After you have had a fountain a while, you may find yourself in a situation in which you need to replace the pump on your fountain. You have several options when it comes to replacing a fountain pump, but you need to be sure that you are selecting the correct pump for your fountain.
Most pumps on fountains go out because the fountain has been allowed to run dry. Pumps are not designed to work unless they are immersed in water and allowing the pump to run dry will quickly burn it up. You can usually tell when you need to add water to the fountain because the pump will be making a gurgling sound. If the pump burns up, you will have to purchase a new one and replace it. Pumps are also supposed to be cleaned on occasion as well and you do this by opening the impeller case on the pump and removing any built up sediment.
Many people will wonder how much water they need versus the size of the pump that they need. This depends on how hard you want your water to flow. For indoor fountains you will find a recommended flow on the packaging when you purchase the fountain. For waterfall fountains, a good rule of thumb is that you need 100 gallons of water per hour at the height you are pumping. For example, if you have a large 12" wide waterfall that is 3 feet tall, you will need a pump that can pump 1200 gallons of water per hour at three feet.
Outdoor pumps should always be grounded with a 3-wire plug. Indoor fountains may have either 2-wire or 3-wire plugs. If you are trying to hide the cord and you have an indoor fountain, you should be okay with a 2-wire plug as they are easy to hide. Some retail stores require 3-wire plugs no matter what type of fountain it is. Thick cords on these pumps can be hidden by decorations such as stones, plants, etc.
The best way to keep from having to replace your pump is to be sure that you check the water level of your fountains on a regular basis, whether they are indoor, outdoor, floor or wall fountains. All fountains will have some evaporation occur and will need to have water added regularly to keep them from drying up and burning out your pump.
