Pond frozen over

I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen over.
There was a hump where the bubbler was sending up bubbles. I removed the
bubbler to test it and it is fine. Last week, I put my floating heater in
the pond and left it off. It froze right into the ice. This morning I
plugged it in. Hopefully it will melt the ice and pop to the surface. I hope
it doesn't get watterlogged and electrocute my fish. I might thaw out a
garden hose and see if I can free it up tonight with a stream of water. I am
also building a light bulb heated box to keep the bubbler in.

Scott M in Carp (Ottawa)

My De-Icer used to get iced in all the time. I would melt the top layer
with a tea
kettle full of boiling water.... Got un-iced in a hurry.
Careful in carrying the tea-kettle!

Nedra in Missouri

Lotus Garden:
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
Backyard Pond:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen over.
There was a hump where the bubbler was sending up bubbles. I removed the
bubbler to test it and it is fine. Last week, I put my floating heater in
the pond and left it off. It froze right into the ice. This morning I
plugged it in. Hopefully it will melt the ice and pop to the surface. I
hope
it doesn't get watterlogged and electrocute my fish. I might thaw out a
garden hose and see if I can free it up tonight with a stream of water. I
am
also building a light bulb heated box to keep the bubbler in.

Scott M in Carp (Ottawa)

I was able to free up the floating heater and I ran it all night. Since it
is 1250 Watts, it will cost me a fortune, so today I went out and adjusted
my timer to have the heater come on for 6 one hour periods throughout the 24
hour day.

Scott


"Nedra" wrote in message
nk.net...
My De-Icer used to get iced in all the time. I would melt the top layer
with a tea
kettle full of boiling water.... Got un-iced in a hurry.
Careful in carrying the tea-kettle!

Nedra in Missouri

Lotus Garden:
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
Backyard Pond:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen
over.
There was a hump where the bubbler was sending up bubbles. I removed the
bubbler to test it and it is fine. Last week, I put my floating heater
in
the pond and left it off. It froze right into the ice. This morning I
plugged it in. Hopefully it will melt the ice and pop to the surface. I
hope
it doesn't get watterlogged and electrocute my fish. I might thaw out a
garden hose and see if I can free it up tonight with a stream of water.
I
am
also building a light bulb heated box to keep the bubbler in.

Scott M in Carp (Ottawa)

De-Icers are programmed to come on at about 40 degrees F. so it shouldn't be
too
costly for you. In winters past I would plug in the de-icer and forget it
for the whole
winter. Never cost me a fortune or I wouldn't have been able to continue my
lazy
ways. lol

Nedra
Lotus Garden:
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
Backyard Pond:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836

"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I was able to free up the floating heater and I ran it all night. Since it
is 1250 Watts, it will cost me a fortune, so today I went out and adjusted
my timer to have the heater come on for 6 one hour periods throughout the
24
hour day.

Scott


"Nedra" wrote in message
nk.net...
My De-Icer used to get iced in all the time. I would melt the top layer
with a tea
kettle full of boiling water.... Got un-iced in a hurry.
Careful in carrying the tea-kettle!

Nedra in Missouri

Lotus Garden:
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
Backyard Pond:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen
over.
There was a hump where the bubbler was sending up bubbles. I removed
the
bubbler to test it and it is fine. Last week, I put my floating heater
in
the pond and left it off. It froze right into the ice. This morning I
plugged it in. Hopefully it will melt the ice and pop to the surface.
I
hope
it doesn't get watterlogged and electrocute my fish. I might thaw out
a
garden hose and see if I can free it up tonight with a stream of
water.
I
am
also building a light bulb heated box to keep the bubbler in.

Scott M in Carp (Ottawa)

Scott, listen to Nedra, she is absolutely right. I had to do the same as you
today. My old stocktank de-icer finally konked out and kept tripping the
GFI. Checked out the TSC flyer (farm supply) and picked up a new 1500W
floating stocktank de-icer for $28. They are meant to be plugged in all the
time. Do not put it on a timer. They are thermostatically controlled and can
take up to 30 minutes to kick on the element once 40 degrees is detected. We
ran several of them for years when we raised cattle, the electricity
consumption is generally quite low. My new one is working so good that it's
thawed the 2+" of ice off the whole pond and it's steaming in this polar
air! )
Janet in very cold Niagara Falls

--

"Nedra" wrote in message
nk.net...
De-Icers are programmed to come on at about 40 degrees F. so it shouldn't
be
too
costly for you. In winters past I would plug in the de-icer and forget it
for the whole
winter. Never cost me a fortune or I wouldn't have been able to continue
my
lazy
ways. lol

Nedra
Lotus Garden:
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
Backyard Pond:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836

"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I was able to free up the floating heater and I ran it all night. Since
it
is 1250 Watts, it will cost me a fortune, so today I went out and
adjusted
my timer to have the heater come on for 6 one hour periods throughout the
24
hour day.

