had a pondless waterfall installed last fall. I love it, except that
it does have a leak and I suspect a large one. Loose several inches of
water a day and will empty out completely in course of about a week.
Have done all the trouble shooting and I "think" it must be in the
bottom of the liner (the entire peremeter was rebuilt/inspected twice
in the early spring). The area is now dense with foliage of all my
shrubs and planting and I hate like heck to go in there now and
unearth the thing (tight site and would be very invasive). I know this
is a stupid question, but are there any chemicals that can bond a leak
(plumbing industry does this to seal PVC piping)?
Also, in such a case is it best to completey replace the liner or
attempt a patch? If the liner needs to be replaced, can you replace
just a portion or does the whole thing (up to the waterfall) need to
be redone? Not so much concered about cost as I am distrupting what
has become a beautiful setting. Whew ! sorry this is so long.

had a pondless waterfall installed last fall. I love it, except that
it does have a leak and I suspect a large one. Loose several inches of
water a day and will empty out completely in course of about a week.

It has been my experience that leaks (or water loss) are usually the result of
excess waterfall splashing outside the contained area, overflow from the liners
edges and/or capillary action or seapage at liner overlap joints. I'd check
those areas again before replacing the liner itself. I hope this helps. Good
luck.
-Pat Rolland

wrote in message
om...
snips
I even squirted milk around water edge to follow
flow (it worked and found several low area where water was crossing
liner)
Anymore dectective work I can do to isolate if leak or convection?

Hi,
One thing to confirm/eliminate evaporation is to get a pot (large surface
area best) put it in pond on blocks or something to approximately match
surface of pond. Fill this and wait. If evaporation is cause for loss then
both the pond and the pot will lose at the same rate. If the pond loses more
then you got a leak.
If a leak is confirmed in the static pond, let it leak until it stops,
assuming it does not drain completely. When the leak stops fill the pond
about 1/2 inch, you know the leak is in this 1/2 inch somewhere. Slowly
dribble, I use a hypodermic like thing, the liquid around the pond, the leak
will show a current. Drain below this point, dry and patch.
HTH -_- how
no NEWS is good

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote in message . ..
Yes, I agree with Pat, turn the waterfall off and see how much water is
lost in the holding area.

How many gallons is the holding area? It is common for a pond to lose 1/4
to 1/2 inch/day, add some water sucking plants, a splashy waterfall, wind
and it could be more. One of those YMMV type of things. ~ jan

On 11 Jul 2004 15:07:12 GMT, (O3raledale) wrote:

had a pondless waterfall installed last fall. I love it, except that
it does have a leak and I suspect a large one. Loose several inches of
water a day and will empty out completely in course of about a week.

It has been my experience that leaks (or water loss) are usually the result of
excess waterfall splashing outside the contained area, overflow from the liners
edges and/or capillary action or seapage at liner overlap joints. I'd check
those areas again before replacing the liner itself. I hope this helps. Good
luck.
-Pat Rolland

(Do you know where your water quality is?)


Thanks Jan and Pat,

Hummm, this is interesting. I had convinced myself that it was a
leak, and it would be great news if it were not. Let me explain the
"symptoms" and maybe you can tell be if this is normal or not. And
thanks again for the help.

1.) I have turned off the pump and it looses about 2 inches a day (in
the pond area, not the falls.
2.) Rate of water loose (with pump running) is about 2-3 inches a day
and fairly consistant independent of heat, sun, cloudy day etc. The
contractor did/would not give me the specs of the system and have no
clue as to water capacity.
3.) Have inspected in detail around surface liner and falls for
leaks--and have rebanked any areas that were too low and/or would
encourage overflow
4.) Careful not to overfill (to prevent overflow).
5.) Consistantly check for moist soil around perimeter-- all is
dry--which is why I think it is in bottom.
6.) Don't laugh but I even squirted milk around water edge to follow
flow (it worked and found several low area where water was crossing
liner)

Anymore dectective work I can do to isolate if leak or convection?
Thanks so much--Phyllis

Wow, yeah, I think you do have a leak there, and worst, whenever I've had a
notion of where a leak was (as you do, in the bottom) very often it turns
out to be right. I don't think it is your falls, what little leaves when
you turn it on is probably just splash.

Now sometimes a leak will happen at a fold, wicking up and away from the
edge.

To plug it you could try some bentonite clay and hope the small particles
eventually clog up the hole, but it will also cloud your water and possibly
be constantly stirred up by the pump and water fall action. ~ jan


On 12 Jul 2004 04:13:48 -0700, wrote:

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote in message . ..
Yes, I agree with Pat, turn the waterfall off and see how much water is
lost in the holding area.

How many gallons is the holding area? It is common for a pond to lose 1/4
to 1/2 inch/day, add some water sucking plants, a splashy waterfall, wind
and it could be more. One of those YMMV type of things. ~ jan

On 11 Jul 2004 15:07:12 GMT, (O3raledale) wrote:

had a pondless waterfall installed last fall. I love it, except that
it does have a leak and I suspect a large one. Loose several inches of
water a day and will empty out completely in course of about a week.

It has been my experience that leaks (or water loss) are usually the result of
excess waterfall splashing outside the contained area, overflow from the liners
edges and/or capillary action or seapage at liner overlap joints. I'd check
those areas again before replacing the liner itself. I hope this helps. Good
luck.
-Pat Rolland

(Do you know where your water quality is?)


Thanks Jan and Pat,

Hummm, this is interesting. I had convinced myself that it was a
leak, and it would be great news if it were not. Let me explain the
"symptoms" and maybe you can tell be if this is normal or not. And
thanks again for the help.

1.) I have turned off the pump and it looses about 2 inches a day (in
the pond area, not the falls.
2.) Rate of water loose (with pump running) is about 2-3 inches a day
and fairly consistant independent of heat, sun, cloudy day etc. The
contractor did/would not give me the specs of the system and have no
clue as to water capacity.
3.) Have inspected in detail around surface liner and falls for
leaks--and have rebanked any areas that were too low and/or would
encourage overflow
4.) Careful not to overfill (to prevent overflow).
5.) Consistantly check for moist soil around perimeter-- all is
dry--which is why I think it is in bottom.
6.) Don't laugh but I even squirted milk around water edge to follow
flow (it worked and found several low area where water was crossing
liner)

Anymore dectective work I can do to isolate if leak or convection?
Thanks so much--Phyllis

(Do you know where your water quality is?)