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#1
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Help - Want to keep stream running in winter
I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and 6-12
inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in combination with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and it has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts in a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to keep it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas? Thanks, Tim |
#2
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"tg" wrote in message ... I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and 6-12 inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in combination with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and it has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts in a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to keep it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas? Tim, if a hard freeze is possible in your area, I'd be wary of running the water features all winter. Ice can build up over time on your waterfall and stream, and if left to grow, the ice can redirect the water out of the pond. -- BV Webporgmaster of iheartmypond.com Check out the IHMP forums, ihmp.net/phpbb I'll be leaning on the bus stop post. |
#3
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On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 10:25:26 -0500, "Benign Vanilla"
wrote: "tg" wrote in message ... I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and 6-12 inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in combination with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and it has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts in a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to keep it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas? Tim, if a hard freeze is possible in your area, I'd be wary of running the water features all winter. Ice can build up over time on your waterfall and stream, and if left to grow, the ice can redirect the water out of the pond. The concern of ice deflecting water out of the stream is the only thing that has kept me from trying to run mine all winter. We have to drain and shut down all of the outside water in the winter. Refilling a half empty pond with buckets from the house has is not very appealing. Guess I just do not know fun when I see it. John |
#4
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On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 10:25:26 -0500, "Benign Vanilla"
wrote: "tg" wrote in message ... I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and 6-12 inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in combination with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and it has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts in a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to keep it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas? Tim, if a hard freeze is possible in your area, I'd be wary of running the water features all winter. Ice can build up over time on your waterfall and stream, and if left to grow, the ice can redirect the water out of the pond. The concern of ice deflecting water out of the stream is the only thing that has kept me from trying to run mine all winter. We have to drain and shut down all of the outside water in the winter. Refilling a half empty pond with buckets from the house has is not very appealing. Guess I just do not know fun when I see it. John |
#5
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Tim,
It sounds like your winters are more severe than the ones that go through here in NC Oklahoma, but I leave my pump running all the time. I usually decrease the volume of flow so it is not pushing the entire 4,300 gph, but I add a valve in the Fall so I can decrease the flow. I had to go out and get my pond ready because we are suppose to have some really cold days coming up, but as long as the water is flowing the fish do fine. The big thing you have to think about is that the falling water has a tendency to move directly to the bottom of the pond. I have diffusers on my cascades so the water is pushed laterally instead of falling directly to the bottom. In a waterfall situation this can be accomplished by water fall in to a large lilly basket sitting on some bricks or on to a built up flat rock. I would tend to think that how you describe your stream and the amount of flow you have you should not have any problems, only thing is if you have multiple days of extremely below zero temps you may have a freeze up, but this depends on a lot of factors. Another thing to remember is that as some of the water freezes the water level in you pond decreases, so you may need to keep and eye on this also. I would remove the filter pads from the filter. Right now my filter has only the bio-balls in it. HTH Keep and eye on things. Tom L.L. "tg" wrote in message ... I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and 6-12 inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in combination with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and it has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts in a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to keep it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas? Thanks, Tim |
#6
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"tg" wrote in message
would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas? In moving water the stock tank will be on all the time in cold weather. That'$ 1,000 to 1,500 watt$ 24/7, and since they're not meant to run continously I would assume it would soon burn out. Do you happen to have a picture of the stream so we could suggest some other ideas? ~ jan See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Defrosted~ Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website -----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==---------- http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =----- |
#7
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"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message ... "tg" wrote in message would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas? In moving water the stock tank will be on all the time in cold weather. That'$ 1,000 to 1,500 watt$ 24/7, and since they're not meant to run continously I would assume it would soon burn out. Do you happen to have a picture of the stream so we could suggest some other ideas? ~ jan See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Defrosted~ Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website Jan, Here are some pics of my stream from this spring. http://home.insightbb.com/~snowandwa...tos.html-.html We are in the middle of a large snow/sleet/ice storm here in KY and going to almost 0 tomorrow night. I will try to add some more then. Tim |
