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Overview
Is
your pond losing more than 4" of water a week? Chances are, there is a leak
somewhere.
Liner
Ponds
1.
First check all your connecting pipes and filters, then closely check your
waterfall. 98% of all leaks occur in or around the waterfall. The weight of the rocks
on a waterfall, will
compact the soil beneath it and even a slight shift will cause water to leak
over a rock. A small drop of water every 10 seconds or so, can cause a
loss of 20 gallons in a day. Check the perimeter of the waterfall for
overspray, again, a small amount of spray can empty a pond running 24/7 very
quickly. Fountains are another water loss culprit. High fountain displays are
impressive, but heavy winds can push the fountain stream out of the pond. Last
but not least are high winds coupled with low humidity. They can be responsible
for up to a 2" water loss per day. Plant roots growing into the pond, i.e.
Ivy, can be a major source of water loss.
Start
by rerouting the water to flow directly into the pond. Mark your liner on the
pond with your fingernail, leave it alone overnight and check your mark in the
morning. If the water level has not gone down more than 1/8" your leak is
not in the liner.
Visually inspect the waterfall sides to see if you have any splash or small
drops finding their way over the side, if they do reposition the rocks in the
water flow to minimize splash loss. If you have cemented the rocks, without a
liner underneath, it's almost impossible to find the leak and you may have to
start over again.
2. If
you have eliminated the waterfall, fountains, weather conditions and spray, as a source of the leak, your liner or
cement must be leaking.
2a.
Liner leaks can be found with the Milk method--Get an eyedropper from your local
drugstore and some WHOLE Milk (fat-free or low percentage
will not work.) Shut off your pump(s) and drop two drops of milk around the
perimeter of the pond every 3" or so. The milk will be drawn into the hole
into the liner localizing the hole, the key here is patience.
If the
leak cannot be found by the milk method, let the pond draw down to where it
stops and then run your hand around the perimeter, you should be
able to feel a large cut or hole, small holes can be found with a magnifying
glass.
2b.
Any soft or squishy spots also indicate a leak in the immediate area and this
area should be searched with a magnifying glass, if the hole or cut cannot be seen with
the naked eye.
If the leak is at the bottom, you need to empty the pond and
remove the fish.
2c. As
a last resort, after emptying the pond, you may need to physically crawl under the liner, to find
the holes or cuts by the
light shining through the holes.
Repair
the liner with liner tape available from your local Pond Shop ( Be sure to
follow directions)
Here's a short video on Liner
repair from U-Tube:
watch-v=oGjkR...elated&search=
Cement
Ponds
3.
Cement pond leaks can be detected by the MILK method or magnifying glass inspection.
If you need to check via a magnifying glass, make sure the pond is clean of
algae. Some of the cement cracks can be tiny and when you fill the pond, the
weight of the water will expand them.
Cement
repairs will only be effective if any voids or holes behind the crack,
are filled with Epoxy or cement before repairing the crack. Failure to fill the
voids will crack the cement again. The crack should be widened to a V
shape and then filled with a good waterproof epoxy or cement and allowed to cure for at
least 48 hours, longer, if you had a large void behind the crack. After the
cracks are sealed a cement slurry "Thoroseal tm or Drylock
tm" can be painted on with a wallpaper brush.
We also recommend painting the whole pond with a
Pond Membrane paint for added protection.
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