Mmathis
TurtleMommy
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I think the the kids could have shifted a side of the stream too[/QUOTE]
That does make sense.....
Evaporation!!!
- Thread starter Nepen
- Start date
I think the the kids could have shifted a side of the stream too[/QUOTE]
That does make sense.....
I hope you can take comfort from the saying that a local pond builder told us - the majority of "leaks" are actually low edges. Very few are the result of punctured liner.
Check your edges carefully, especially where there was anyone walking or stepping. Chances are you'll find an edge has been pushed down.
If that fails, follow Big Lou's advice and try to isolate the issue. Is it your pump? Waterfall? Or is it actually the pond losing water. Evaporation can be extensive - especially with large exposed surfaces (pond, bog and stream) lots of splashing (stream, waterfall) and plants. Remember, they actually draw water out of your pond and release moisture into the atmosphere. Turning everything off for 24 hours will help greatly.
Good luck!
Check your edges carefully, especially where there was anyone walking or stepping. Chances are you'll find an edge has been pushed down.
If that fails, follow Big Lou's advice and try to isolate the issue. Is it your pump? Waterfall? Or is it actually the pond losing water. Evaporation can be extensive - especially with large exposed surfaces (pond, bog and stream) lots of splashing (stream, waterfall) and plants. Remember, they actually draw water out of your pond and release moisture into the atmosphere. Turning everything off for 24 hours will help greatly.
Good luck!
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I am losing a few inches a day, The bog plants suck the water up, three water falls, lots of moving water to evaporate. always do this time of year.
Wow thank you so much everyone!!!
I came home and walked around the pond and found 2 possible 'wicking' places. One rock draw water to the edge of the liner but no water on the ground under and around it at all. I'm going to fix and rise that edge.
The other place have small river rocks wicking the water to the edge and the water leaks to the side. I clear that area and now there is no wicking. I'll fix and rise the edge
so now with the two possible leaks found, I'm hoping tomorrow water level will not drop as much. The heat today was so bad. I should also take that into account since I have large surface and 2 water falls, not a big splash but still some.
If the water keep dropping fast I'll do other experiment. Right now crossing fingers those two were the culprit!!
Edit to say the pond and bog and stream are in full sun all day.
I came home and walked around the pond and found 2 possible 'wicking' places. One rock draw water to the edge of the liner but no water on the ground under and around it at all. I'm going to fix and rise that edge.
The other place have small river rocks wicking the water to the edge and the water leaks to the side. I clear that area and now there is no wicking. I'll fix and rise the edge
so now with the two possible leaks found, I'm hoping tomorrow water level will not drop as much. The heat today was so bad. I should also take that into account since I have large surface and 2 water falls, not a big splash but still some.
If the water keep dropping fast I'll do other experiment. Right now crossing fingers those two were the culprit!!
Edit to say the pond and bog and stream are in full sun all day.
You do have a lot of exposed water surface area between your pond, bog and stream. And your stream is shallow, so I would guess it heats up fast which would also speed evaporation. Maybe you could plan to add some shade, either some trees or large bushes near the pond or a manmade structure like a shade sail.
You will soon get to know your own pond and know what's normal. I think many new pond owners go through the "oh my gosh! I think it's leaking!" stage in the beginning. Perfectly normal concern to have.
You will soon get to know your own pond and know what's normal. I think many new pond owners go through the "oh my gosh! I think it's leaking!" stage in the beginning. Perfectly normal concern to have.
CRAP - this morning I found a big wet area under the liner at the bog. I tried to inspect the liner and couldnt find anything so I had to stop the pump and monitor the water level. I hope it didnt leak too deep.
How do I find pin point leak? there is no visible tear anywhere. This afternoon i'll be putting in the air pump in my pond (couldnt do it this morning, ran out of time)
ARG!!
How do I find pin point leak? there is no visible tear anywhere. This afternoon i'll be putting in the air pump in my pond (couldnt do it this morning, ran out of time)
ARG!!
If possible and applicable follow my process for locating a pond liner puncture. Sorry for the leak and especially it being in the bog. Others may have a better bog related leak search procedure. Good luck.
Thanks Big Lou. I did started the process and my pumps turned off. I'll put the air pump in for my critters this afternoon. I have about 3 mature goldfish and 3 2-inches goldfish that I have not seen for 2 days and little tads and about 5 salamanders... but in that big of a pond I think they are ok for a bit. I have green water now so at least that will help with their waste.
Have you thoroughly checked all edges of the liner for low spots, including in the bog area. These EDPM liners are really tough. Every one of my leaks were due to low spots or water splashing out. Creases in the liner are easy to miss water wicking out.
I did and found 2 spots like that. it's more of a wicking so I took the rocks out and will fill the spots to make it higher. I have quite a lot of wicking. It's quite easy to spot when all the dirt around is scorched dry by the heat
The new place I found this morning really seems like a leak because it's stayed wet (at first I thought the dirt is just darker color but when I lift the liner I saw it's wet) in this hot spell. will see how it goes......
Do you think putting Koi clay (bentonite clay) will help seal this leak? My logic is that the leak is on the side since I can see the water on the top but I couldnt find the leak at all. I might have to move more rocks....... not looking forward to that.
Yes, creases in the liner of my bog were the bane of my existence since I built it 2 years ago! If your water level is high, water will travel up the crease, go over the edge, and travel all the way down in to the soil, often unnoticed. Because we were tight on liner, we ended up not burying the tiny extra bog liner at all, and instead wrapped it upwards above rocks so it overhangs back in to the bog. (if that makes any sense).
Creases suck!!!
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I did and found 2 spots like that. it's more of a wicking so I took the rocks out and will fill the spots to make it higher. I have quite a lot of wicking. It's quite easy to spot when all the dirt around is scorched dry by the heat
The new place I found this morning really seems like a leak because it's stayed wet (at first I thought the dirt is just darker color but when I lift the liner I saw it's wet) in this hot spell. will see how it goes......
Do you think putting Koi clay (bentonite clay) will help seal this leak? My logic is that the leak is on the side since I can see the water on the top but I couldnt find the leak at all. I might have to move more rocks....... not looking forward to that.
If you want to see if it's a crease in the liner, let the water level drop the two inches it does each day, and don't add water. If it drops to a certain point, then stops, you know it's leaking over the edge or there's a hole in the liner up high.
the wet spot is next to the bog and when i stop the pumps, the water in the bog dropped to the gravel level. My hope is the leak be below that but not on the ground... I have no way of put more water in the bog without it running out of the bog to the waterfall.
My creases were doing the same thing but at least most of it didnt have water goes over the liner. BUT I lose a lot of water that way due to evaporation.
Sad day yesterday.
I stopped the pump in the morning and by 6PM the water in the bog was all gone. I had a panic mode and started to dig around but then I noticed that the ground wasnt that wet, how could 700 gallon of water got out without the ground being that wet!!(granted the temp was 100!!, still impossible to not have wet ground from that much water).
This morning I got up at the crack of dawn 4AM to take my dad to the airport back to hotter Thailand. After I got back I started wondering about and noticed that the water level in the pond raised a bit. I also installed a valve to let the water out of the pipe so I open that and I heard the water from the bog (still a little left) gotten suck down through the pipe.... The water in the bog had been siphon back to the pond!!!!!!!!!!! Well, that's my theory anyway. The reason why I didnt think of that first was because we installed check valves and the water should not be able to get back up the pipe and back to the pond through the pump. BUT I guess something is wrong with the check valves and the water's been leaking back to the pond/ siphoning from the bog to the pond yesterday.
Still, I need to prove this theory. So today I broke the siphoning effect (I can just dill a hole at the end of the pipe, above water level to break the siphoning effect, right?) and fill the bog back to full. I'll see if at the end of the day I have water left or not... If not then I really have a huge leak and need to re-do my bog. But if I loss a few inches then I have smaller leak which is probably harder to locate.
I'm crossing my fingers for only a little loss of water which I could then chuck to evaporation
On the cuter note, I saw a dear drinking from my pond this morning
I stopped the pump in the morning and by 6PM the water in the bog was all gone. I had a panic mode and started to dig around but then I noticed that the ground wasnt that wet, how could 700 gallon of water got out without the ground being that wet!!
(granted the temp was 100!!, still impossible to not have wet ground from that much water). This morning I got up at the crack of dawn 4AM to take my dad to the airport back to hotter Thailand. After I got back I started wondering about and noticed that the water level in the pond raised a bit. I also installed a valve to let the water out of the pipe so I open that and I heard the water from the bog (still a little left) gotten suck down through the pipe....
The water in the bog had been siphon back to the pond!!!!!!!!!!! Well, that's my theory anyway. The reason why I didnt think of that first was because we installed check valves and the water should not be able to get back up the pipe and back to the pond through the pump. BUT I guess something is wrong with the check valves and the water's been leaking back to the pond/ siphoning from the bog to the pond yesterday.Still, I need to prove this theory. So today I broke the siphoning effect (I can just dill a hole at the end of the pipe, above water level to break the siphoning effect, right?) and fill the bog back to full. I'll see if at the end of the day I have water left or not... If not then I really have a huge leak and need to re-do my bog. But if I loss a few inches then I have smaller leak which is probably harder to locate.
I'm crossing my fingers for only a little loss of water which I could then chuck to evaporation
On the cuter note, I saw a dear drinking from my pond this morning
Good luck!