Pond Fountain Info

7. Why do you say it is absolutely essential to have the pump hooked up to a GFI? What is a GFI?

A GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter) is a device that cuts the electrical current when there is even a slight loss of current. These are found in many kitchens and baths where water is present. They have a ‘Test’ and ‘Reset’ buttons on the face. GFIs differ from a fuses or circuit breaker in that these devices interrupt the current when they overheat. This may take a second or two, but this can be a lifetime if someone is in contact with a hot wire. There are usually many inexpensive ways to include a GFI.

8. Must I run the pump 24/7? Even in the winter?

In warmer weather, pumps should be run 24/7 to provide aeration. (Warm water holds less oxygen that cold water) In addition, the bacteria we are trying to colonize in the filter start to die after about 4 hours if they don’t get oxygenated water. In cold weather when the water temperature is 55 degrees or colder it is not important to run the pump all the time although you may want to if you have a skimmer. However, when you start up the system in spring you will need to reseed with bacteria.

9. Is there a rule-of-thumb on how to estimate how much water I what on the waterfall?
A good estimate is that for a waterfall a foot wide with water ¼ of an inch thick requires about 10 gallons per minute. Form this you can extrapolate to other widths and depths

For more information about pond and fountain, please visit my website Pond and Fountain Pros.

Thank you!

Jim Wilder

# posted by Jim Wilder @ 12:25 PM 0 comments

4. My building material store has many pond books on pond building. How good are they?
Like pond kits themselves, pond books are all over the place. However, for the price they are all a cheap education and there are many things to be learned and some to be discarded. The more you know before you buy a pond kit the better your pond will be. By having input from many sources you can pick and choose how to design and build your pond.

LINER

5. What are the differences in liners?

Most pond kits come with a 20-mil PVC liner. This is a good material for a simple pond. It is easy to work with and fairly durable. But, I don’t use it. I prefer the 30-mil PVC liner. It is 50% thicker and even more than 50% stronger. Other types of commonly used liner include EPDM (rubber) and for heavy-duty use, Hypolon.
Most types of liner are probably just as adequate. The key to a successful liner installation is in the preparation before the liner goes in and to protect the liner while placing rocks. See further down for tips on actual construction

PUMPS

6. I see some pumps have oil and others don’t. What is the difference?

The older style submersible pumps have oil in them for lubrication and to disperse heat. Newer pump have a plastic barrier between the stationary motor part and the rotating pump part and do not require oil..
Both styles have advantages and disadvantages. Pump are rated by how much water they pump to a height of one foot. Naturally the higher we pump the water the less water we are able to pump. A pump with oil will usually do a better job at pumping to a greater height. Oil-less pumps loose their oomph faster than oil-filled pumps. If you want to pump water up 4 or 5 feet the difference in flow from the two types of pumps can be very different. However, oil-less pumps use less electricity and will not leak oil in the pond.
Pump kit boxes should have what kind of pump it includes and show a graph of gallons per minute versus height. Compare them closely based on your design.

For more information about pond and fountain, please visit my website Pond and Fountain Pros.

Thank you!

Jim Wilder

# posted by Jim Wilder @ 12:35 PM 0 comments

POND KITS

1. When you are comparing pond kits, what are you looking for?We are not going to talk about individual brands of pond kits. There are too many brands and without buying them, I don’t have access to compare them. I will address the individual components such as liner, pumps, filters, chemicals and price. Another important component that will be addressed is the quality of the instructions.

2. How can you compare prices of the multitude of pond kits that are out there?
I can’t, but you can and should. There is a wide range of product vs. price. Look at any guarantees there may be for liner and pump. With many pond kits, it is as cheap or cheaper to buy the components individually rather than as a kit. What you don’t get are the fancy packaging and lousy instructions.

3. How important are the instructions included in the pond kit?

Hopefully, the most important object in any pond kit are the instructions, either written or video. Many pond kit instructions, I am convinced, are written by people who have not built many, if any, ponds. If possible, ask to see the instructions or watch the video before you buy anything.
a) Do the instructions make sense to you?
b) Do they answer any questions you already have?
c) Do they give an honest discussion of maintenance or do skim over it? If they were not honest enough to discuss maintenance, why do you think their discussion about construction would be any more complete?
d) Do they mention that if you use the dirt from the hole for the waterfall it needs to well compacted or in a year the water will sideways or backwards? I thought not.
e) A good pond design includes digging a step around the pond about 3 inches below the water level. This is so when the rock are placed on it the bottom of the rocks are underwater. This looks better as you don’t see a ring of liner above the water and the liner is not exposed directly to the sun.

For more information about pond and fountain, please visit my website Pond and Fountain Pros.

Thank you!

Jim Wilder

# posted by Jim Wilder @ 10:17 AM 0 comments

Ponds are very popular right now. Many people wanting ponds are searching the inter net to buy pond kits. There is a wide range in the quality and value of the pond kits on the market. Most kits have the makings for a small, cheap pond.

We have been building, repairing and maintaining ponds and fountains professionally for over 15 years. We do not sell pond kits. None. Nada. Zip. For the health of the industry, though, we are answering 52 of the most commonly asked questions regarding how to buy a pond kit, tips for building and how to maintain the pond after it is built.

Finally, don’t be surprised if building the pond takes you longer than the instructions say. The problem is probably with the instructions, not you. I built a pond that was used in an instructional video. My crew and I would work while the ‘typical middle-class couple’ would sit and drink wine. When we were ready to film the next phase, they would put their gloves on and pick up a shovel. Hopefully though, we will give you enough information and tips that you can have fun building your pond and enjoy it for many years to come.

For more information about pond and fountain, please visit my website Pond and Fountain Pros.

Thank you!.

Jim Wilder

# posted by Jim Wilder @ 10:25 AM 0 comments