Pump FAQs

There are three applications that GARDENA pumps are suitable for; irrigation, drainage or domestic water supply.

Irrigation applications are pumping water from rainwater tanks, wells or cisterns to use for garden watering or cleaning. Garden pumps, electronic pressure pumps and rainwater tank pumps are ideal for irrigation.

Drainage applications are for pumping water out of pools, ponds, building pits or flooded cellars. Submersible pumps are ideal for drainage.

Domestic water supply applications require pumping water from wells or tanks for domestic use; for example, washing machines, flushing toilets or irrigation water. Pressure tank units and automatic home and garden pumps are designed for domestic water supply.

For more information visit the pump product page.

• The greater the flow rate the faster that the water can be drained. Flow is measure in litres / hour (l/h).
• The greater the pump head the higher that the pump will transfer water.
• The greater the immersion depth rating the deeper you can insert the pump into the water.
• More powerful pumps are recommended for long suction lengths and large heights.
  
  On the suction side, performance largely depends on the vertical height between the pump and the water level and to a lesser extent on the horizontal length of the suction pipe.The performance of pumps can be compared and determined from the pump characteristic graphs or diagrams (found on packaging).

Pumps are suitable for pumping mains water, rainwater and pool water containing chlorine. After pumping chlorinated water from a swimming pool, the pump must be flushed with warm (but not hot e.g. not 35˚C or above) fresh water.

Pumps are NOT suitable for salt water, hot water (35˚C or above), flammable materials, gravel, sand or liquid containing food stuffs. Sand and gravel are very hard and can therefore damage the blades of the pump’s impeller. GARDENA pumps are not certified or recommended for use with drinking water.

This should always be avoided at all costs as there is a risk of overheating and damage. With garden pumps and submersible pumps, the maximum would be 5 minutes, however having the pump on without pumping water should always be avoided.

The automatic feature on selected pumps starts (cuts in) and stops (cuts out) the pump automatically when water is needed. This is a requirement for domestic water supply. The benefits of this feature are convenience, energy saving and less wear on the pump.

Pumps are primed by adding water to the inlet area (where the filter is located on a automatic home and garden pump).

The motor hums but there is no water flow through the pump. Why is this and what should I do?

The cause is usually that the impeller is blocked with debris e.g. dirt or stones.

Solution: pull out the mains plug disconnecting from any power. Check and follow the relevant pages in the operating instructions. Disassemble the bottom of the pump carefully and clean the impeller chamber, then reassemble carefully.

This can often be due to air being sucked in on the intake side of the pump (intake hose). You can check for yourself whether the pump has this kind of fault, which causes the pump to lose performance. While the pump is operating, hold the end of the hose under water (for example in a bucket).

If you see bubbles, the pump has a fault in the area of the suction pipe. Possible causes for this are:

1) The suction side is not vacuum proof; the suction side must be completely airtight, not just watertight.
2) The intake filter is dirty. The intake filter should be clean.
3) The non-return valve in the suction hose is stiff. The non-return valve must not be jammed.

Garden pumps, electronic pressure pumps and pressure tank units should not be exposed to rain. The location for your pump should be dry, clean and frost-free.

Pumps should be drained of water after use. After pumping chlorinated water from a swimming pool, the pump must be flushed with warm (but not hot e.g. 35˚C or above) fresh water. Intake filters should be cleaned regularly.

The float switch acts as a sensor which rises and falls with the water level for automatic cut in and cut out of the pump’s operation. It consists mostly of a hollow floating body with an internal switch.

Although quite similar, the two GARDENA garden pumps have the following differences:
• The litres per hour capacity
• Wattage
• Water pressure
• Number of pump outlets (there are two outlets on 3500/4 model)

When water needs to be pumped further or at higher pressure then the 3500/4 should be selected.

Yes on most pump models, however a 19mm hose is always recommended as the larger hose diameter maximises performance and allows the water to be pushed out at the optimal pressure.