Leak or Evaporation?

Water loss becomes more relevant as the temperatures get warmer throughout the summer.  It’s not uncommon to see increased water loss at this time of year. Is it a leak or is it just evaporation? Normal weekly water loss for this time of year will be anywhere from 2-5”. There are many factors that account for water loss. These factors include: sun exposure, rainfall, stream length, and pump flow rates.  

If your pond is in an area with lots of sun exposure, then you are going to experience more water loss than someone with a pond sitting in shade.  Higher daytime temperatures cause water to evaporate at a greater rate. You can keep your pond cooler by adding plants (ensuring that 60-70% of the ponds surface is covered). Adding aeration to the pond will also help promote cooler temperatures. 

Rainfall is another factor that we have to account for. If there hasn’t been a lot of rain, then it is inevitable that your pond or water feature will experience a higher rate of evaporation. Unfortunately the weather isn’t something we can control. The only solution to this problem is adding water with your hose, or connecting an auto-fill unit to your water feature. Auto-fill units connect directly to a water source (garden hose spigot), and ensure that your water feature never runs low on water. 

There are a few things that you can look for when trying to detect a leak. Check around the landscape for areas of excessive moisture/water buildup. This is especially important in areas around the stream, skimmer, Biofalls, and plumbing lines. If the issue is not apparent after checking these areas then you will want to try a few tests. Fill the water level to 1 screw below the top of the skimmer and leave the pump off for 24 hours (use an air pump to supply oxygen while the water pump is off). Check the water level after 24 hours. If the water level remained the same then your leak is in the plumbing or stream. If your water level went down then the leak is in the pond. The last test you can run is the hose test. For this test you will connect a separate hose to your pump (disconnect the pump from your plumbing lines). The pump will remain in the skimmer, but you will use an external piece of tubing that is not connected to your system. Run the tubing/pipe from the pump to the first tier of your waterfall. Let it run like this for 24 hours. Repeat this step for each tier of the waterfall, and by process of elimination this should allow you to locate the leak (if it is in the waterfall).

If you suspect you have a leak you can come to Action Water Gardens for all of your repair needs. If it is something you are uncomfortable with fixing yourself then the crew at Action has you covered. Stop by the store to speak to one of our trained professionals or call to set up an appointment today; (860)-875-2359.