"BoyPete" wrote in message
...
les wrote:
I am considering installing a water feature (fountain) in my
garden.
My concern is how to stop it freezing up in winter. Will the
movement
of the water be sufficient or is it necessary to add some
non-toxic
additive?
I would be interested to know how other posters overcome this
problem. I am told that vodka acts as a non-toxic anti-freeze. If
so,
what would be an appropriate mix of vodka/water for temperatures
down
to say -5C? I would hate to have drunken birds flying around the
garden!
Any advice would be appreciated.

Les

Hi Les. It depends where you live, and your normal winter temps. I'm
on the
outskits of London, and my garden is surrounded by a 6ft wall, so is
well
protected. My water feature runs all year without freezing. (
http://www.boypete.dsl.pipex.com/otters/otters.htm )
I imagine you'd need a good dollop of vodka to lower the freezing
point, and
it isn't just birds you need to consider. Numerous nocturnal animals
will
call round for a wee dram!

I'll second that. My pond waterfall runs all year, too.
The recirculating pump uses energy to push the water round and that
creates heat (not much) in the submerged pump. That raises the
recirculating water temperature a smidgen.
If really concerned, why not just switch the pump off in cold weather?
I had a fountain but I don't use it because wind blew the spray out of
the pond and I had to keep topping the pond up. Yes, I could have
reduced the fountain height but that reduces the 'feature' value
(well in my case it did).
Unless it is a stand-alone fountain, 'any' sort of 'antifreeze' will
affect plant and wildlife. 'Just aint natural.

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk