Pond leaked out overnight

[Tincan]

Thanks for all the replies, its a learning curve that is much flatter with your helpful suggestions, attached are some photos of the build.
I filled the pond half way and then switched off the pump overnight as i thought the increased pressure might seal any gaps.
I've reduced the length of the hosepipe to the waterbutt - now down to 3m, idea being it should help with a balance of the flows.
I also put a bag of gravel in the bog as test, i figure if the issue is matching the bog flow rate of the pump then reducing the available volume of the bog would increase the drainage to the pond.
This seems to have worked, as so far it seems to have stabilised, I'm monitoring for the next 2 days. I'm conscious this might be reducing the time for the bog filter organisms to work their magic, if so i will try a "Y" fitting on the pump. I have got a separate fountain pump to fit and so i think i can try that as well.
I was thinking of putting a pea gravel layer in the base of the pond - to help secure some oxygenating weeds- does that work?

 

[Mmathis]

@Tincan I’m not the smartest bulb on the tree, but I’m still having a tough time understanding what you are doing — maybe it’s just the language barrier.

What do you mean by “switching the pump off for increased pressure to seal the gaps.” Also, not getting the purpose of the bag of gravel to match flow rates.

Are you saying that you think that the flow into the bog is too fast for the outflow?

And do you have multiple pieces of liner seamed together?

If you still can‘t resolve the problem, I would definitely recommend you replace the PVC (plastic) liner with something like EPDM.

 

[Tincan]

@Tincan I’m not the smartest bulb on the tree, but I’m still having a tough time understanding what you are doing — maybe it’s just the language barrier.

What do you mean by “switching the pump off for increased pressure to seal the gaps.” Also, not getting the purpose of the bag of gravel to match flow rates.

Are you saying that you think that the flow into the bog is too fast for the outflow?

And do you have multiple pieces of liner seamed together?

If you still can‘t resolve the problem, I would definitely recommend you replace the PVC (plastic) liner with something like EPDM.

The thought was to add more water directly to the pond so that the increased weight of the water might seal any gaps the folds of the new liner were leaving. So switching the pump off was to eliminate the new liner from the problem, which it has, it hadn't lost any more overnight
Im guessing the problem may be the flow rate, i cannot change the pump flow rate but if i make the bog filter flow faster it might balance out, the water. So far, that has improved matters but im waiting to see for how long.
The new liner is all one piece, as is the bog filter.
Thanks

 

[mrsclem]

Check the area where you have the water coming in above the bog, looks like the water may be running outside of the liner.

 

[CometKeith]

The thought was to add more water directly to the pond so that the increased weight of the water might seal any gaps the folds of the new liner were leaving. So switching the pump off was to eliminate the new liner from the problem, which it has, it hadn't lost any more overnight
Im guessing the problem may be the flow rate, i cannot change the pump flow rate but if i make the bog filter flow faster it might balance out, the water. So far, that has improved matters but im waiting to see for how long.
The new liner is all one piece, as is the bog filter.
Thanks

Hi. Sorry about your problems with the bog. So it’s actually a misconception that all bogs must flow into the pond and never the other way around. You can lower the side of the bog by your pond making sure the rocks stay in the bog and let the water mix freely between the bog and pond. That will solve any problems about too strong of a flow into your bog and allow water to freely flow out. I actually prefer to let the water mix between the two otherwise I get algae growing on the top layer of my bog and having the water mix reduces that. Good luck!

 

[poconojoe]

I'm also trying to figure out what you are doing or exactly what your problem is.

It looks like your water pours from the two barrels onto the stones in your bog. I'm not sure what the two barrels are there for. Maybe they are filters?

Is the water volume in the bog so high that it overflows before it can reach the pond?

Please explain what a water butt is. Sorry, I'm not familiar with that term.

Most of us that run a bog have a pipe or pipes laying in the bottom of the bog. The pipes have slits cut in them. The pipes are covered with the gravel. Water is pumped through the pipes and rises out of the slits, up through the gravel and back to the pond by way of a low point between the bog and pond. Kind of the opposite way you have yours set up.
My bog is my only filter.
Here's my build:

 

[Tincan]

Check the area where you have the water coming in above the bog, looks like the water may be running outside of the liner.

Thanks I've now found a leak, the seal with the outlet pipe was dribbling down the "rainwater barrel", the liner appears to be intact. However water in the barrel is going way below the outlet pipe with no signs of any further leakage, which so far is a mystery.

 

[Tincan]

Hi. Sorry about your problems with the bog. So it’s actually a misconception that all bogs must flow into the pond and never the other way around. You can lower the side of the bog by your pond making sure the rocks stay in the bog and let the water mix freely between the bog and pond. That will solve any problems about too strong of a flow into your bog and allow water to freely flow out. I actually prefer to let the water mix between the two otherwise I get algae growing on the top layer of my bog and having the water mix reduces that. Good luck!

Thanks i think i will try that.

 

[Tincan]

I'm also trying to figure out what you are doing or exactly what your problem is.

It looks like your water pours from the two barrels onto the stones in your bog. I'm not sure what the two barrels are there for. Maybe they are filters?

