Newbie to a water feature and it's issues

[nofears67]

Hello, I just purchased a home that has a built in water feature that didn't work as hasn't for some years. So, I started doing some digging (literally) in the area where the pump should've been...Couldn't find a pump...???...So, kept poking around and found the tube that the pump outlet would've connected too and it has a piece of hose on it. Then I found what looked to be a power cord that was just cut off. I know where the switch to the feature is but with no pump I found this very odd. So, it looks like the pump cord was ran in a conduit from the pond area of the feature to this switch which was fed by the load side of a GFI. So they cut the wire since the switch was still "hot".

So, after figuring that out I started digging the pond area (where the pump would go) out to find the bottom of the liner...and what I found was really odd...there was only a liner "shelf" and nothing else. It seems like this pond area would just accept the water coming from the feature and then run it to the pump and it would recirculate...but...why isn't there a liner?? I dug pretty far down and it was just sand down below like this was built to just "perk" any standing water after the feature was turned off.

Does this seem right? I have pictures.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry missed your post. That looks like a pond less water feature. The pump would be in that hole, it would pump water back up to the top to waterfall stream back into that area. No clue why there would not be a liner and a deep hole for the pump. With that stream I don't know if it would be a perk area only.

What is at the top? A deep pond, shallow , does it waterfall into the stream to head down and go back up?

 

[nofears67]

Thanks for the reply! I am going to dig along the sides this weekend to see if there was possibly a liner and the bottom was cut out or something...maybe to eliminate stagnant ponding since the pump was removed...maybe?

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

 

[j.w]

@nofears67

 

[addy1]

maybe to eliminate stagnant ponding since the pump was removed...maybe?

That could very well have been done, so no water collected. They may have also put a lot of sand in to take care of the water.

Post some pictures of the top part, so we can visualize what all is involved.

 

[addy1]

Is the round thing a pond? or does the water just run down behind it?

 

[sissy]

Wonder if it could be like the one I saw on hometalk . A big hole and a hose down there and they said the pump was in the waterfall part . I guess similar to a sump pump and hose , At least that's what it looked like to me . Sucked the water out and up to the pump and then out a hose under a rock and flowed back into the pond . made no sense to me . I could not figure out how it would keep from sucking plants and critters out of the pond area .

 

[nofears67]

So, the top of this water feature has a waterfall type deal. The pump pushes water from the "pond" area back to a set of 4 valves that each control the amount of water feeding each of 4 tubes that are situated within various locations at the feature head rockwork. The water then just trickles down the fall area and then meanders down the stream section into the "pond" area where the pump is...then it recirculates back to the fall again. I haven't actually seen this happen yet in action, but this is how it "should" work.

I will be diggin out more of the pond area this weekend to see if there is, or was, a liner that may have had the bottom cut out or something. I have the new pump and will have to feed the wire back to the GFI...but I see this being problematic since when the new pump goes out (someday) I'll have to go thru this entire wire pulling process again....Unless there is a submersible pump that has a quick disconnect type waterproof plug at the pump body itself. This way I could just replace the pump body itself and not have to mess with the power cord.

 

[brokensword]

So, the top of this water feature has a waterfall type deal. The pump pushes water from the "pond" area back to a set of 4 valves that each control the amount of water feeding each of 4 tubes that are situated within various locations at the feature head rockwork. The water then just trickles down the fall area and then meanders down the stream section into the "pond" area where the pump is...then it recirculates back to the fall again. I haven't actually seen this happen yet in action, but this is how it "should" work.

I will be diggin out more of the pond area this weekend to see if there is, or was, a liner that may have had the bottom cut out or something. I have the new pump and will have to feed the wire back to the GFI...but I see this being problematic since when the new pump goes out (someday) I'll have to go thru this entire wire pulling process again....Unless there is a submersible pump that has a quick disconnect type waterproof plug at the pump body itself. This way I could just replace the pump body itself and not have to mess with the power cord.

I'd install a permanent electric socket near your pump so you don't have to do this when the pump dies. You could run an outdoor extension cord but make sure you don't cut through it (while gardening, etc) or dig a trench, lay the wire in conduit (UG) and bob's yer uncle--you're golden! Always use a GFCI outlet when outdoors and a weather-proof box.

Even if you don't find a liner, I'd plan on probably putting a new one in, if you want this to run for any length of time. And while you're digging to check, consider just digging a whole new/better basin that'll give you more reservoir capacity. You're digging anyway, might as well make this part work too. JMHO

 

[nofears67]

So there is a liner all around but there is no bottom to it...hmm.

Since this is just a water feature, essentially a water fall at the head, then meandering stream down to the bottom where the "pond" area is where the pump goes...and it will not run very often, I think I'll leave it as is, replace the pump, and just put gravel on top of the sand and then rocks on top of the gravel up to the top. Then fill with water and run the pump while filling until water gets back to the pond area.

I realize most of the water will seep out overnight but that's fine for now.

 

[nofears67]

Ok, scratch that...the water drains/perks too fast to even keep a pump running for 15 mins so imna hafta install a liner on the bottom.

 

[nofears67]

Here is the bottom (or lack thereof) of the pond basin. I installed a liner and used black flex tape to adhere it to the basin.

 

[brokensword]

View attachment 146480
Here is the bottom (or lack thereof) of the pond basin. I installed a liner and used black flex tape to adhere it to the basin.

to clarify; you installed the liner in the WHOLE hole, right? Not just the hole cut in the preform? If the latter, the tape won't waterproof much for long. Hopefully, you did the former. You should be in business now! Nice clean job, from what I'm seeing.

 

[nofears67]

Well....considering I am a newbie I did only put the liner just over the edges of the hole section. It'll do for now ND is certainly better than it was.