Fountain pumps are quite similar in design to water feature pumps, though most fountain pump ranges have a maximum pump size of 6,000 to 7,000 Lph and are sold with a 3 year guarantee. They can be used for powering small waterfalls, small to medium filtration systems, and producing fountains.

They come with a choice of fountain heads, which are attached to the top of the fountain column. These can be swapped to change the shape or style of the fountain. The fountain column usually has a flow control installed so the height of the fountain can be adjusted. Larger models also incorporate a double outlet, allowing the pump to run two features, or a single feature while supplying a filter or waterfall.

Most fountain pumps work at a low pressure; their running costs are quite low, but they aren’t great for pumping water large distances. They are also limited to the size of solids they can handle, making them less than ideal for powering a filter.Running a fountain pump for both a fountain and supplying a filter can seem a good use of a single pump, but there are down-sides. Locating the pump can be problematic. Normally, a fountain pump would be sited in the flow of clear, filtered water and raised to the surface, but in this situation the pump will need to be in a location where it will take debris, and this debris in the unfiltered water can block the fountain head in most models. Running a fountain will also divert water away from the filter. In most cases it is more practical to run two pumps, one for the fountain and the other supplying the filter.