1st bog winter

[Dosry5]

Hey, haven’t been on here in months! Life is busy. I put in a bog this summer (with tons of helpful advice from folks on here!) and it worked fantastically. It’s partially in and partially above ground, probably 18-20 inches of gravel on top of the pipes. Do I try to drain the water for the winter? I always shut my pond down and just run a pond breather and never had any issues. I suck as much water out of my pipes between the skimmer/pump and the waterfall box (which was replaced by the bog this summer) but that’s all. Do I do the same to the bog? Don’t want cracked pipes in the cold Iowa winter, but can’t imagine what it’d take to get water out of the bog....

 

[Mmathis]

@addy1 does something similar with her bog plumbing!

 

[mrsclem]

Do not drain the bog! The plants will survive ice but not drying out. You can drain all the pipes going up to the bog but leave the water in it.

 

[addy1]

Do not drain the bog! The plants will survive ice but not drying out. You can drain all the pipes going up to the bog but leave the water in it.

Agree do not drain, I never drain the bog or the pipes. I open the pipes, let what ever water will run out run out and leave them open. I have a external pump so it is pulled for the winter.

Had our first coating of ice on the pond today. Still have not put in the breathers, need to get around to it.

 

[Lisak1]

Same answer - plants that grow in boggy or wet conditions do not mind being frozen solid, but they do not want to be dry. We lost all of our pond plants the first year - we shut the pond down, the water level dropped as winter went on and the plants were all exposed to the elements. Every single one died. We've run the pond every year since, keeping the water level where it needs to be and we've never lost another plant.

 

[Dosry5]

Do not drain the bog! The plants will survive ice but not drying out. You can drain all the pipes going up to the bog but leave the water in it.

Yes ma’am! I don’t know why I’m worried about pipes bursting, my buried ones around the pond are only 12-18” deep and have never cracked or burst...

 

[addy1]

Yes ma’am! I don’t know why I’m worried about pipes bursting, my buried ones around the pond are only 12-18” deep and have never cracked or burst...

lol some of mine are hanging out in the air, some of them still have water in them. 10 winters, only lost one pipe, a deer stomped on it, cracked it, saw the hoof print. Now some rocks around it.

 

[Dosry5]

lol some of mine are hanging out in the air, some of them still have water in them. 10 winters, only lost one pipe, a deer stomped on it, cracked it, saw the hoof print. Now some rocks around it.

I don’t get it. I’ve never had a pvc pipe crack but last year my copper hose bib cracked and flooded my basement over the winter. Doesn’t make sense.

 

[GBBUDD]

Copper pipe is a closed system ? pvc pipe is no pressure and a open system ? when the pipes sart to freeze theres no where for the water to expand in a closed system

 

[Dosry5]

Copper pipe is a closed system ? pvc pipe is no pressure and a open system ? when the pipes sart to freeze theres no where for the water to expand in a closed system

I didn’t know there’d be science.....

 

[GBBUDD]

There's always science in everything it's just weather or not we recognize it or not

 

[Lisak1]

Just don't let him try to pull out the math stuff on us...

We had a hose bib freeze and crack last winter, too! First time in 30 years. Found out it was cracked when we had a guy here to power wash the house and heard water running in the basement... oops!

 

[poconojoe]

Just make sure you disconnect your garden hose from the house hose bib for the Winter. If you don't, water can get trapped in your frostless hose bib which will cause it to burst. Ask me how I know!
My basement didn't flood, but in the Spring when I turned on the hose, I heard water in the wall. So basically, mine only leaked when the hose bib was opened.

 

[Lisak1]

We always disconnect ours and we have frost free bibs. No clue how or why it suddenly decided to crack and like I said, the first clue we had was when the guy hooked up his power washer to the spigot - it was before we had even hooked a hose up for the spring. Luckily I walked past the basement door and thought "why does it sound like someone is taking a shower downstairs??

Our plumber said the bib failed somehow and there was only one way to discover it... and we did!

 

[Dosry5]

We always disconnect ours and we have frost free bibs.

I always disconnect mine too. Hooked up the hose on a warm March day to add water to the pond. Daughter came running outside 30 minutes later screaming about a flood. That was fun to clean up.