Pond skimmers are not like the long wands used for cleaning swimming pools. Rather, they are mechanical units that do the job of filtering large pieces of foreign matter from pond water as the first step in the cleaning process. All kinds of junk can fall into your pond in the course of a day, from tree leaves to stray papers, plastic bags, and other garbage. If this stuff ends up in your pond pump, you can have real problems.

The pond pump is the next phase of pond filtration, and it is not equipped to handle large pieces of debris. Rather, it is a delicately calibrated piece of machinery that contains several filtering layers meant to pull small contaminants and other particles from pond water. A sudden invasion by a large piece of debris could break delicate parts inside the pump. It could also cause it to overrun its motor, effectively ruining this expensive piece of equipment.

Sizes of Pond Skimmers

Pond skimmers come in different models for different sized ponds. For instance, a standard skimmer is meant for use in ponds ranging in size between four by six feet to 16 by 16 feet. Small pond skimmers are compatible with ponds smaller than four by six feet. The largest sized skimmers are most impressive, able to handle ponds larger than 30 by 30 feet.

Generally, the larger the pond skimmer, the more expensive it will be, with the largest available pond skimmer costing several times that of the smallest. However, for most people's needs, the small or standard sized pond skimmers are sufficient.