Deicer and bubbler question

[barryian]

As most of you know, my pond is a small raised pond of just 425 gallons. In addition to leaving my submersible filter running and raising my two air stones, I also covered the entire pond with a Sunbubble. If you haven't seen my other posts, this is a Sunbubble.

View attachment 107494

The Sunbubble does a great job of trapping solar radiation and keeping the water temps up. (Think pond in a greenhouse.) However, with all this unseasonably cold weather the past week of subzero and single digits at night, the pond finally got about 1 1/2" of ice on top. I still had two holes where the air stones are and where I aimed the flow of my submersible on the other side, but with no relief in sight, and even colder temps predicted for Friday and Saturday, I was concerned, so I bought an Allied Precision Floating Deicer 1500W on Tuesday just like the ones in @barryian's post above. I made a big enough hole to put the deicer in feeling much better that this would definitely keep a hole in the ice. Yesterday morning I couldn't see a thing, but that's normal after a very cold night. The Sunbubble gets so much thick frost on the inside at night from the warm condensate hitting the cold bubble. I went out and open the bubble to find no ice at all. I thought, this is great. Then, for some reason, it dawned on me to check the water temp. In less than 24 hours, the water temp went from the low 30's to 55 degrees! I was shocked. I thought this thing would just keep a hole in the ice, not warm the water so much. I unplugged it and will only plug it back in...for a while...if I need it again. Talk about over kill!

@MoonShadows ... Hi - I'm using one 1000 watt in front of the skimmer as I said and my pond is 2000 gallons. That keeps my pond ice free down to zero degrees. I have a 2nd as a backup but usually don't have it on. Currently it's blizzard conditions and tomorrow going down close to zero. Keeps my water temps in the 40'sF. I'd think 1500 watts in a 450 gallon and you can start feeding ...lol ... yes agreed overkill. The skimmer circulating seems to make the difference too with the de-icer. The attached link is the best thing I ever built as it keeps the the deicer off when it's not needed. I believe the deicers go on @ 32F and off at 40F ish, maybe 42F but don't recall. I have mine set to on at 34F and off at 37F ... redundant from my previous comment. I have a blue led light in my pool house also plugged in to the temp controller and I know when the deicer is on. My wife says I have the luckiest koi around ...lol ... Mine could be said to be overkill but electronics and tech are my thing so it's rather fun. I used to have a 2nd home around 191 and 715 in Henryville so I know how cold it can get there. We were 15-20 minutes out of Stroudsburg.

 

[MoonShadows]

@barryian That's the first thing I thought of when I read the thermometer...I'm going to have to start feeding them! Long video; I'll have to watch it later. Something like that, and I wouldn't have to go out in this weather to check from time to time. I figure even with the wind and cold weather again today, the water was in the mid-50's yesterday. I have some time before that heater has to go on again. All bets are off tomorrow through Sunday, though. Daytime highs are going to be 9, 7 and 13. i don't even want to think of the night time temps. Monday it might be a heat wave up to 27.

 

[barryian]

@barryian That's the first thing I thought of when I read the thermometer...I'm going to have to start feeding them! Long video; I'll have to watch it later. Something like that, and I wouldn't have to go out in this weather to check from time to time. I figure even with the wind and cold weather again today, the water was in the mid-50's yesterday. I have some time before that heater has to go on again. All bets are off tomorrow through Sunday, though. Daytime highs are going to be 9, 7 and 13. i don't even want to think of the night time temps. Monday it might be a heat wave up to 27.

I was kidding but they need no food at this point plus water will cool. We have 40-50 mph winds right now with blizzard condition and my pond disappeared under the snow on the frame and netting. Checking temps is out of the question but they're tough!

 

[MoonShadows]

I see LI is getting whomped. Are you on the eastern side? I also heard that AC, NJ might get 1 1/2'. We only had an inch or three (hard to tell with the wind), and the wind is sure howling. Wind chills -10 to -25. I'm sure it's worse where you are. I keep throwing seed and bread out the kitchen window for the birds.

 

[barryian]

I see LI is getting whomped. Are you on the eastern side? I also heard that AC, NJ might get 1 1/2'. We only had an inch or three (hard to tell with the wind), and the wind is sure howling. Wind chills -10 to -25. I'm sure it's worse where you are. I keep throwing seed and bread out the kitchen window for the birds.

No , we're Nassau county. South west. Getting hammered though ...winds are outrageous. They just raised our snow totals and it's coming down about 2" an hour currently. Pond is a thing of the past. Can't see it but hear the water flow from my back door. Thought snow was suppose to let up by 5pm ... but winds will howl all night. Have a generator ready ...

 

[MoonShadows]

We just gave up our 25 year old Coleman portable generator and had a Generac 11K whole house generator installed in November. The Coleman was hooked up so we could run the heat, water pump, fridge and other essentials. Now, we don't have to store gas and make the trek out to the shed to fire it up and hope it works for another season. We lose our power enough where a generator is not a luxury, but almost a necessity. And, we're on a dead-end line with about 5 other houses, so when the power goes out, we're one of the last to get it back.

 

[callingcolleen1]

As most of you know, my pond is a small raised pond of just 425 gallons. In addition to leaving my submersible filter running and raising my two air stones, I also covered the entire pond with a Sunbubble. If you haven't seen my other posts, this is a Sunbubble.

View attachment 107494

The Sunbubble does a great job of trapping solar radiation and keeping the water temps up. (Think pond in a greenhouse.) However, with all this unseasonably cold weather the past week of subzero and single digits at night, the pond finally got about 1 1/2" of ice on top. I still had two holes where the air stones are and where I aimed the flow of my submersible on the other side, but with no relief in sight, and even colder temps predicted for Friday and Saturday, I was concerned, so I bought an Allied Precision Floating Deicer 1500W on Tuesday just like the ones in @barryian's post above. I made a big enough hole to put the deicer in feeling much better that this would definitely keep a hole in the ice. Yesterday morning I couldn't see a thing, but that's normal after a very cold night. The Sunbubble gets so much thick frost on the inside at night from the warm condensate hitting the cold bubble. I went out and open the bubble to find no ice at all. I thought, this is great. Then, for some reason, it dawned on me to check the water temp. In less than 24 hours, the water temp went from the low 30's to 55 degrees! I was shocked. I thought this thing would just keep a hole in the ice, not warm the water so much. I unplugged it and will only plug it back in...for a while...if I need it again. Talk about over kill!

That's so extra AWESOME!!!

 

[sissy]

Get a watt tester to plug it into to see if it is working