| When I started in the waterfall and pond design & | | | | clients. |
| construction business in January of 1982, I was | | | | These easy-to-install, easy-to-make-a-killing liners |
| asking the same question. I had a slight advantage | | | | that come with a 20-50 year warranty (against |
| over most when it came to answering the | | | | factory defects only) are actually a meal down |
| question, "Which pump do I use?" | | | | the road to a burrowing gopher, rat, mouse, |
| I came out of the energy conservation field, so I | | | | ground squirrel, chipmunk or muskrat. |
| was already savvy about energy consumption | | | | How do I know? I replace liners with concrete and |
| topics. | | | | rebar for a living and I ask if the customer if the |
| It was a challenge in the seventies, when I was | | | | liner salesman told them the pros and cons about |
| trying to convince people that they should buy | | | | the liner. (Most cons don't!) |
| the Mitsubishi compact fluorescent bulb to save | | | | Besides a sump pump costing twice as much to |
| energy. This was the first of its kind and it | | | | operate than a high efficiency, centrifugal pump, |
| retailed for $12 to $14. Its lumen or light output | | | | they plug up easily. (By the way, the liner guys |
| was equal to a 60-watt incandescent bulb, which | | | | changed the name to a "submersible pump" and |
| sold for $ .60 in most stores. I needed to | | | | they are now using the term "waterfall pump.") |
| convince the engineer at Betty Ford Hospital that | | | | Concrete and rebar constructed ponds with |
| a $12, 12-watt bulb would save the facility | | | | bottom anti-vortex drains seldom, if ever, plug up. |
| $35,000 a year in electrical costs. I did so, and it | | | | In the industry magazine, Water Garden News, |
| did! | | | | the vice president of product management for |
| Pumps are no different when it comes to | | | | the Aquascape Company stated, |
| performance vs. energy consumption. The rule of | | | | A lot of the time, the more energy efficient the |
| thumb is: If an electrical appliance was engineered | | | | [sump] pump, the less solids and debris it can |
| to be used only occasionally, as opposed to | | | | handle. So often the consumer is excited the |
| continually, rest assured, it is not engineered or | | | | pump will only cost them $10 a month to run, but |
| built with the highest industry standards in mind. | | | | what they did not know is that they are going to |
| Sump pumps were designed to be submerged | | | | have to be out there 3 times a week, cleaning |
| underwater and pump that water to a different | | | | the intake of the [sump] pump to keep it going. |
| location. Their most common uses are in | | | | Water Garden News is a trade magazine that is |
| basements, bunkers, bilges, and that sort of thing. | | | | for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in the |
| These pumps would only come on by demand, | | | | water garden industry. This information was not |
| when a float control indicated a high water level. | | | | meant for the consumers' eyes. Until now! |
| Sump pumps were cheap to buy because they | | | | Read my article entitled Pondless Waterfall: |
| were built cheaply. It did not matter that they | | | | Concrete vs. Pond Liner ; I cover the subject in |
| consumed more energy than the more expensive | | | | depth, and expose the truth about pond liner |
| centrifugal pump, since they only came on | | | | promoters. All of the costs involved in building a |
| occasionally. | | | | pondless waterfall are analyzed by comparing the |
| These pumps turned out to be perfect for the | | | | two techniques: using concrete & rebar or a |
| get-rich-quick liner pond industry for three major | | | | rubber liner. |
| reasons: | | | | The difference in the cost of energy consumption |
| They were cheap to buy, as were the liners; | | | | between a 5700 gallon per hour sump pump and |
| They were simple to install; and | | | | a 5800 gallon per hour high-efficiency centrifugal |
| They were easy to hide. | | | | pump is staggering. The sump pump uses twice |
| One major drawback of sump pumps that the | | | | as much energy, costs $171 more to purchase, |
| liner pond industry does not share with their | | | | and its warranty is 6 months less! Look before |
| clients is that they are literally energy sponges. | | | | you leap and research before you weep. |
| But then, that is not the only thing they forget to | | | | Happy koi, peace and joy. |
| mention to their usually innocent and unsuspecting | | | | |