Help - Want to keep stream running in winter

[tg]

I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and 6-12
inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in combination
with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible
this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and it
has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts in
a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to keep
it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer
or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in
the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tim

[Benign Vanilla]

"tg" > wrote in message
...
> I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and
6-12
> inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in
combination
> with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible
> this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and
it
> has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts
in
> a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to
keep
> it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer
> or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater
in
> the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas?

Tim, if a hard freeze is possible in your area, I'd be wary of running the
water features all winter. Ice can build up over time on your waterfall and
stream, and if left to grow, the ice can redirect the water out of the pond.


--
BV
Webporgmaster of iheartmypond.com
Check out the IHMP forums, ihmp.net/phpbb
I'll be leaning on the bus stop post.

[John Bachman]

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 10:25:26 -0500, "Benign Vanilla"
> wrote:

>
>"tg" > wrote in message
...
>> I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and
>6-12
>> inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in
>combination
>> with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long as possible
>> this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in Kentucky) and
>it
>> has skimmed over in ice with the water running well underneath. It starts
>in
>> a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but the flow is enough to
>keep
>> it open. I want to know if I should remove the filter pad from the skimmer
>> or leave it in and if it would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater
>in
>> the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas?
>
>Tim, if a hard freeze is possible in your area, I'd be wary of running the
>water features all winter. Ice can build up over time on your waterfall and
>stream, and if left to grow, the ice can redirect the water out of the pond.

The concern of ice deflecting water out of the stream is the only
thing that has kept me from trying to run mine all winter. We have to
drain and shut down all of the outside water in the winter. Refilling
a half empty pond with buckets from the house has is not very
appealing. Guess I just do not know fun when I see it.

John

[Tom L. La Bron]

Tim,

It sounds like your winters are more severe than the ones that go through
here in NC Oklahoma, but I leave my pump running all the time. I usually
decrease the volume of flow so it is not pushing the entire 4,300 gph, but I
add a valve in the Fall so I can decrease the flow. I had to go out and get
my pond ready because we are suppose to have some really cold days coming
up, but as long as the water is flowing the fish do fine.

The big thing you have to think about is that the falling water has a
tendency to move directly to the bottom of the pond. I have diffusers on my
cascades so the water is pushed laterally instead of falling directly to the
bottom. In a waterfall situation this can be accomplished by water fall in
to a large lilly basket sitting on some bricks or on to a built up flat
rock.

I would tend to think that how you describe your stream and the amount of
flow you have you should not have any problems, only thing is if you have
multiple days of extremely below zero temps you may have a freeze up, but
this depends on a lot of factors.

Another thing to remember is that as some of the water freezes the water
level in you pond decreases, so you may need to keep and eye on this also.
I would remove the filter pads from the filter. Right now my filter has
only the bio-balls in it.

HTH

Keep and eye on things.

Tom L.L.
"tg" > wrote in message
...
>I have about a 75 foot stream in my yard that is about 3 feet wide and 6-12
>inches deep at the center. I am using a Sequence 5800gph pump in
>combination with a Savio skimmer. I want to try to keep it running as long
>as possible this winter. We have already had temps below 10 degrees (in
>Kentucky) and it has skimmed over in ice with the water running well
>underneath. It starts in a waterfall and I too has iced on the edges, but
>the flow is enough to keep it open. I want to know if I should remove the
>filter pad from the skimmer or leave it in and if it would be advantageous
>to add a stock tank heater in the skimmer box near the pump intake? Any
>ideas?
>
> Thanks,
> Tim
>
>

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>"tg" > wrote in message
> would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the
>skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas?

In moving water the stock tank will be on all the time in cold weather.
That'$ 1,000 to 1,500 watt$ 24/7, and since they're not meant to run
continously I would assume it would soon burn out.

