The man likes to plan . But you'll be dead before you get to sit back and enjoy . Hell with the hot tub throw some gravel down and enjoy tinkering with decorating the pond for the rest of the year. You worked hard at building the pond enjoy it
CW's Back Yard Water Garden Begins!
- Thread starter combatwombat
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Exactly what I'm about to do. Electrical is almost done. Digging against the foundation was a cinch due to the sandy backfill used when the basement was dug. Of course, that's where every trade threw their trash. Found a lot of drywall scraps, nails, wires, and a few bottles of Seagrams. Pretty sure those belonged to whatever klutz built our chimney.
j.w
I Love my Goldies
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Just do it! 
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I came up with a clever way to get a pull string into conduit so that I can pull conductors.
At first, I was adding the string as I installed the conduit, but that was a pain in the butt, constantly going from one end to the other and it would get in the way as I was trying to glue the joints. So I abandoned that plan and just installed my conduit runs without the string.
Then I took a length of string off the spool and tied a little wad of plastic from a plastic bag to one end. Then I stuck the wad in one end of the conduit and put my shop vac on the other end. 2 seconds later, I had a pull string installed!
Also, I’m really enjoying working with pvc conduit. It’s so easy to bend and shape with a heat gun. No need for expensive fittings or precise bend measurements.
When I installed our solar panels, that required metal conduit. Measuring and making compound bends with EMT in the attic and between boxes was SUCH a pain.
If you ever want to install electrical by your pond, I definitely recommend rigid pvc conduit and a heat gun.
At first, I was adding the string as I installed the conduit, but that was a pain in the butt, constantly going from one end to the other and it would get in the way as I was trying to glue the joints. So I abandoned that plan and just installed my conduit runs without the string.
Then I took a length of string off the spool and tied a little wad of plastic from a plastic bag to one end. Then I stuck the wad in one end of the conduit and put my shop vac on the other end. 2 seconds later, I had a pull string installed!
Also, I’m really enjoying working with pvc conduit. It’s so easy to bend and shape with a heat gun. No need for expensive fittings or precise bend measurements.
When I installed our solar panels, that required metal conduit. Measuring and making compound bends with EMT in the attic and between boxes was SUCH a pain.
If you ever want to install electrical by your pond, I definitely recommend rigid pvc conduit and a heat gun.
TheFishGuy
( Insert something funny )
The pond is looking so good! I think it is great that the young one is getting used to the water, swimming is such an important and often life saving skill.
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1. Weird quirk about this variable speed pump: it does NOT restart after a power failure.
Have had a few of those while working on electrical only to realize several hours later that I need to turn it back on.
Workaround is to use the app to set a schedule that runs daily from midnight to 11:59pm. If power is restored when pump is scheduled to run, it will restart. App is a dumpster fire, though.
2. Finally got the sub panel terminated in the main panel.
This house is constantly occupied and I’ve been too tired to stay up late when everyone is asleep, so I’ve been waiting for my shot to kill the main breaker and finish up work in the main electrical panel.
Was getting impatient and came up with a way to do it live, but decided against that. Had to move a few circuits around to make space.
Got careless at the end and misidentified my neutral as one of my ungrounded conductors. Cut it short before realizing my mistake. So, have to relabel the wires, which you’re allowed to do on anything bigger than #6. Lucky me. Will put some heat shrink over then on both ends and call it done.
Now to pull the individual circuits and get the extension cords out of my way.
Have had a few of those while working on electrical only to realize several hours later that I need to turn it back on.
Workaround is to use the app to set a schedule that runs daily from midnight to 11:59pm. If power is restored when pump is scheduled to run, it will restart. App is a dumpster fire, though.
2. Finally got the sub panel terminated in the main panel.
This house is constantly occupied and I’ve been too tired to stay up late when everyone is asleep, so I’ve been waiting for my shot to kill the main breaker and finish up work in the main electrical panel.
Was getting impatient and came up with a way to do it live, but decided against that. Had to move a few circuits around to make space.
Got careless at the end and misidentified my neutral as one of my ungrounded conductors. Cut it short before realizing my mistake. So, have to relabel the wires, which you’re allowed to do on anything bigger than #6. Lucky me. Will put some heat shrink over then on both ends and call it done.
Now to pull the individual circuits and get the extension cords out of my way.
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Yes, agreed. Electrical is probably my favorite trade to DIY, though. And I enjoy reading and understanding code. We’re allowed to DIY electrical here.
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Ha. Unnoticeable at the moment. I pulled up an area of liner with a lot of patches the other day and it was totally dry, so that’s encouraging.
The weather has been very hot and dry lately, so I’ve had to add water occasionally as the reservoir gets low. Hard to tell right now leak/evaporation. Will measure again in the fall.
I was a fool to think I could make it all summer with a 2500 gallon reservoir, though. Think I’ve refilled it twice already, and will need to again soon.
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Is the variable speed pump new? I'd call to get a replacement if you can, as the doesn't restart sounds like more than a weird quirk to me.
The only time a pump of mine didn't come back on after a power failure was when some internal part of the impeller didn't get enough power to overcome some defect thing. I wasn't willing to put up with a pump that needed a wollap on the side to knock the impeller loose. (What sort of manufacturer suggestion to avoid the warranty was that?!)
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It’s a known limitation of the pump due to the electronic controls. I agree that it’s certainly less than ideal, though—poor programming. The fact you can’t set a schedule to run 24 hrs/day and have to turn off/on is also pretty poor UX.
Overall, it’s a very good, time tested pump (very popular on koiphen) but the manufacturer bolted on some electronics and an app that are half-baked at best.
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Well, we suddenly have crystal clear water.
Picture doesn’t do it justice. Y’all know how it is. I can count the pea gravel sitting on the sand 4.5’ deep.
Don’t know the cause of our good fortune. I did turn the pump up a few hundred rpm a few days ago. That’s the only correlation I can make. Haven’t made any other changes. Still no plants. Kid/mom go swimming almost daily. Been hot/dry/windy.
Also noticed that my little bubbler fountain is splashing a bit outside the liner. Only noticed it in just the right sunlight.
Picture doesn’t do it justice. Y’all know how it is. I can count the pea gravel sitting on the sand 4.5’ deep.
Don’t know the cause of our good fortune. I did turn the pump up a few hundred rpm a few days ago. That’s the only correlation I can make. Haven’t made any other changes. Still no plants. Kid/mom go swimming almost daily. Been hot/dry/windy.
Also noticed that my little bubbler fountain is splashing a bit outside the liner. Only noticed it in just the right sunlight.
It’s that old, ancient remedy we call “time”.
When do the fish go in?
When do the fish go in?