Pond Pump: Troubleshooting Guide

Your pond pump is the heart of your pond’s filtration system, so when your pond pump stops working this can often cause panic to set in. However, you don’t need to rush out and buy a new one straight away. Some (in fact, many) pond pump issues can be fixed yourself, without it having to be replaced. 

Here at Pond Planet, we’ve put together some pond pump troubleshooting tips for you to follow before you start browsing our pond pump range for a new replacement.

Is Your Pump Receiving Water?

One of the leading causes of a pond pump failure is that the pump is not receiving the water it requires to pump it around the pond.

If your pump isn’t receiving water then it’s good to check nothing is blocking it. Blanketweed, leaves, stones and other debris can easily clog up a pond pump and block the water from flowing. Make sure to strip the pump down, remove the pump casing, impeller housing and impeller itself and inspect each part for damage or blockage, give everything a good clean and reassemble.

Is The Impeller Damaged?

The second most common cause for pump failure is damage to the impeller. Remove the impeller and inspect for any obvious damage. If there is nothing obvious it’s time to test whether the impeller’s clutch has failed. To do this hold the magnetic part of the impeller and spin the blades, if they spin freely in more than one complete revolution then the clutch has failed and a replacement impeller will be required.

Luckily, any damage done to a part of your pump can often be replaced, without having to buy a brand new pump entirely. Check out our range of pond pump spares and see if we can help you save money whilst getting your pond pump back to full health. It’s also recommended to replace the impeller every two years, to avoid having any issues that might stop your pump.

Is the Pond Pump Air-Locked?

As the pond pump moves water through it, it’s really easy for air bubbles to form and get trapped within it. You can easily untrap the air bubble by manoeuvring the pump until it is released and, if the pump is air-locked, you should have it up and running again.

Is The Pump’s Electricity Supply Working?

Electrical supplies can often cause issues with pond pumps. If your pond pump isn’t running there’s a chance, there could be something wrong with the electricity supply.

Make sure to turn off the source before you begin to check the problems as faulty electrical supplies can be very dangerous.

• If you’re using any type of extension cord, these can often cause irregular power and could be causing issues for your pump.
• It’s also useful to check the electric box to see if it could have tripped the power supply to the pump.
• Take a close look for any damages to your electrical cords leading from the pond pump, ensuring they’re all still intact and safe. If there are any breakages, splits or issues with the electrical cords, make sure not to use them again as this can be dangerous.
• Listen out for obscure sounds the pond pump might be making, does the motor sound like it could be struggling? If so, and you’ve checked for blockages, it may be because the pump isn’t getting the power it needs to run.

Could your Pond Pump be Overheating?

It’s critical with a submersible pump to make sure it is entirely within the pond water as this keeps them cool and prevents overheating. When not fully submersed, most pond pumps will continue to run despite not having any water surrounding it, causing overheating that could damage the pond pump more permanently.

If it seems like it may be overheating, unplug your pond pump completely and submerge into cold water for approximately half an hour. This will soon help it to cool down and hopefully have it back in working order.

Is Your Pond Pump Making a Funny Noise?

If you’ve followed our troubleshooting guide so far and your pond pump is still making a funny noise, despite functioning, then there are a few more things you can do. If not caused by blockages, overheating, or a faulty power supply, the noise may simply be from the vibrations hitting off the surrounding surface.

This problem may be solved as simply as moving the pump to a different location or placing some sort of foam or mat underneath the pump to stop it from vibrating on the ground beneath the pond liner.

If these steps have failed?

Our guide covers all the basics for the health of your pond pump to stop regular pond pump mishaps from costing you too much to fix. However, if our troubleshooting guide doesn’t help fix the problem and you’ve reached the end then, sadly, it may be time for an upgrade.

Thankfully, at Pond Planet we’d made this stressful time a bit easier by putting together a great, full range of pond pumps. Choose the best option for your pond today and get ready for a new, fully functioning pump that will have your pond back to its best health.