Pond Tubing
The main purpose of pond tubing is to work in conjunction with the pond pump to circulate water from one portion of the pond to the other by pushing water up to a filter, a waterfall, a stream or even a fountain or spitter.
The interior diameter of the tubing affects the amount of flow at a certain rate of water that can pass through the hose. A larger diameter hose will be easier for a pump to push water through resulting in more flow, less friction and less head height then if a small diameter hose is used.
There are several types of hoses such as PVC, Non Kink and Vinyl. Depending on your application will determine the best hose for your pond.
PVC piping is usually used outside of the pond and is a hard white pipe. In order to turn the direction of the piping there are plumbing fittings that will be needed to be used. PVC comes in straight pipe and will need to be cut and glued with PVC Cement. PVC can be purchased at a local hardware store and will last a long time but does not give you the flexibility that other hoses have. Flexible PVC Hose is black in color and will give you a little bit more flexibility then its PVC straight pipe as it can curve. The less diameter the easier it is to make a curve. It is smooth on the outside and inside. It also uses the same PVC fittings and cements as the schedule 40 white pipes to make connections. Its very durable and is usually used outside of the pond.
One of the favorites is the black Non-kink spiral tubing which is the most flexible tubing and is used with nylon fittings. These fittings are usually found at a pond store. Not only is it very easy to use but can be placed when there is a difficult turn or many turns. Spiral pond tubing has ribs on the outside and is slightly noticeable on the inside. This is one of the most common flexible hoses to use in the pond industry. Even though the tubing is very durable it can develop pin holes even though it is not very common. It is recommended to be buried when using outside of the pond. This tubing is usually used underwater with a submersible pump and then up to a waterfall or filter. Fittings are secured with clamps.
Working with black vinyl tubing is not as flexible as with non-kink and depending on the kind of vinyl it can kink. However most vinyl tubing has a thicker wall and is less susceptible to kinking unless it is really bent. This tubing can be harder to work with. Connections are made using with barbed fittings or a hose tail and secured with hose clamps. |
