Pond heater

[paco]

For years I've trying to come up with a way add some heat to the deeper end of my pond. I'm in Buffalo NY so I'm not trying to turn my pond into a sauna but rather just keep the bottom of my pond a few degrees warmer. Rather than get complicated with expensive heaters, heat exchange units or even just circulating warm warm through a garden hose I'm thinking a might just use a regular pond heater, the type that we use to keep open, a breathing hole.. Rather than float it, I was thinking I might weigh it down so it so it sits just a foot or so above the bottom in the deepest part of my pond. I wonder if this might help as we get some pretty cold winters. here...

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated..

Thanks,
paul

 

[mrsclem]

I would not attempt to sink a heater that is designed to float. The wiring could short out or worse yet, electrocute your fish. There are pond heaters that are designed to sink. You would still need to keep a hole open in the ice for gas exchange.

 

[paco]

Thanks for your reply
I usually have two such floaters working to insure the ice stays open.
I'm gonna shop around to see if I can find one that's designed to be submerged.

Thanks again,
paul

 

[mrsclem]

Just watch the wattage- the 1500w heaters can run your electric bill sky high if left on constantly!

 

[paco]

Yes,they do

thnx

 

[poconojoe]

The K&H pond deicers work both ways. They are floating or submersible. I'm sure there are other brands as well.
Maybe use two. One submerged and one floating to keep a hole in the ice for gas dissipation.
250 watt units would most likely be sufficient for both. 1500 watt is way too much. I had a 1500 watt floating one year and instead of a hole, it kept a big area of open water. I'm in zone 6B, Northeastern PA.

 

[paco]

The K&H pond deicers work both ways. They are floating or submersible. I'm sure there are other brands as well.
Maybe use two. One submerged and one floating to keep a hole in the ice for gas dissipation.
250 watt units would most likely be sufficient for both. 1500 watt is way too much. I had a 1500 watt floating one year and instead of a hole, it kept a big area of open water. I'm in zone 6B, Northeastern PA.

THANKS for your reply. I actually have a K&H heater that I may try to use as a submerged heater. I believe it's a 1500 w so I may purchase a second smaller one to submerge. Thnx again paul

 

[poconojoe]

Just curious...how deep is your "deep end"?

 

[paco]

Just curious...how deep is your "deep end"?

Only 40"

 

[poconojoe]

40"...that's good!

 

[paco]

Thanks but if I had to do over again, I would have made it a lot deeper especially with the long and cold winters we have here. I've used surface heaters to keep an open hole for 20 years and they seem to work ok. I was just thinking I'd like to get the bottom temps a little warmer for the winters that drag on into the spring..

 

[KatInID]

We have a pondless water feature. It bubbles out of a rock column and then flows down into a basin that is filled with river rock. Our landscaper put in some kind of wire heater. I wonder if it's the kind that is used to keep gutters and downspouts from freezing. It worked great last year.

 

[paco]

Sounds like something like that would work well in a pondless water feature...