About Fountain Pumps
This page is intended as a guide to fountain pumps, from choosing the right one, to care and troubleshooting. Here you will find frequently asked questions, pump repair instructions, and tips on extending the life of your pump.
Choosing the right pump for your fountain
Maintaining the life of your fountain pump
Pump FAQ's
My pump is humming or vibrating. How do I fix it?
No water is flowing from my fountain. How do I make it work again?
My pump is gurgling, or making other strange noises. How do I make it stop?
The tubing on my fountain is too large for the tube outlet on the pump! What do I do?
Why can't I find solar or battery operated pumps?
Choosing the Right Pump for Your Fountain
Sometimes, when trying to replace your fountain pump or purchase one for a fountain you're building yourself, choosing the right one can seem like a daunting task. Here are a few guidelines to follow to help you make the right choice with confidence.
The first thing to consider is the flow rate (gallons per hour, or GPH) that your fountain requires in order to produce an adequate water flow. This is explained further in the paragraphs below. The second is the 'head' height, which is the distance between the basin of the fountain and the water discharge point. This 'head' height is not affected by the depth of the basin the pump is placed in - only the point from which the tubing emerges from the water to the 'spout' at the top of the fountain. 'Max Head' refers to the very highest level to which a pump can raise water. At a pump's max head, it will yeild only a fraction of the flow and will not be adequate for fountain purposes. You must choose a pump with a max head higher than the height of your fountain. For example, if your fountain measures 2 feet from the level of the water in the basin to the discharge point, you will need a pump that has a max head of 3 feet or higher. Also pay attention to the 'tube outlet size', given in each fountain pump's description. This is represented in fractions of an inch and reflects the inside diameter. The tube outlet is the part that connects to the rubber hose, or tubing, that is included with your fountain.
For large outdoor fountains that require a powerful water flow, use the following guidelines: For each inch (25 centimeters) of stream width (the width of the stream of water that comes out) at the top of the fountain, choose a pump that will deliver 100 gallons of water per hour. Typically, you will want to choose a pump that provides 500 GPH per 3 feet of fountain height, or 'head'. These guidelines are best if you are building your own waterfall or similar outdoor feature. For large waterfalls that are being placed in ponds that hold hundreds of gallons of water, you may require a pump that can produce up to 2,000 gallons per hour.
However, smaller indoor features do not require as much water power; it would likely cause excessive splashing. Small tabletop fountains up to 10" in height typically require a pump with a GPH between 45 - 65. This will move the water easily up the height of the fountain and allow it to stream down the face of the fountain without splashing. Our WT-55-LV, WT-55-L and WT-65-L are perfect for this job, and have a flow adjustment switch on them so you can increase or decrease the force of the water flow as needed for your particular fountain and water sound preference. If your fountain is splashing excessively, your pump is too powerful for your fountain.
Medium sized fountains - whether tabletop, floor, or wall - up to 36" in height will require a pump with a GPH between 100 and 200. Once a fountain reaches a height taller than 12", it is better to choose a pump that may have a bit too much pressure rather than not enough, since these pumps also have flow adjustment switches and you can modify the flow as needed.
Larger floor and wall fountains, up to 6 feet in height, will require a GPH of 250 -345. If your fountain is between 6 and 7.5 feet in height, go with the WT-470.
Check out our Pump Comparison Chart for an easy way to determine how to choose the pump that's right for you.
My pump is humming or vibrating. How do I fix it?
First check to be sure the pump is fully submerged in the water. Next, be sure that the pump is not vibrating against the basin. You can isolate the pump using rubber matting (the kind used for kitchen purposes) or a Scotchbrite pad; just place it between the pump and the basin. This should quiet the pump.
No water is flowing from my fountain. How do I make it work again?
First, be sure that your pump has not become separated from the tubing. This will occasionally happen if your pump is not lying flat, and gravity pulls it away. Simply reconnect it. If it is already connected, try tapping the pump on a tabletop, or tapping the side of it with a butter knife. If the impeller came out of place slightly, this will knock it back into place and get it working again. If neither of these suggestions work, you will need to remove the pump and take it apart to clean it as specified in the pump repair instructions given below.