Is the water volume in the bog so high that it overflows before it can reach the pond?

Please explain what a water butt is. Sorry, I'm not familiar with that term.

Most of us that run a bog have a pipe or pipes laying in the bottom of the bog. The pipes have slits cut in them. The pipes are covered with the gravel. Water is pumped through the pipes and rises out of the slits, up through the gravel and back to the pond by way of a low point between the bog and pond. Kind of the opposite way you have yours set up.
My bog is my only filter.
Here's my build:
View attachment 133765

The Water Butt is the Rainwater barrel in the US I understand. In my system only 1 is in use. I got several as i was thinking water capacity will be an issue as i am in a flood prone region, however the need has not arisen yet, so only 1 is needed.
I do have the mystery of water emptying from the barrel .2m below the outlet pipe - which is impossible. I am going to swap this out with a taller barrel to see if that solves the problem.
My Bog is much smaller - its only 1m x 1m x 0.5m, so I'm not sure your filter will be practical in my setup, though mixing the flows might change that. Yours and other setups makes me think i could expand my system a little around my trees, but first things first.
Overnight i have had a small drop in the pond level so I think i will try a replacement of the bog liner. Also the pond pump connection was a bit loose, so I've tightened that up.

 

[Jhn]

The Water Butt is the Rainwater barrel in the US I understand. In my system only 1 is in use. I got several as i was thinking water capacity will be an issue as i am in a flood prone region, however the need has not arisen yet, so only 1 is needed.
I do have the mystery of water emptying from the barrel .2m below the outlet pipe - which is impossible. I am going to swap this out with a taller barrel to see if that solves the problem.
My Bog is much smaller - its only 1m x 1m x 0.5m, so I'm not sure your filter will be practical in my setup, though mixing the flows might change that. Yours and other setups makes me think i could expand my system a little around my trees, but first things first.
Overnight i have had a small drop in the pond level so I think i will try a replacement of the bog liner. Also the pond pump connection was a bit loose, so I've tightened that up.

it is very unlikely the liner itself is the problem. Agree with @mrsclem looks like the square trough that the outfall pipe from the barrel goes into where it dumps into the bog. How is that connected? Also how much overlap do you have from the bog liner over The pond liner?

That is another potential leaking spot from the water wicking up between the two liners.

Also, setting a bag of gravel in the bog will do nothing for changing how fast the water flows out of the bog. That is purely just how fast the water is coming in and how big of an inlet area from the bog into the pond is.

 

[Tincan]

it is very unlikely the liner itself is the problem. Agree with @mrsclem looks like the square trough that the outfall pipe from the barrel goes into where it dumps into the bog. How is that connected? Also how much overlap do you have from the bog liner over The pond liner?

That is another potential leaking spot from the water wicking up between the two liners.

Also, setting a bag of gravel in the bog will do nothing for changing how fast the water flows out of the bog. That is purely just how fast the water is coming in and how big of an inlet area from the bog into the pond is.

 

[Tincan]

Thanks jhn, The connection between the rock trough and the bog is a piece of liner. It is leaking a bit so I think i will try taping another piece of liner to direct the flow from the rock trough to the bog.

The gravel bag did work. it reduces the volume of space available in the bog for the water and so forces the more water to the outlet exit into the pond at a faster rate. Its a bit like putting a brick in a toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water that is flushed.

It has improved but still not balanced the flows so i think increasing the width of the bog outlet and at the same time put another piece of liner to smooth out the folds is worth a try.
Im not getting it wrong - just finding lots of ways of how not to do it right!

 

[poconojoe]

Sometimes it just takes a little time and effort to iron out the bugs, but you'll get it all straightened out eventually. I find that with this pond hobby I'm always tinkering with something!
Keep us posted and keep the faith...you'll get it done....

 

[Tincan]

Cheers Pocojoe.

 

[Jhn]

Thanks jhn, The connection between the rock trough and the bog is a piece of liner. It is leaking a bit so I think i will try taping another piece of liner to direct the flow from the rock trough to the bog.

The gravel bag did work. it reduces the volume of space available in the bog for the water and so forces the more water to the outlet exit into the pond at a faster rate. Its a bit like putting a brick in a toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water that is flushed.

It has improved but still not balanced the flows so i think increasing the width of the bog outlet and at the same time put another piece of liner to smooth out the folds is worth a try.
Im not getting it wrong - just finding lots of ways of how not to do it right!

If you only have one pump pumping from the pond into the barrel dumping into the trough then dumping into the bog....there is no balancing of flow, it will only flow through the various areas as fast as the pump can push it. It can only go so quickly, the bog outfall is the key. If that is not letting enough water back into the pond it will overflow.

Adding the bag of gravel to the bog will make the water appear to move quicker, because it has less area to fill but the amount Of flow that is being pushed through the bog doesn’t change. The only way that will change is if you restrict the flow from the pump. Think of a river flowing in the wider deeper portions it appears to not be moving but it is, narrow it up and/or make it shallower it moves quicker, but the amount per hour that goes through both areas doesn’t change.