Water Pumps

What a water pump does in a hydroponic system

In a recirculating setup the pump is the only thing between a full reservoir and a dry root zone. It draws nutrient solution from the tank, pushes it through tubing to drippers or feed rings, and the solution drains back for the next cycle. In deep water culture the job is circulation rather than delivery — keeping the solution moving so it stays evenly mixed.

Two specifications decide the fit. Flow rate, quoted in litres per hour, is what the pump moves with no lift at all. Head height, or H-max, is how high it can push before flow stops. Sensen publish both on every model: the HJ-742 is 8W, 600L/hr and 1.0m of head, while the HQB-5500 is 200W, 6800L/hr and 5.5m. Rio publish a full flow-versus-height table for the Hyperflow 4HF, and it shows output at 1.2m of lift running at roughly a fifth of the zero-lift figure. That fall-off is the most common reason a pump disappoints.

Our range of water pumps

Hydroponic reservoir pumps

Sensen submersibles are the workhorses — eight models from 600L/hr to 6800L/hr, head heights from 1.0m to 5.5m, all 240V and all designed to live in the tank. Plont Powerheads start smaller at 450L/hr with 0.95m of lift, draw 6W, ship with 8mm and 13mm outlets and carry a 12-month warranty.

Circulation pumps and powerheads

Potami Wave pumps mount magnetically on the tank wall and exist to keep solution mixed rather than to lift it, covering 4000L/hr at 10W up to 13000L/hr at 40W. They run on DC24V from an included Australian adapter, with adjustable flow and frequency, multiple wave modes and a light-mode sensor. Aqua One Maxi powerheads span 400L/hr to 3000L/hr; the Maxi 104 gives 2000L/hr at 2m of head from 30W through a 19mm outlet, and the smaller models add variable flow control.

Pond, fountain and filtration pumps

The larger part of this page is pond and water-feature equipment, here because it shares the same plumbing. PondMAX covers submersible EVOII and Infiniti pumps, PU waterfall and filtration pumps, PX high-flow filter pumps and solar pump-and-panel kits. OASE covers Aquamax Eco Classic pond pumps, Aquarius Universal fountain pumps, OptiMax pumps and Filtral all-in-one pump and UV filter units.

How to choose a water pump

1. Work out the flow you need. For a recirculating system, aim to turn the reservoir over several times an hour, then sanity-check that against pot count and emitter flow. Oversizing wastes power and warms the solution.
2. Then check head height. Measure from the water surface to the highest emitter and pick a pump whose H-max clears it comfortably. A pump working at its maximum head delivers almost nothing.
3. Match the outlet to your tubing. Plont ship 8mm and 13mm outlets and the Maxi 104 uses 19mm. Necking a large outlet down to 4mm line will cost you flow — the fittings to do it properly are on the irrigation page.
4. Decide how it runs. Circulation pumps are built to run continuously; feed pumps usually run to a schedule, which is what the timers and controllers range is for.
5. Keep it submerged. These are submersible designs and running one dry will kill it. Watch the reservoir level and size the tank so the pump stays under water between top-ups.

Water pumps are not air pumps

The two get confused constantly and they do opposite jobs. A water pump moves liquid. An air pump pushes air through a stone to raise dissolved oxygen in the solution. Most recirculating grows want both, and a deep water culture tank needs the air pump more than it needs the water pump. If oxygen is what you are after, start with the hydroponic air pumps.

Pair a pump with a reservoir it can live in from the tanks and reservoirs range, and with the tubing, fittings and emitters on the irrigation page. Reservoir temperature is handled separately by the water chillers and heaters.