So Your Pond Pump Is Not Working?

The first thing to remember if your pond pump is not working is “Don’t Panic!”.  I will walk you through a step by step guide to have you up and running again.

  1. The first thing you need to rule out is the electrical outlet.
  2. If you have a GFCI outlet (ground fault circuit interrupter), you need to check and reset the button.
  3. If your still not getting power, locate the breaker box inside your house make sure all the needed breakers are in the on position.
  4. Next unplug your pump from the outlet, find and plug in an object that requires power, hair dryer, power tool, etc.  If the object is getting power then we can move on to the next step.
  5. If that still did not fix the problem, then it’s time to call in the electrician.

For those of us that don’t have electrical issues, let’s get back to the pump.  Follow these steps to see if the pump has become clogged up or is just inoperable.

  1. Unplug and disconnect the pump from the plumbing, and lift it out of the water.
  2. Clear any and all of the debris that maybe clogging the intake.
  3. Before reconnecting the pump to the plumbing, submerge the pump back into the water.
  4. Plug it into the outlet (make sure the pump is pointed away from you)
  5. If the pump is circulating water then you know your pump is not the problem.
  6. Unplug the pump, connect it back to the plumbing and then plug it in.

If the the pump is working, but the water flow is still restricted or not flowing at all, your plumbing maybe clogged.   You can check and make sure nothing is clogging the waterfall filter or wherever your water comes out.  If the water is still not flowing properly you may have a bigger issue and need help from the professionals at Willow Ridge Garden Center.