Removing a common pond pump hassle ... get rid of the sponge
Most pond pumps have a drawback ... and that is the sponge on the suction side that needs cleaning frequently to make sure the pump flow rate is maintained. This sponge is installed into most pumps to protect the impellor from damage that could be caused if a stone or twig got sucked into the pump. Since the impellor is rotating at high speed any contact with the impellor could seriously damage the rotating device. This is the basic reason why impellors are rarely guaranteed by any pump manufacturer.
The sponge serves no other useful purpose (with exception that it does create a small area for beneficial bacteria to grow on). Sorry I tell a lie .... when you use a pump to give a sprinkling type fountain in a pond the sponge also reduces the incidence of the fountain nozzles blocking up due to small particle getting trapped in the fountain nozzles.
Well now I have very good news for South African pond owners .... for almost 12 months in my own garden I have been testing a brand new range of pumps from my Italian manufacturer that do not need a sponge at all. In the total test period I have only cleaned out the new pump once. This gave me the confidence to introduce the range to the market and the first batch of pumps is about to arrive. Below is a picture of what the design looks like along with more information on performance. We call the series "Easy Jet" Pond Pumps to reflect the absence of hassles experienced with most other pumps (including those I sell at present which have sponges installed).
This range of pumps has been made possible by major improvements in impellor design using modern materials of construction that can handle "collisions" with small size solids without increasing power consumption and without breaking ... called vortex impellors. In summary the new pumps are ...
Far more robust and guarantee has been increased form 2 to 3 years
Design is extremely user friendly and modern in appearance and function
Pump has swivel outlet this outlet can be rotated through 90 degrees so that flow can come out of side if necessary instead of the top as is conventional
Head and Volume flow performance is superb
Power consumption is minor
Flows up to 5,000 litres per hour are made possible (my range at present only goes up to 4000 lph)
One model comes equipped with an underwater spotlight built in as an optional extra