While some water loss on a weekly basis is normal for your Pond or Waterfall . .when is it too much? Evaporation is a normal occurance especially during warm, humid months. Losing 1-1 1/2″ of water per week during the summer is what we’d consider normal. If you have a large waterfall or stream combined with a powerful pump, you may experience additional water loss due to splash. Remember once water splashes off your waterfall onto a rock in the hot summer sun .. It will evaporate.
Now that we’ve determined what normal water loss is due to Evaporation . .
Pond that was losing way too much water. . .
Converted into a Pondless Waterfall . .no more leaks!
If you fill your pond up one day, and the next you’ve lost 3+ inches . .odds are you have a leak. The first step is trying to isolate where your leak is – easier said than done, right? Luckily the majority of leaks don’t turn out to be a major project to fix.
To isolate your leak, we first start with shutting down your pump(s), and marking your water level in your pond. Special care should be given to your fish during this time. Depending upon the time of year, and fish load in your pond . .the last thing you want to do is put your fish under stress. Whether aeration needs to be added, or a water change should be performed . .we make sure your fish are safe during this process. When filters are shut down for longer than a 24-hr period for leak detection, they should always be cleaned out before they are started up again. Beneficial bacteria can die off when bioballs and filter media are left dry for over 24-hours . If you don’t clean your filter beforehand – you will be pumping toxic waste back into your pond, possibly causing an ammonia spike, and depletion of oxygen from the water.
Once the Pond (pump) is left off for 24hours (sometimes longer is needed), we can then see if you are losing water in the pond itself. If the pond maintains the same water level, we then examine the plumbing connections, as well as the Waterfall and Stream areas. Many times a low edge can be the cause of your leak, or debris building up in your stream or waterfall causing water to run over the liners edge.
If we find your pond loses water when the pumps aren’t running . .we then look at the pond itself. We will need to keep the pumps off, and allow the ponds water level to keep dropping – until it stops. Again, special attention needs to be given to your fish at this time. Depending upon where the leak may be in the pond, your fish may need to be removed at this time. Clearly we don’t want the fish running out of water. Once your water level stops dropping, we then look around that level in the pond to see if there are any obvious signs of a tear or puncture in the liner. If there are no obvious signs, we will remove the fish and continue with dye tests.
It’s not an easy Job finding a leak, but we get right in – and get it done!
Once the leak area is located, the decision is made whether or not the liner can be patched, or if it should be replaced altogether. There are many variables with leak detection, and every pond is different…We make suggestions – Treating your Pond, As if it were Our Own!
Is a Leak Causing you from enjoying your own Pond or Waterfall??
Leak Detection is one of our Specialties . .Call Us Today (516) 937 – FISH