Monday, December 16, 2013

Pond Repair: How to find and repair a pond leak

Pond Repair

How to find and repair a pond leak

Whenever I have a customer call and say that their pond is loosing water, there is a process of elimination I try to walk them through. First of all it needs to be understood that an average pond with a waterfall can use up to an inch of water per day to evaporation alone. Living here in southern California during a really hot heat wave the loss can be even greater.

First check for wet spots around the edges of the pond and waterfall. This is the biggest indicator of a leak which some people do not think to check first.

If you do not see anything obvious then you start with the first test to try and locate a pond leak is. If you have a waterfall, you will want to turn the waterfall off. If the waterfall is the only means of oxygen to the pond, you will want to put a temporary pump in the pond to provide oxygen for the fish and plants. So now with the waterfall off, you can let the pond go for a few days and see how much water the pond looses per day versus with the waterfall running. If you do not notice any water loss, then it is a fairly safe bet that the pond is leaking somewhere in the waterfall.

If you feel that the leak is in the waterfall, here are some of the areas where I would start to look. Check around the rocks edge. Sometimes the rocks will get shifted around and water will find its way over the liner. Look around the plants. Sometimes their roots will grow over the liner causing excess water loss and also check where the liner connects to the spillway, if you have one. At times plant roots will get in between the liner and the bolts that connect the spillway to the liner causing water loss. It is also always possible that the waterfall is leaking where the waterfall meets the edge of the pond. Some pond contractors will use two liners in a pond build and this can lead to water loss at the seam location.

If the waterfall is not leaking, now it is time to look at the pond area. First leave the waterfall off if possible, leave the temporary pump in the pond for oxygen, and leave the pond alone for a few days. If you get lucky the pond water level will stop at the location of the leak. If the pond water level just keeps going down, you might want to put the fish in a temporary container so that you can see how low the water level will go.

With a pond liner pond some of the more common areas that a pond will leak are around the bolts that connect the rubber liner to the skimmer, plants pushing over the liner causing water loss, a tree root puncturing through the liner or possibly the liner is just really old and it is just cracking causing leaks.

Once the pond leak is found, it is just a matter of prepping the area and patching the hole similar to the way you would patch a hole in a bicycle tire. The products needed to make this repair can be found at your local pond supply store.

If you have a concrete pond the most common reason for water loss is due to cracks in the concrete. This can be due to poor or old concrete, tree roots penetrating the concrete or earth movement. To take care of this, We apply a waterproofing water sealer over the cleaned concrete. In some cases new concrete must be poured or a pond liner can be installed over the existing concrete pond.

Backyard pond builders, pond contracters, pond bridges, pond des

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Pacific Ponds and Design is not only your commercial pond builder and custom pond construction company and partner. We are also a full service commercial and residential pond maintenance company servicing all of Los Angeles and offering expert pond care. From office building ponds to home ponds, we have you covered… We are your Pond maintenance company in Los Angeles learn more at http://pacificponds.com … Get your questions answered today about Pond Building, Pond Maintenance or choosing the right pond design today at 818-400-0286

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Pond Maintenance Tips: Pond Repair: How to find and repair a pond leak

Source: Pacific Ponds & Design

Author: Hal Rodman

Also See: Pond Building; Residential Pond Construction; Backyard Ponds
Filed Under: Pond Maintenance / Pond Maintenance Tips / Pond Repair

Pacific Ponds and Design
Pond Contractors / Pond Repair / Pond maintenance

9944 Sunland Blvd
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(818) 400-0286

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Pacific Ponds & Design – Your Pond Builder!

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Licensed and Bonded Contractors

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Pond Maintenance / Pond Repair / Pond Maintenance Tips

Pond Maintenance:

Pond Repair: How to find and repair a pond leak

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Pacific Ponds and Design
Pond Maintenance / Pond Maintenance Tips / Pond Repair

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Pond Maintenance / Pond Maintenance Tips / Pond Repair

Pond Repair: How to find and repair a pond leak
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Pond care: 10 Tips for Buying Healthy Fish

Pond care

10 Tips for Buying Healthy Fish

Part of pond maintenance is to make good choices for your pond. Fish, plants, pump/filters and anything else you use in your pond needs to be items you trust, from trusted retail or pond maintenance experts.

When purchasing new Koi or other fish from your pond dealer, there are certain things that you should look for and ask about to make sure that you are receiving healthy fish. Here are a few Tips for buying healthy fish for your pond or water garden.

Sick Fish – Look to see if any of the fish are hanging out alone, with clamped fins. This is a good sign that the fish is sick.

Cleanliness – Is the tank clean or do you see old food and debris on the bottom. Does the tank have good circulation and filtration?

Dead Fish – If you see any dead fish floating in the tanks – even just one – stay away. This can be an indication of a poorly maintained, diseased tank.

Quarantine – Does the retailer quarantine their fish and for how long? It is very important that all fish are quarantined for at least 14 to 21 days for salt treatments to ensure the fish are not carriers of disease or parasites. This goes for you too. If possible it is a good idea to quarantine any fish you purchase as well.

Water Testing and Changes– Find out how often the water is tested and changed. Testing the water monitors ammonia and pH levels, as well as nitrites and nitrates indicating when the water should be changed. It is recommended to do a partial water change once a week in most cases.

Parasites – Ask if new fish are tested for the presence of parasites with a microscope. Doing so indicates whether the fish are carriers of parasites and can be treated accordingly before they are sold.

Net Sharing – It is recommended that different nets be used for each tank to limit the possibility of spreading disease from one tank to the next.

Clear Skin – Look for fish with no marks, missing scales, sores, or broken or missing fins. Any of these are signs of a bacterial infection or parasite.

Sizes – You need to take the size of the fish into consideration so you don’t overstock your pond. Remember, 1″ for every square foot of surface water or five gallons.

Knowledgeable Staff – You want to purchase fish from a knowledgeable and honest merchant that can help educate you about your pond and pond wildlife. Buying all your fish and critters from one trusted source helps to insure your pond will have happy and healthy fish. It is hard to isolate problems if you go from one dealer to another.

Learn more about koi and other pond fish at: http://sunlandwatergardens.com/pond-fish/

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