Choosing a pump for a water feature
The first decision to make is to decide what job the pump is needed for:

• Supplying a waterfall or stream
• Supplying a different kind of water feature such as a water spitter

Pumps with a flow rate of up to about 2000 litres per hour in the Blagdon and Libel ranges tend to be multipurpose and they are often used to supply a water feature such as a spitter where a thin spout of water is sufficient. The flow from these multipurpose pumps can be controlled by using the first section of the fountain kit which incorporates a flow adjuster. On the down side the smaller and cheaper pumps tend to have a sponge filter which gets blocked easily and needs squeezing out every few weeks to maintain a decent flow rate, although the sponge can be a good thing for a small fountain as it stops the fountain nozzles getting clogged. Tornado offer a range of small feature pumps which are high pressure and specially designed for water features such as spitters. They are capable of pushing water vertically to a good height and have an integral flow adjuster

Larger pumps, generally those with a flow over 2000 litre per hour, usually have no sponge filter, instead they can handle solid particles up to about 8mm diameter without becoming clogged, and the plastic cage round them stops larger particles entering the pump. The only maintenance these need is a quick brush to clean the outer case/cage, or you can fire a high pressure hose at it to get it clean. A good tip is to raise your pump off the floor of the pond by standing it on bricks or something similar to keep it from getting blocked with fallen leaves etc.  The bigger pumps tend to be good at either moving a lot of water at low pressure quickly (e.g. Tornado SPF and the Powermax ranges) which are ideal for supplying a stream or waterfall, or the high pressure pumps, often called 'feature pumps' (e.g. Tornado SPE range), are good at shooting water vertically upwards to power a spitter or similar water feature. For fountains use the multipurpose pumps which include fountain accessories or jet kits (Blagdon Mini Pond range, Libel, Elimax and Tornado SPX range)

What size pump to choose
The manufacturer always states the maximum flow rate of a pump as the headline figure, but this is at ground level, the higher the water has to be pumped before it exits the hose (called the head) the less the pumping capacity.  A waterfall, stream or any other type of water feature which is quite a lot higher than ground level will need a much bigger pump to supply the correct amount of water, so take this into account when choosing how big a pump you need - more power is always better than less. Most pumps have a chart on the side of the box which states the water flow at different heights (if you require this information and it is not provided in the online description give us a ring on 01302 783434 so we can find it for you).

Choosing a pump for a waterfall or stream
A multipurpose pump or low pressure filter pump e.g. Powermax range can double up as a good way of supplying a waterfall or stream because the filtered water can be returned to the pond via these water features without any detriment, but choose a pump powerful enough at the delivery height (the top of the waterfall) to give a decent flow of water. For every 25mm width of stream/waterfall you will need a pump that can deliver 250 litres of water per hour at the top of the waterfall, otherwise you can end up with a trickle that just doesn't look attractive. Example: a stream 250mm wide needs a pump that delivers 2500 litre per hour at the top of the fall.  The hose width also affects the water flow, a wider hose reduces the pressure and allows a more efficient delivery of water and a better flow, narrow hoses restrict the flow so given a choice always choose the widest hose which is practical