I thought I had stumbled upon a mass grave of snowmen yesterday....... turns out it was just a field...
I thought I had stumbled upon a mass grave of snowmen yesterday....... turns out it was just a field of carrots.
Member since:05.03.2005
Reviews:80
Members who trust:313
Few could argue that sitting by a pond admiring the fish, insects or plants is a particularly soothing experience, playing your fingers lazily across the surface as a fountain spouts water in a cathartic, melodic way is a pleasure all should experience. Of course the calm, clear waters belie the hard work needed to keep a pond in a clean and flourishing state, and as all pond owners and water gardeners know a good aquatic pump is essential to keep the water fresh either by passing it through a filter box or aerating it via a fountain or waterfall. Step forward the Hozelock Cyprio range of pond pumps - a compact and powerful pump that can feed a waterfall, fountain or filter as choice dictates - or indeed all three at the same time!
● Calculating the size of pump required relative to pond size ●
Of course for the pump to work effectively it has to be capable of moving the required amount of water at the correct rate, ideally the pump should be circulating at least half the ponds total water content every hour. A simple calculation to use measures the ponds average length in metres x average width in metres x average depth in metres x 1000 to give the volume of water in litres
and thus the pump required, this is a rough but effective method to use and it is important to take into consideration how many functions the pump will be required to do as well as the distance of the filter box in relation to the pond and the strength of the fountain flow required. If in doubt it is safer to aim for a slightly more powerful pump than you think you need as this will take into consideration the gradually reducing throughput of water due to clogging etc. In my case I wanted the pump to send water to a filter box and nothing else; I already had a separate pump feeding a fountain and spitter ornament so I calculated that a pump delivering a max flow of 2000 litres would suffice, and after a little price comparison work I purchased a Hozelock Cyprio Cascade 2000 for £59 from www.thefactoryshops.co.uk.
● What's in the box? ●
Well most importantly you get the pump itself, made from toughened plastic it has a foam free plastic inlet cage to ensure less cleaning is required to keep the pump working properly. Depending on whether you got the standard pump or the LV model (low voltage) there will be a power pack to lower the electric being fed to the pump, although the LV models are good if you are worried about electrics and water it does mean you have that power pack to keep clean and dry so location and environment (is there a shed near the pond to position the power pack?). Whether you opt for the LV or normal 24 volt model ten metres of heavy duty 3 core cable ensures few power sources are out of reach. As far as attachments go there is a T piece that encompasses two flow adjusters, this piece should be used if you wish the pump to run more than one function. There is also a telescopic fountain stem extension to give the required clearance from where the pump is positioned on the base of the pond to the surface of the water depending on its depth. Three fountain heads give the choice between a bell, spouter or fountain effect while a quick connect hose coupling ensures all these attachments are easy to fit in seconds. A double sided A4 instruction leaflet is adequate without giving too much away while a 3 year guarantee card ensures there is peace of mind when buying this product. It is worth noting that if a waterfall or filter box are to be fed by the pump there is no hose included, but this is fairly inexpensive to purchase with the standard one inch diameter hosing costing little more than £2 a meter, again this fits the quick connect coupling with ease.
● Setup ●
The Hozelock Cyprio ranges are not supplied with a wall plug attached as they are designed to be wired directly to the mains. This can be a tricky job so if in any doubt consult an electrician. Once connected to a power source the pump should be placed on a flat and sturdy platform about 12 to 18 inches below the surface, any closer to the surface of the pond and the warmer water will get continuously circulated while the deeper waters remain static and start to pollute - try to position the pump lower than higher where possible. If you have water lilies in your pond then place the pump away from them as they do not grow to their best if the water they are in is moving. Other than that the pump can go wherever it looks the best, try to position fountains near the centre of the pond to prevent wind throwing the spray out of the pond. Also bear in mind if a filter box or waterfall is to be supplied the further the water has to travel along a hose the slower the water will get when it reaches the other end. Finally, the wire should be tucked out of the way to prevent tripping or damage.
● Care and maintenance ●
Of course you can't just put the pump in the pond and forget about it, to continue optimum performance a series of simple and quick cleaning methods should be used. The plastic inlet cage pulls off effortlessly and can be rinsed and cleaned under warm soap free water. Likewise the T piece and fountain heads can become clogged with pond dirt or blanket weed so a simple wash again gets them back to their best. Depending on whether the pump is needed all year round an annual check of cable and motor should take no more than ten minutes, simply checking that all moving parts are still free moving and the cable is dent and scratch free will suffice. These precautions will need to be undertaken at more regular interval if your pond is heavily stocked with fist or aquatic plants.
● Final thoughts ●
I have been a water gardener for at least twenty years now and in that time I've seen all manner of pond pumps come and go. The one thing that struck me prior to trying the Hozelock cyprio range was just how fragile other pumps were, considering they have to work in harsh environments I was finding that most pumps were not lasting more than about a year, not really good enough considering the price involved and the need for reliability. Not so the Hozelock Cyprio; the moment you take the pump out of the box it has a certain solidness to it that its peers are missing. The build feels good and the parts sturdy, the attachments are solid and fit onto the nozzle with a reassuring firmness. The cable is thick and rubberised and well able to deal with the worst of the British weather. Once submerged in the pond the pump is silent and moves the water as required, I found the inlet cage didn't really get blocked in a major way allowing a good month of continuous use in the summer and at least treble that in the winter season. As mentioned above I used the pump solely to feed a filter box and found that after only two days the water was clearer and still pumping through at a good rate. All in all a great pond pump for small to medium size ponds, four stars out of five.
www.hozelock.com
Pictures of Hozelock 2000
The spurter attachment
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
My Grandad had a little pump house for his large pond, things have moved on a bit since then tho, he had a tub full of hair rollers to collect dirt and stuff! Rebecca Xx
JEFFJEN 08.08.2009 23:20
Great review
RICHADA 15.05.2009 20:16
A timely reminder that I must strip down and clean the pond pump.....time it and the waterfall were flowing again. Richard.
Oct 25th, 2005
(Aug 18th, 2009)
exceptional by (13%):
very helpful by (87%):
