Why Do I Need Pipe Fittings?
The vast majority of garden pond keepers will have at least 2 pieces of pond keeping equipment that they need to interconnect; a pond pump and biological filter, for example. In some instances they may have many items of equipment that need to be connected together.
There are a myriad of reliable, energy efficient pond pumps available to the water gardening market, these days. Many of these pumps are presold with the relevant pipe fittings included. If you are looking for a reliable pump model then I would recommend products from one of the following world renowned manufacturers:
- Hozelock Cyprio manufactures the Hozelock Cascade fountain pump and Hozelock Titan range of waterfall pumps, both of which are known for reliability and efficiency.
- Oase are a German manufacturer, considered to be by many the number 1 supplier of water gardening equipment in the world.
- Fish Mate (Animate) makes an excellent range of pond filter and waterfall pumps. They are particularly famous for their pond filter systems and their excellent Supra (Alfagrog) pond filter media.
As water flows from the pump through the pond tubing it will often need to change direction. In order to reduce flow restrictions and save on energy consumption use a fitting that has as smooth a bend as possible. No matter what pump model you use it will loose a bit of flow, for each and every fitting used in connecting equipment together. This is known as pressure drop.
Many pond keepers use what is known as a “T Piece” to split the water flow between 2 pieces of pond keeping equipment. This is a very bad idea! The 90 degree change in water flow causes significant pressure drop and flow restriction; akin to sprinting uphill, wearing heavy boots … Get the picture!
The golden rule when choosing fittings is to always to choose the widest diameter fitting you can; this once again is to lower the pressure drop and therefore maximize the possible amount of flow.
When you use a "Y" piece to split flow then this minimizes friction losses or pressure drop in the fitting. Note the inlet side (white) is of a wider diameter than the outlet and that the 2 outlets have what are called "stepped" fittings shown in red. The idea of the stepped fitting is to make it easier to attach the same fitting to different pipe diameters. Whenever you use any type of stepped fitting attach to the largest diameter pipe you can ... and then CUT OFF the smaller steps so that they do not impede water flow through the pipe and fitting.
Some "Y" fittings have inbuilt valves that allow you to control the flow, the direction of flow and the amount of flow split between the two legs. If you look closely at the picture opposite you will see 2 small in-line valves shown in black.
Which Pond Hose Tube Should I Use?
It is better to use opaque plastic tubing because clear plastic tubing allows sunlight to penetrate it. Algae will grow on the inside of any pipe tubing, providing there are nutrients and sunlight present. The algae colonize the inside of the tubing, reducing the internal diameter through which water is pumped. This yet again causes a pressure drop. Opaque tubing makes it very difficult for sunlight to penetrate and this in turn makes it difficult for algae to grow.
Very often you'll want to bend the pipe and is the second reason transparent pipe is normally not the best choice. The picture shown here is of a roll of ribbed flexible pipe that is perfect for pond keepers. When you bend this kind of pond hose it does not kink. The majority of transparent (see through) pond hose kinks very easily and the impact is a lower water flow to your waterfall or fountain.
All pipe whichever type you decide to use should be as short as possible and should be as wide as possible. By following these 2 simple rules you will ensure the best flow rates from your pump and will save yourself money in electricity costs.
When you attach pipe you'll often use what we is known as a Jubilee Clips; ensure that you use stainless steel, so as to avoid rusting and corrosion. If you have ever tried to remove a rusted clip off your garden hose pipe then you will know exactly what I mean.
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