Plumbing Accessories

These are the small parts that connect a pump to the rest of a water feature: fittings, PVC pipe connectors, and check valves. None of them are exciting purchases, but a project can stall over a missing coupling just as easily as a missing pump.

Check valves prevent water from draining back through the pump and pipe when the system shuts off, which matters most on taller waterfalls where backflow can siphon a surprising amount of water out of the pond overnight. Pipe fittings and PVC connectors let you adapt between different hose and pipe diameters, since pumps, filters, and spillways don't always use matching sizes out of the box.

Buy a few extra fittings when possible. A trip back to the hardware store for one missing elbow joint costs more time than the few dollars an extra part costs up front.