Pump question for unique situation.

[keyplayer]

thank you in advance for any guidance you can offer me!

Part of my new job is to get the pond/reflecting pools going at the condo building I work at and I have no idea what I am doing.

There are two pools, about 20 feet apart, one is about 3 feet deep and the other is less than a foot deep. The deeper one flows into the shallow one by gravity and the shallow one has a pump connected to a manifold that circulates the water and returns it to the larger pool through five different outputs. The total volume of the pools is probably 1500 gallons. The manifold looks to be about a 5/8 connection, or a typical garden hose width.

The pump they had previously was a 10 amp 1/4 hp utility pump that is now completely dead, so I am tasked with buying the new pump. I know that is the wrong kind of pump, but I am very confused as to what is the correct pump.

 

[keyplayer]

A 1/6 or 1/4 (max.) HP domestic sump pump should work fine IF: (a) you increase the DIAMETER of the pressure line to something more reasonable (say 1-inch or more); and/or (b) you install a RELIEF VALVE at the outlet of the pump to control the water flow and pressure thereby reducing the STRAIN on the pump. The previous pump most likely burned out from trying to pump too much water through a too-small pipe. The Relief Valve can be adjusted to allow a portion of the excess pressure/volume to be directed back into its sump and allows you to control the amount flowing into the large basin without throttling the pump. Think about a heart trying to pump blood to a tourniquet-constricted limb!

 

[sissy]

I did similar with both my pumps a ball valve that lets some go the filter and some to the uv and som just dumps out to the bottom of the pond and other one has ball valve and 1 goes to the filter and the other 2 go to home made spitters

 

[Meyer Jordan]

A 1/6 or 1/4 (max.) HP domestic sump pump should work fine IF: (a) you increase the DIAMETER of the pressure line to something more reasonable (say 1-inch or more); and/or (b) you install a RELIEF VALVE at the outlet of the pump to control the water flow and pressure thereby reducing the STRAIN on the pump. The previous pump most likely burned out from trying to pump too much water through a too-small pipe. The Relief Valve can be adjusted to allow a portion of the excess pressure/volume to be directed back into its sump and allows you to control the amount flowing into the large basin without throttling the pump. Think about a heart trying to pump blood to a tourniquet-constricted limb!

The pump is actually pumping through Five (5) lines coming off of what appears to be a properly sized manifold for this size pump. Those Five (5) together total more ID than the One (1) main line to the manifold.
Assuming 1" or 1 1/4" inlet to manifold pipe size, 3/4" outflow piping using Five (5) lines is more than sufficient.

 

[Fireguy]

i read somewhere that sump pumps should not be used in ponds because they aren't meant to run continually and burn up. If I can just use a utility/sump pump and be done with it, that would be terrific!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

i read somewhere that sump pumps should not be used in ponds because they aren't meant to run continually and burn up. If I can just use a utility/sump pump and be done with it, that would be terrific!

You read correctly. Some will last in continuous operation, most won't. A submersible pump manufactured for continuous use in ponds and other applications would be what you require, between 1200 gph and 2000 gph.
http://www.pondandfountainworld.com/pumps-direct-drive-pumps-c-4163_4039_4191.html

 

[Usman]

submersible pumps are best cheap and easy to install , only drawback is maintenance and cleaning needed often .

inline external pumps will pass thru most of the waste without any clogging they are good if u need to suck water from one place to another or for more height. but they take more electricity as we are not using its full potential in most cases .

i will not recommend sump pump for continuous use unless u need for few hours a day