Pond Fountain Info

7. Why do you say it is absolutely essential to have the pump hooked up to a GFI? What is a GFI?

A GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter) is a device that cuts the electrical current when there is even a slight loss of current. These are found in many kitchens and baths where water is present. They have a ‘Test’ and ‘Reset’ buttons on the face. GFIs differ from a fuses or circuit breaker in that these devices interrupt the current when they overheat. This may take a second or two, but this can be a lifetime if someone is in contact with a hot wire. There are usually many inexpensive ways to include a GFI.

8. Must I run the pump 24/7? Even in the winter?

In warmer weather, pumps should be run 24/7 to provide aeration. (Warm water holds less oxygen that cold water) In addition, the bacteria we are trying to colonize in the filter start to die after about 4 hours if they don’t get oxygenated water. In cold weather when the water temperature is 55 degrees or colder it is not important to run the pump all the time although you may want to if you have a skimmer. However, when you start up the system in spring you will need to reseed with bacteria.

9. Is there a rule-of-thumb on how to estimate how much water I what on the waterfall?
A good estimate is that for a waterfall a foot wide with water ¼ of an inch thick requires about 10 gallons per minute. Form this you can extrapolate to other widths and depths

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Thank you!

Jim Wilder

# posted by Jim Wilder @ 12:25 PM