Power outage

Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
425
Reaction score
397
Hardiness Zone
7a/7b depending on the map
Country
United States
Power went out at about 5 am Thursday, and has been out until today about 12:35. The bog has been bone dry that whole time. I wish I'd installed a check valve in the feed line. Water drained back to the pond. But I guess it will be ok. Leaves galore!! I removed some prior to turning the pump back on. Now wish I'd taken the leaf blower to it. But I'm afraid it would be a losing battle at this stage. Still windy, and more leaves yet to fall.
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2019
Messages
1,444
Reaction score
2,486
Location
Purlear, NC
Hardiness Zone
7a
Country
United States
Oh, yikes! That's a long time to be without power. I am so glad our pond circuit is on the generator panel - one less thing to worry about during those prolonged outages.
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
13,384
Reaction score
10,486
Location
Ct
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
CHECK VALVES HELP BUT THEY LOOSE PRESSURE AND OR LEAK. Just like a check valve is vacuume breakers they are reverse check valves. So when the power goes on a check valve is pushed open and held there untill the pressure stops in power loss. A vacuum breaker does the reverse the water pushes the gate closed and since the pressure is constant due to the power being on they are less likely to leak or fail. And once the power goes out nothing is holding the gate closed and it opens letting the air in stopping back siphoning. When the water supply enters the bog cut in a T with supply to the bog running straight across the T fitting and install a minimum of a 6 inch piece of pipe with the vacuume breaker on it and that's about it. I have seen where after years they can get plugged up by spiders so check them every so often. They are also called sure vents.

Problem with a dry bog is all your bacteria is going to die. WHICH COULD BE AN ISSUE LATTER FOR a AMONIA SPIKE. You really should rework the bog so it holds water. After all it can take a year or more for a bog to aquire the bacteria and other insects and microbes that live and work in a bog.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 18, 2020
Messages
2,956
Reaction score
3,095
Location
Pacific NW
Hardiness Zone
8b
Country
United States
Tagging onto what @GBBUDD said, you can prevent water loss in your bog by installing a tee off of the feed line with a ball valve on the end set just below the water line and left slightly open.
Not sure if this is the same solution that @GBBUDD is describing but I think it’s the same idea—breaks the vacuum/suction on the bog feed line during power loss and prevents water from draining back to the pond.

this video describes it a bit at about the 10 minute mark:

 
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
13,384
Reaction score
10,486
Location
Ct
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
No the ball valve is not what I was referring to . That will work but your water level will drop to that level where the air intake is enough to break the vacuum. The link below is what i was referring to. Other then spending money on a ball valve a simple hole drilled in the side of the pipe can do the same as the ball valve but algea and debris can grow over or get sucked in blocking the suction break.. The link below is installed above the waters surface . But John Allen the link you provided is a good man I like his videos he's the only one I have seen talk about intake or negative edge.
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjWh_mZ6OLsAhWFssgKHaurCakYABAGGgJxdQ&ae=1&sig=AOD64_0mgZWDPTYCOMl7df1RY1NHaf_gug&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjh5vGZ6OLsAhWRY98KHWbIB-kQwg96BAgCEBU&adurl=https://www.amazon.com/Oatey-39017-Sure-Vent-Admittance-Adapter/dp/B0069KCZO4/ref=asc_df_B0069KCZO4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167155426463&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17493280214914163109&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003338&hvtargid=pla-311232934043&psc=1
 
Last edited:

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
44,340
Reaction score
29,091
Location
Frederick, Maryland
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
The bog media probably stayed wet, ie the rocks. I would think it would take some time for all the rocks to dry out. Your bacteria, most likely, will be fine. imho
 
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
13,070
Reaction score
13,394
Location
Northern IL
Showcase(s):
1
We have a ball valve on the plumbing line at ground level - right before the line drops down into the bog. When we close the valve, the bog stays full.
 

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
44,340
Reaction score
29,091
Location
Frederick, Maryland
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
My input line is at the bottom of the bog, but coming from the pump the line is above the bog. So it does not drain out. One good thing about building on a serious slope. The pump itself is below pond water level, never have a priming issue.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

Power Outage 9
Emergency! Pond frozen and power outage 5
Pumps And Power Outages 17
Pumps and power outages 17
Tough fish during arctic power outage! 28
Power Outage issues 4
Power Outage for 3 Hours 7
Power outage 6

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
30,782
Messages
508,590
Members
13,043
Latest member
cisifom

Latest Threads

Top