Scott


"Nedra" wrote in message
nk.net...
My De-Icer used to get iced in all the time. I would melt the top
layer
with a tea
kettle full of boiling water.... Got un-iced in a hurry.
Careful in carrying the tea-kettle!

Nedra in Missouri

Lotus Garden:
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
Backyard Pond:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when
I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen
over.
There was a hump where the bubbler was sending up bubbles. I removed
the
bubbler to test it and it is fine. Last week, I put my floating
heater
in
the pond and left it off. It froze right into the ice. This morning I
plugged it in. Hopefully it will melt the ice and pop to the surface.
I
hope
it doesn't get watterlogged and electrocute my fish. I might thaw out
a
garden hose and see if I can free it up tonight with a stream of
water.
I
am
also building a light bulb heated box to keep the bubbler in.

Scott M in Carp (Ottawa)

"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen over.
There was a hump where the bubbler was sending up bubbles. I removed the
bubbler to test it and it is fine.

If the bubbler was still putting out bubbles under the ice, then the
pond will be fine. That air is escaping somewhere around the
edges or some cracks in the ice. Having a hole in the middle
of the pond isn't what is important. What is important is just
having any bad gasses escape.

Jerry

You raise an interesting point Jerry. The only problem would then be being
sure that the bubbler was still working if you can't see it through the snow
and ice.

Scott

"Jerry Donovan" wrote in message
...

"Scott M." wrote in message
...
I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen
over.
There was a hump where the bubbler was sending up bubbles. I removed the
bubbler to test it and it is fine.

If the bubbler was still putting out bubbles under the ice, then the
pond will be fine. That air is escaping somewhere around the
edges or some cracks in the ice. Having a hole in the middle
of the pond isn't what is important. What is important is just
having any bad gasses escape.

Jerry

If the bubbler was still putting out bubbles under the ice, then the
pond will be fine. That air is escaping somewhere around the
edges or some cracks in the ice. Having a hole in the middle
of the pond isn't what is important. What is important is just
having any bad gasses escape.

I had a bad experience with my bubbler last year following that line of
thought - it is true that as long as you're bubbler is making bubbles under
the ice, the air must be escaping along the edge somewhere, but your ice
dome is getting thicker as long as the temps stay cold enough
I got lazy last year and let the ice dome stay froze over for 3 days and
the ice kept getting thicker - when I finally went to break it (light
tapping works OK on thin ice, but needs to be done daily or twice a day on
real cold days ) it was 2" thick and I had to use a cordless drill with a
spade bit to make 1" holes in it - they froze over in no time and eventually
the ice froze down to the airstone, freezing it up and killing the air flow
and I had to borrow a 1500 watt stock tank heater and let it melt it's way
through the ice to open up a hole - from now on I am going to check the hole
to make sure it isn't froze over as it only takes a minute to grab the stick
to tap the dome and break it open
Gale :~)

On or about Wed, 8 Dec 2004 16:23:07 -0500, "Scott M."
wrote something like:

I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen over.

I know it is possible, but is that what you really meant to say?
Radiant heat losses into space on a clear night can frost a windshield
even though the air temp is above 32*F, but I never heard of a pond
freezing that way. Or did it just warm up by the time you rousted
yourself out of bed? {;-)
--
Crashj

I think the overnight temperature was a few degrees below freezing.

Scott


"Crashj" wrote in message
...
On or about Wed, 8 Dec 2004 16:23:07 -0500, "Scott M."
wrote something like:

I can't believe it. My pond froze over last night. This morning when I
checked it, it was above freezing and the pond was completely frozen
over.

I know it is possible, but is that what you really meant to say?
Radiant heat losses into space on a clear night can frost a windshield
even though the air temp is above 32*F, but I never heard of a pond
freezing that way. Or did it just warm up by the time you rousted
yourself out of bed? {;-)
--
Crashj