Autumn Tips for Maintaining Pond Pumps and Filters

Few things in nature bring such fleeting, vibrant beauty as fall leaves. While beautiful to look at, seeing trees change color also reminds pond owners that it’s time to think about keeping leaves out of their pond pumps and filters. This fall, follow our favorite tips for keeping your pond and its filtration system working well through the changing seasons.

Choose How to Keep Leaves Away

Two main ways of keeping leaves out of your pond are:

• Vacuuming or skimming the pond surface regularly to remove fallen leaves
• Installing a pond net to catch leaves before they hit the water
• Using a Filter Box to keep leaves from clogging your pump

Which you choose to use will depend largely on preference, as well as how many deciduous trees are around your pond. If you anticipate a great deal of leaves falling in a range of your pond, you will probably want to put up a pond net to avoid having your pond filter clogged with debris. If your pond is relatively clear of trees, you might just decide to use a vacuum to clean the surface every few days.

Pond Pump and Filter Use During the Fall

Towards the later part of the season, as fall turns to winter, filters and pumps become less vital for a pond’s success. Fish and plants begin to enter a dormant state, and so create less waste that must be filtered out of the water. Plus, cold water keeps oxygen better than the hot water of summer, so you don’t have to worry as much about keeping the water aerated. However, during most of the fall season, there is no reason why you cannot keep your pond pumps and filters working as normal.

If you anticipate that you’ll be removing your pond pump and filter before winter kicks in, the fall season is an excellent time to stock up on replacement filter pads or other parts for your pump. You can use this opportunity to inspect the pump and filter to make sure both are in prime working condition.