Pond vacuum cleaners are an excellent tool to help you get rid of excess debris in your pond including leaves, fish food, and string algae. Decaying matter is unsightly and can wreak havoc on a pond’s delicate eco-system. Complete draining and cleaning of a pond is not feasible. Regular pond cleaning with a pond vacuum can help keep your pond in a healthy, clean state.
Purchasing a garden pond vacuum may be a daunting task because there are so many brands and types available. Cheap vacuums can cost around £50 while more expensive ones can cost £300 and more. Here are some tips for purchasing a pond cleaning vacuum.
The size of your pond will greatly determine what kind of vacuum to purchase. A larger pond will require a larger vacuum which has greater power. Also, larger ponds are more prone to gather debris, due to greater exposed surface area. A bigger, more powerful vacuum may also be required for a smaller pond which tends to gather a lot of material. Some smaller vacuums may have motors that run at 1200 watts. Some of the more powerful ones run at 6.5 horsepower, which is approximately 4800 watts.
The depth of your pond will also help you decide what kind of vacuum to purchase. The motors in these vacuums vary in power. Most will list on the side what depth that they can be used. Some may only be efficient at two to three feet while others may be powerful enough to clean ponds that are much deeper.
Most pond vacuums come with a variety of nozzles. This can be helpful depending on what sort of debris you are trying to collect. A larger nozzle with have decreased suction. Also, many vacuums come with extension hoses. Similarly, suction will be reduced when using a longer hose. Larger nozzles are suitable for vacuuming leaves and twigs. Special, smaller nozzles are available in order to suction algae. Some vacuums even come with special attachments to reach crevices and other areas of the pond that may be difficult to reach. Some of these attachments may even come with brushes. These can be very handy for those who want to scrub excess algae off of the bottom and sides of the pond.
A common complaint of these vacuums is how quickly they can fill up with debris. These sort of vacuums, with only one container, require you to often stop vacuuming in order to empty the container. This feature is common of smaller, cheaper vacuums. More efficient types come equipped with two containers or an output hose. Some of these vacuums have automatic switches – once the container is filled, the vacuum will automatically drain the contents of the container. For those with a second container, the vacuum will switch and begin to fill the other container as it empties the second. This is a great option for those who do not want to spend time waiting for the debris collector to empty. Some also will connect onto the pipework from your pond filter and recirculate the water back into the pond that way.
A DIY shop or pond supply store may offer many types of pond vacuum cleaners for you to purchase. However, your greatest source for then is on the internet. Your choices will be limitless and you will have access to detailed technical information as well as customer reviews. Once you have found a vacuum suitable for you, a simple search can yield many vendors which can help you buy one at the best price.
