a difference. A better idea is to get in there and give your pump an extra hand. Instead of waiting for it to filter everything, you can manually clear out the leaves and other material a couple times a week.

Using a pond skimmer can get things on the surface, but you can even go a step further and remove matter from the pond floor using a swimming pool leaf-raking net, or some other similar device. This will cloud the water temporarily, so you may want to follow it by exchanging out some of the pond water.

If you find that this isn’t enough to combat all the crazy debris falling off the trees and plants in your backyard, you may even want to consider redirecting your pond pump system outside of your pond to an external basin. Sink your basin of choice into the ground a few feet away from your pond. You can connect it to your pond either with an underground pipe, or an aboveground PVC pipe. By placing your pond pump inside this basin, the water will be drawn into it, and the accompanying debris will be trapped.

Take care of your pond pump this fall, and it will take care of you. For more tips on how to stay on top of pond maintenance for this busy season, contact a pond supplies professional today.

*Image provided by Wonderlane on Flickr.

Seasonal Pond Pump Maintenance

Taking care of your pump is not a one-time endeavor. It’s important to do seasonal pond pump maintenance to make sure that it your machine is properly prepared for the conditions that come with changing temperatures.

Fall

During fall you’ll need to be extra vigilant about removing leaves and other falling debris from the surface of your pond. If this detritus is allowed to pile up, it has the potential to clog your pond pump's filter, which can result in all kinds of nasty problems.

Winter

Unless you live in a very temperate climate (in which case you probably aren’t interested in an article about seasonal pond pump maintenance), winter is a time for shutting down your pump and storing it. If your pond has the potential to freeze, you don’t want your pump anywhere near it. Frozen water can cause internal pump pieces to freeze and break.

Spring

Your pond pump has been in storage for a while, so examine it closely for signs of damage or wear. Look at the power cord and cables, filter, pump housing and the complete exterior. Then give the pump a thorough cleaning from the inside out. Get rid of any accumulated dirt or grime, especially inside the pump where the impeller is housed.

Summer

The only maintenance that must be done during summer is cleaning. The frequency with which you should clean your pump will vary based on the size of your pond and its location in your yard. Be proactive about cleaning to keep your pump in optimal working condition.

Have questions about your pond pump or other important pond supplies? Contact us today.