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Running a Pump Part-Time to Save on Electricity

Running a Pump Part-Time to Save on Electricity

Just about everyone is looking for ways to save money on their monthly bills - and you might think that turning off your pond's pump every night is one way to stretch some of your hard-earned cash.

Think again!

Though most pumps do cost a nominal amount of money to run 24/7, if you shut yours down each night, you could be affecting your pond's water quality and your fishes' wellness, and that could cost you even more in the long run. Check out these top four reasons why you should keep your pump pumping:

  1. Efficiency: Pond pump manufacturers understand that water gardeners are concerned about operating costs, so many of the designs on the market today are energy efficient and consume relatively little electricity. Pumps that used to cost $100 a month or more to run have been replaced by models that cost as little as $12 a month. Now that's some serious savings!

  2. Filtration: In order for your filtration system to function properly, it needs moving water flowing through it - so if your pump is off, your water's not moving or being filtered, and that could do some damage to your pond's inhabitants. Plus, if all the water drains out of your filter, you could wind up with a loss of the beneficial bacteria that live on the media inside.

  3. Settled Debris: Moving water helps to keep debris suspended in the water column and pulled through the skimmer and filter for efficient removal. But if the pump is turned off, that debris will settle to the bottom of the pond and build up, creating a dense food source for nuisances like algae.

  4. Oxygen Depletion: Still, quiet water - even just during the overnight hours - means that fewer water molecules are circulating and making contact with oxygen-rich air at the pond's surface. The stagnant water will be unable to release dangerous gases, like ammonia, and absorb life-giving oxygen. Moving water, however, ensures those molecules keep churning and exchanging bad gases for good.

If you still feel like you should shut down your pump each night, at least keep an aerator, like The Pond Guy Pond Aerator, running to keep the water circulating. An aeration kit consumes even less electricity than pumps - costing only pennies per month.