Do you happen to have a picture of the stream so we could suggest some
other ideas? ~ jan

See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Defrosted~
Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website


-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----

[ttalb]

"~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
...
> >"tg" > wrote in message
>> would be advantageous to add a stock tank heater in the
>>skimmer box near the pump intake? Any ideas?
>
> In moving water the stock tank will be on all the time in cold weather.
> That'$ 1,000 to 1,500 watt$ 24/7, and since they're not meant to run
> continously I would assume it would soon burn out.
>
> Do you happen to have a picture of the stream so we could suggest some
> other ideas? ~ jan
>
> See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
> http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
>
> ~Keep 'em Defrosted~
> Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website
>

Jan,
Here are some pics of my stream from this spring.
http://home.insightbb.com/~snowandwater/wsb/html/view.cgi-photos.html-.html
We are in the middle of a large snow/sleet/ice storm here in KY and going to
almost 0 tomorrow night. I will try to add some more then.

Tim

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>Jan,
>Here are some pics of my stream from this spring.
>http://home.insightbb.com/~snowandwater/wsb/html/view.cgi-photos.html-.html
>We are in the middle of a large snow/sleet/ice storm here in KY and going to
>almost 0 tomorrow night. I will try to add some more then.
>Tim

Wow! Nice job, Tim!

Well, what I was thinking isn't very visually pleasing, like putting
something over the stream, like boards or pvc that would support clear
plastic, to keep the heat in. Your stream is designed in such a way you
could easily do this, but quite a long run. Whereas, a stream with lots of
turns, level changes and heavy landscaping would make it more a challenge.

Obviously though, sounds like it is too late this year to put something in.
Guess you're getting a white Christmas? ;o) I'm here in the banana belt of
Washington state with blue skies, calm, and low 40's. Probably not what you
want to hear right about now. ;o)

Keep us appraised of your water flow, heater running situation, with your
current weather. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~


-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----

[ttalb]

"~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
...
> >Jan,
>>Here are some pics of my stream from this spring.
>>http://home.insightbb.com/~snowandwater/wsb/html/view.cgi-photos.html-.html
>>We are in the middle of a large snow/sleet/ice storm here in KY and going
>>to
>>almost 0 tomorrow night. I will try to add some more then.
>>Tim
>
> Wow! Nice job, Tim!
>
> Well, what I was thinking isn't very visually pleasing, like putting
> something over the stream, like boards or pvc that would support clear
> plastic, to keep the heat in. Your stream is designed in such a way you
> could easily do this, but quite a long run. Whereas, a stream with lots of
> turns, level changes and heavy landscaping would make it more a challenge.
>
> Obviously though, sounds like it is too late this year to put something
> in.
> Guess you're getting a white Christmas? ;o) I'm here in the banana belt of
> Washington state with blue skies, calm, and low 40's. Probably not what
> you
> want to hear right about now. ;o)
>
> Keep us appraised of your water flow, heater running situation, with your
> current weather. ~ jan
>
>
> ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~
>

Jan,

It has been below 15 twice already this year, but 50s within a few days. The
flow rate of the pump I believe is such that the water skins over with ice
with an air gap and runs well under it. The problem has been my filter
getting clogged in the Savio skimmer with dying algae and reducing flow
through it so the pump sucks air and loses prime.

The stream is designed as a 100' foot long level pond with no slope. The
pump provides all the flow and if the pump stops, the water stays as if it
is in a pool. The hard part was leveling a 100' long length! Luckily my
landscaper friend who helped me had a laser level. He didn't think it would
work without a slope, but now he is sold on the idea since you can put a
stream in without having the ponds to hold the water should it stop flowing.

BTW - sitting at 1/4" freezing rain plus 4 inches of snow and now 1.5" of
sleet! It is going to be a white slippery Christmas! And of course Kentucky
usually doesn't see this kind of stuff so we don't have the equipment to get
everything cleaned off quickly so we will probably be stuck for several
days. Last time this happened (with more snow though) the interstates were
shutdown for 5 days!

Have a good one.
Tim

[Mark and Kim Smith]

<snip>

>
>BTW - sitting at 1/4" freezing rain plus 4 inches of snow and now 1.5" of
>sleet! It is going to be a white slippery Christmas! And of course Kentucky
>usually doesn't see this kind of stuff so we don't have the equipment to get
>everything cleaned off quickly so we will probably be stuck for several
>days. Last time this happened (with more snow though) the interstates were
>shutdown for 5 days!
>
>Have a good one.
>Tim
>
>
>
>

I thought all you Kentucky folks had big, tall monster truck 4x4's?!?

Nice job on the stream!!

Mark

http://www.bunchobikes.com/pond6.htm