Newbie with Pond Issues

[PTVMan]

Hi, new to the forum but already an avid fan. We have a 1500 gallon pond with a waterfall that was constructed approximately 10 years ago. We love the pond, but are now having issues that we can't quite figure out. Specifically, the pond seems to be losing a significant amount of water per day: just yesterday we added water to just under the overflow in the skimmer and less than 16 hours later the skimmer is completely empty and the pump running dry. Do we have a massive leak somewhere in our pond? Last spring when a pond service did the annual cleaning they did find that the pond had settled quite a bit and therefore that was the reason why we could not add water to the pond without it leaking over the edges into the yard. The pond service company is coming out next Monday for annual cleaning and I'm hoping they can solve the problem in order for us to enjoy the pond without worry this season.

The picture is of our pond right after it was built.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Welcome to the forums! Thats an awesome little pond!

You could possibly have a leak, but you could also likely have a spot where water is escaping over the top of the liner. A lot of folks on here say that waterfalls and streams are most likely to have that issue, so that may be the first place to check.

I had water escaping my stream last year. After the rocks and ground settled, part of the liner dropped over and inch and was just enough to allow a little bit of water out, which led to a half inch loss of water per day.

 

[Big Lou]

Welcome PTV!

 

[j.w]

PTVMan

I bet the problem is somewhere in your waterfall cuz if your pump was running dry it had to pump all that water up and into your falls. I assume that your pump is on the bottom or near the bottom of your pond? Don't think you would lose that much water over the edges. You'd have to have a hole on the bottom somewhere if it isn't your falls I would think and that would not be good so let's hope it's your falls.

 

[Dave 54]

welcome PTV man
Most liners nowadays have a 20 life expectancy so personally I would hazzard a bet that the leak is in your waterfall as many of the members with waterfalls will say to you U/V rays from the sun can degrade the liner around the edges of the pond yes but they tend to factor that in when the liners are made, the more expensive the liner the better they are made so you pay for what you get
Has anything sharp edged fallen into the pond of late or do you have any trees in your gaden near the pond because they will actively seek out water and punctures can happen through this

Dave

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group!

 

[morewater]

Run the pump, but bypass your falls. Check it again in 24hrs. If no water loss, then your loss point is somewhere in your falls (most likely due to settling/shifting during the freeze/thaw cycle).

 

[PTVMan]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The pond is currently bypassing the waterfall as it is in it's winter configuration - pumping water directly from the skimmer into the pond.

 

[j.w]

Ok then back to the drawing board
Stop your skimmer and see what happens. See if it drains w/o anything running. If it goes way down below the surface you got a hole in the liner somewhere..........bummer

 

[taherrmann4]

Do you see anywhere around your pond that is very wet? It could be where your liner attaches to the skimmer and has pulled away especially if your skimmer is settling, you could have a tear on the liner where the screws go through your skimmer face plate and attach to the skimmer. I have noticed my skimmer has settled over the years about 1/4" to one side and I have kept an eye on the liner in this area.

 

[adavisus]

If it is not the waterfall, it could be some pesky rodent bit through the liner to get water during winter, when all above ground was frozen over.

 

[bagsmom]

PTV -- I love your pond! We are planning ours, and the look you've achieved is very much what we are hoping for! Very lovely!