How do I find the leak in my pond? Is your water level continually dropping? There are different potential leakage points such as waterfalls, a stream. To carry out your first investigations, it seems logical but, wait until it does not rain. On sunny days, a significant amount of water can evaporate.
Leaks in ponds are a popular pond management problem. Small leaks can go unnoticed, but larger leaks may totally drain a pond. Unfortunately, one of the most challenging challenges associated with pond management is repairing a leaking pond. This post covers the basic steps for deciding whether your pond is leaking as well as some leak repair advice.
Causes Of Leak In a Pond
Pond leaks can occur for a variety of reasons. The most popular source is pond bottom design that isn’t up to code. Simply put, the only way to prevent a leaked pond is to construct it correctly from the start. During building, areas of sand or gravel, as well as cracks in bedrock, that were not sufficiently covered with dirt, which inevitably leak.
- A hot and sunny day can lower the level of your garden pond by more than 2cm.
- A water jet and a waterfall are factors that accelerate evaporation.
- Beware of sharp rhizomes and bamboo around the edge of the pond, as these can puncture your liner even through cement.
- Start by cutting the various pumps. Inspect the different plant areas, trying to clear as much as possible to have visibility.
- Check your different pipe connections that could be easily visible.
- Also check the tightness of your filtration system? Now that everything is turned off and the water is calm.
- Wait a few hours for the level to equalize.
- Then mark your water level.
- Give yourself 24 hours to check the drop in level.
- Then look for places where the tarp stays black and wet. In EPDM tarps, this is easily seen (grayish area = dry).
Finding a Pond Leak
The amount of time and money it takes to patch a leaked pond is directly proportional to your capacity to find the leak’s source. Unfortunately, pinpointing the exact site of a leak is challenging. To begin,
- Inspect the outlet pipe and drain pipe systems to ensure that they are all in good working order. In older ponds or ponds with corrosive water, these systems often rust through.
- Leaks on the pond’s banks or the dam’s walls are often easy to spot.
- Water exiting the pond can emerge on the pond’s outer surface, offering a hint to the leak’s location.
- Wet areas at the base of the pond dam or on the banks, as well as the growth of water-loving plants (such as cattails), can provide clues to the location of these pond leaks.
- Dyes can be helpful in locating these leaks. If you sprinkle some good, food-grade dye in the pond near a damp place along the bank, you can see if the pond is actually leaking there. For this reason, use only small quantities of inert, food-grade dyes.
Solution for a Leaking Pond
The best technique for sealing a leaked pond bottom can be determined primarily by the type of soil present. The proportion of large (sand or rock) and small (clay or silt) particles in the soil is crucial. Until progressing, a trained soil scientist or laboratory examination might be needed to determine the form of particles in the soil. Personnel from your locality can be involved in certain circumstances. Soil characterization could be possible with the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Once you have located your hole, you can purchase a repair kit at various water garden centers. These tarp kits are used in the same way as bicycle patches. You can also use waterproof silicon. You need to degrease the area and I recommend rounding the edges of the patch. Clean your tarp with water. If you can’t locate your hole, it may be in the waterfall or stream. To do this, move the clear water outlet of your pump to the top of the stream. Sometimes the leak is not necessarily a hole but a place where the ground has settled, allowing the water to overflow.
Last advice, be patient! If I lost you, I could see that there is a lot of videos to help you on the web.
