martin-green
Member
- Joined
- 8 Aug 2011
- Messages
- 296
I posted this on its own as it is a separate debate, not a reply to Jorge.
I was not 100% sure of airlift pumps, so I have been "having a look round" and what follows is what I have found, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong, or similar.
Air lift pump:
1)They use an air pump instead of a water pump.
2) They have to be custom/diy built (For ponds)
3) They do use less energy
4) They only work with rigid pipes
5) Big capacity air pump often required
6) Can be noisy
Filter pump:
1) They pump water directly from A to B
2) Buy one, fit forget*
3) Use more energy than an air pump
4) Can use rigid or flexible pipe or mixture
5) Big is not always required
6) Silent as they are underwater
I have watched a few videos of air lift pumps being constructed and used, I liked one in particular that was designed to float. (Well the top part did, it had "pool noodles" cut and cable tied to it) But it was not pleasing to the eye and the whole thing spoilt the look of the pond. I note it also had to be dragged round the pond via a string, so it could clean the entire pond. I had noticed with air lift pumps, they don't seem to lift very well and need to be repositioned to be any real use? (To get all debris)
Air lift pumps don't seem to be able to clear the pond surface, a filter pump can have a pond skimmer attached, so they are working 24/7
Filter pumps draw in water from all around sending everything up to the biological filter, for really big ponds some filters have "satellite" pumps (An empty pump cage that can connect to the main pump, but is connected by flexible hose, so it can be a short distance away.)
There appears to be no set design for an airlift pump, so you have to "experiment" to find out what works best for you/your pond, no need for that with a filter pump.
I never have much cared for gravel filters in ponds (Air lift pumps seem almost ideal for these.) I made my own "spider" gravel filter for my pond many many years ago, it was fun building it, but no fun a few years later having to pump out the pond, remove all the gravel and clean it, then put it all back, yes, in a fishtank they are suitable and easy to clean (as they are smaller) but I would never recommend one for a pond.
I should also point out that in this debate, the submersible pump I suggest is a filter pump, not a sump pump or a pump for a water feature. Filter pumps have a "cage" with large holes and a clever impeller that can easily pump high volumes of water and debris to the filter.
I would say for anyone thinking of building a pond, sit back and draw it out first, there are lots of things to consider, in particular think of its filtration, if an airlift pump is really good, why haven't more people got one?
* Will need periodic cleaning, but so will everything else.
I was not 100% sure of airlift pumps, so I have been "having a look round" and what follows is what I have found, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong, or similar.
Air lift pump:
1)They use an air pump instead of a water pump.
2) They have to be custom/diy built (For ponds)
3) They do use less energy
4) They only work with rigid pipes
5) Big capacity air pump often required
6) Can be noisy
Filter pump:
1) They pump water directly from A to B
2) Buy one, fit forget*
3) Use more energy than an air pump
4) Can use rigid or flexible pipe or mixture
5) Big is not always required
6) Silent as they are underwater
I have watched a few videos of air lift pumps being constructed and used, I liked one in particular that was designed to float. (Well the top part did, it had "pool noodles" cut and cable tied to it) But it was not pleasing to the eye and the whole thing spoilt the look of the pond. I note it also had to be dragged round the pond via a string, so it could clean the entire pond. I had noticed with air lift pumps, they don't seem to lift very well and need to be repositioned to be any real use? (To get all debris)
Air lift pumps don't seem to be able to clear the pond surface, a filter pump can have a pond skimmer attached, so they are working 24/7
Filter pumps draw in water from all around sending everything up to the biological filter, for really big ponds some filters have "satellite" pumps (An empty pump cage that can connect to the main pump, but is connected by flexible hose, so it can be a short distance away.)
There appears to be no set design for an airlift pump, so you have to "experiment" to find out what works best for you/your pond, no need for that with a filter pump.
I never have much cared for gravel filters in ponds (Air lift pumps seem almost ideal for these.) I made my own "spider" gravel filter for my pond many many years ago, it was fun building it, but no fun a few years later having to pump out the pond, remove all the gravel and clean it, then put it all back, yes, in a fishtank they are suitable and easy to clean (as they are smaller) but I would never recommend one for a pond.
I should also point out that in this debate, the submersible pump I suggest is a filter pump, not a sump pump or a pump for a water feature. Filter pumps have a "cage" with large holes and a clever impeller that can easily pump high volumes of water and debris to the filter.
I would say for anyone thinking of building a pond, sit back and draw it out first, there are lots of things to consider, in particular think of its filtration, if an airlift pump is really good, why haven't more people got one?
* Will need periodic cleaning, but so will everything else.
but I think to am pretty close to guessing the already-mentioned DIY issue and diving into the unknown... Most people like the off-the-shelf plug-and-play stuff the most. And rather go with what the professional advises and delivers off-the-shelf. Airlift needs a particular design and regular submersible pumps give more freedom in this... Then I guess professional pond builders steer away from the airlift concept because they don't want to overcomplicate it and since it's a lot cheaper than all other offered filter systems keep up the urnings and the marketing. Selling a 30 watt airpump and some PVC tubes doesn't bring much bread on the table.