The pumps are submersible, and MUST be used while completely submersed in water. The water acts to cool the pump and maintain the proper operating temperature. Low water levels, frequently turning the fountain off and on, or poor fountain maintenance will contribute to a shorter pump life span. Dust and animal dander that gets into your fountain water can also accumulate inside a pump and cause it to stop working. A good way to keep this from happening is to cut a section of sheer pantyhose, slip the pump inside it, and tie off the ends tightly with rubber bands.
Often times, if a pump appears dead, it can be repaired by following these pump repair instructions:
- Unplug the pump. Remove any debris that has accumulated on the outside of the pump. You may need to scrub gently with a wash cloth. Stubborn algae can often be removed by soaking the pump in white vinegar or a solution of anti-algae water treatment and water.
- Remove the pump cover. For most pumps, the cover slides right off.
- Pull out the magnetic impeller. Remove any debris that may be wound around it or inside the shaft. Often, pet dander, algae and other debris keep the impeller from turning.
- Replace the impeller and cover. Your pump should now be clean and running optimally.
For more fountain pump help, see our Fountain Pump Comparison Chart.
My pump is gurgling, or making other strange noises. How do I make it stop?
Pumps make all kinds of noises when the water level is too low. This is because in addition to pulling in water from the basin in your fountain, it is also sucking in a little bit of air, which is then making its way through the tubing. Simply add more water to your fountain, until the noises stop.
When I turn my fountain off, the water in the basin over flows and goes all over the place! How do I fix this?
This is a good indication that you had way too much water in your fountain while it was running. Although you need to maintain a high enough water level for the pump to function properly, it shouldn't go up higher than ¾" from the rim of the basin. When you turn off your fountain, the water that was in the tubing and flowing down the face will empty into the basin, so if there's already too much water in there, it will overflow.
The tubing on my fountain is too tight for the tube outlet on the pump! How can I get the tubing onto the pump?
This happens every now and then, and is easy to fix. Remove the tubing from your fountain if you can. Boil some water, and place the end of the tube into it briefly. Do not place the whole tube in the water, only the end. Handle the hot tubing carefully! While it is still warm, it will stretch out a bit so you can slide it over the tube outlet on your pump easily. When it cools down it will go back to its normal size and form the watertight seal you need.
Why can't I find solar or battery operated pumps?
We at Kinetic Fountains work very hard to offer our customers the widest range of fountain products available. However, at the current time, the only solar and battery operated pumps sold individually on the market are not high enough quality for us to consider selling them. They are very hard to find, and the ones that are available are generally made overseas of low quality materials, and do not last very long. The manufacturer of our solar fountain products has chosen not to offer solar pumps individually at this time, and we have not found a manufacturer of battery operated pumps that meet our high standards of quality. We are aware of the demand for these items, and are constantly searching for new manufacturers so that we may be able to offer these to you in the near future. Solar products in particular are currently experiencing high market growth, and we are expecting that solar fountain pumps will be available from a variety of manufacturers in the near future. Please check back with us often.
Does the measurement given for the tube outlet on the pumps correspond to the INSIDE diameter of the tubing on my fountain, or the outside diameter?
This measurement corresponds to the inside diameter of the tubing on your fountain, not the outside diameter. This is because the tubing fits OVER the tube outlet, not into it.
What does FNPT and 'barb' size mean?
FNPT stands for 'female national pipe thread', which is a standard plumbing term. It means the threads will work with typical male threaded fittings of the same size. The 'barb' sizes correspond to the inside diameter of the tubing on your fountain (the barb would fit inside the end of the tube).
The tubing on my fountain is too large for the tube outlet on my pump. Do I have to buy a different pump?
If the tubing is too large, you can purchase 'screw clamps' from your local hardware store; they generally cost around $1.00 for a package of 2 or 3, and will fit around the tubing to clamp it tightly to the tube outlet. This is the standard method that fountain manufacturers use.