#8
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Jan,
Here are some pics of my stream from this spring. http://home.insightbb.com/~snowandwa...tos.html-.html We are in the middle of a large snow/sleet/ice storm here in KY and going to almost 0 tomorrow night. I will try to add some more then. Tim Wow! Nice job, Tim! Well, what I was thinking isn't very visually pleasing, like putting something over the stream, like boards or pvc that would support clear plastic, to keep the heat in. Your stream is designed in such a way you could easily do this, but quite a long run. Whereas, a stream with lots of turns, level changes and heavy landscaping would make it more a challenge. Obviously though, sounds like it is too late this year to put something in. Guess you're getting a white Christmas? ;o) I'm here in the banana belt of Washington state with blue skies, calm, and low 40's. Probably not what you want to hear right about now. ;o) Keep us appraised of your water flow, heater running situation, with your current weather. ~ jan ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~ -----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==---------- http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =----- |
#9
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"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message ... Jan, Here are some pics of my stream from this spring. http://home.insightbb.com/~snowandwa...tos.html-.html We are in the middle of a large snow/sleet/ice storm here in KY and going to almost 0 tomorrow night. I will try to add some more then. Tim Wow! Nice job, Tim! Well, what I was thinking isn't very visually pleasing, like putting something over the stream, like boards or pvc that would support clear plastic, to keep the heat in. Your stream is designed in such a way you could easily do this, but quite a long run. Whereas, a stream with lots of turns, level changes and heavy landscaping would make it more a challenge. Obviously though, sounds like it is too late this year to put something in. Guess you're getting a white Christmas? ;o) I'm here in the banana belt of Washington state with blue skies, calm, and low 40's. Probably not what you want to hear right about now. ;o) Keep us appraised of your water flow, heater running situation, with your current weather. ~ jan ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~ Jan, It has been below 15 twice already this year, but 50s within a few days. The flow rate of the pump I believe is such that the water skins over with ice with an air gap and runs well under it. The problem has been my filter getting clogged in the Savio skimmer with dying algae and reducing flow through it so the pump sucks air and loses prime. The stream is designed as a 100' foot long level pond with no slope. The pump provides all the flow and if the pump stops, the water stays as if it is in a pool. The hard part was leveling a 100' long length! Luckily my landscaper friend who helped me had a laser level. He didn't think it would work without a slope, but now he is sold on the idea since you can put a stream in without having the ponds to hold the water should it stop flowing. BTW - sitting at 1/4" freezing rain plus 4 inches of snow and now 1.5" of sleet! It is going to be a white slippery Christmas! And of course Kentucky usually doesn't see this kind of stuff so we don't have the equipment to get everything cleaned off quickly so we will probably be stuck for several days. Last time this happened (with more snow though) the interstates were shutdown for 5 days! Have a good one. Tim |
#10
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"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message ... Jan, Here are some pics of my stream from this spring. http://home.insightbb.com/~snowandwa...tos.html-.html We are in the middle of a large snow/sleet/ice storm here in KY and going to almost 0 tomorrow night. I will try to add some more then. Tim Wow! Nice job, Tim! Well, what I was thinking isn't very visually pleasing, like putting something over the stream, like boards or pvc that would support clear plastic, to keep the heat in. Your stream is designed in such a way you could easily do this, but quite a long run. Whereas, a stream with lots of turns, level changes and heavy landscaping would make it more a challenge. Obviously though, sounds like it is too late this year to put something in. Guess you're getting a white Christmas? ;o) I'm here in the banana belt of Washington state with blue skies, calm, and low 40's. Probably not what you want to hear right about now. ;o) Keep us appraised of your water flow, heater running situation, with your current weather. ~ jan ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~ Jan, It has been below 15 twice already this year, but 50s within a few days. The flow rate of the pump I believe is such that the water skins over with ice with an air gap and runs well under it. The problem has been my filter getting clogged in the Savio skimmer with dying algae and reducing flow through it so the pump sucks air and loses prime. The stream is designed as a 100' foot long level pond with no slope. The pump provides all the flow and if the pump stops, the water stays as if it is in a pool. The hard part was leveling a 100' long length! Luckily my landscaper friend who helped me had a laser level. He didn't think it would work without a slope, but now he is sold on the idea since you can put a stream in without having the ponds to hold the water should it stop flowing. BTW - sitting at 1/4" freezing rain plus 4 inches of snow and now 1.5" of sleet! It is going to be a white slippery Christmas! And of course Kentucky usually doesn't see this kind of stuff so we don't have the equipment to get everything cleaned off quickly so we will probably be stuck for several days. Last time this happened (with more snow though) the interstates were shutdown for 5 days! Have a good one. Tim |
#11
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snip
BTW - sitting at 1/4" freezing rain plus 4 inches of snow and now 1.5" of sleet! It is going to be a white slippery Christmas! And of course Kentucky usually doesn't see this kind of stuff so we don't have the equipment to get everything cleaned off quickly so we will probably be stuck for several days. Last time this happened (with more snow though) the interstates were shutdown for 5 days! Have a good one. Tim I thought all you Kentucky folks had big, tall monster truck 4x4's?!? Nice job on the stream!! Mark http://www.bunchobikes.com/pond6.htm |
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