Skimmer box issues

[candywilson2]

Hi everyone, I'm Candy and am new to the forum. Glad to be here! We have a small, maybe 1,000 gallon pond with 3 koi in it. We recently bought a new pump and it is working fine. The problem that has come up in the last few days, is the water level in the skimmer box where the pump is, keeps dropping. The water level in the pond itself is also dropping a little from day to day. I know that if just the pond water level was dropping it could be a leak somewhere, or also maybe the rock arrangement around my waterfall might be allowing water to leak off the side. But I have not ever had the problem of water level dropping in the skimmer itself. Any ideas on why that could be happening? Any ideas on something my husband and I could do to fix it ourselves? The pond company wants $225 an hour to fix any problem we have and that could add up really fast. Thanks for your feedback!

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum Candy.

I have not used a skimmer myself so not familiar with the nuances. Hopefully someone with some experience will be along soon and have some suggestions for you.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

The pond water going down slightly on a daily basis is typically from evaporation and/or splashing. Unless it's going down rather drastically I'd probably attribute it to those things. I find dry, windy winter weather causes quite a bit of evaporation.

The skimmer box level going low is a bit more puzzling. I don't know what kind of skimmer you have, but mine has a debris/leaf basket in it & when that gets too full of leaves, or stringy algae blocks up too many of the holes, the water level goes down in the skimmer box. If the basket is WAY too full, the water level will drop to the point of almost starving the pump, because it's emptying the box faster than water can flow in.
Now, if your debris basket isn't clogged up, obviously this is not the reason. Perhaps your new pump is simply too strong for the design of the skimmer? Water can't come in as fast as it's pumping it out? I don't actually even know if that's a 'thing' or possible (construction and equipment isn't my strong point when it comes to ponding) Just tossing ideas out there....

 

[candywilson2]

The pond water going down slightly on a daily basis is typically from evaporation and/or splashing. Unless it's going down rather drastically I'd probably attribute it to those things. I find dry, windy winter weather causes quite a bit of evaporation.

The skimmer box level going low is a bit more puzzling. I don't know what kind of skimmer you have, but mine has a debris/leaf basket in it & when that gets too full of leaves, or stringy algae blocks up too many of the holes, the water level goes down in the skimmer box. If the basket is WAY too full, the water level will drop to the point of almost starving the pump, because it's emptying the box faster than water can flow in.
Now, if your debris basket isn't clogged up, obviously this is not the reason. Perhaps your new pump is simply too strong for the design of the skimmer? Water can't come in as fast as it's pumping it out? I don't actually even know if that's a 'thing' or possible (construction and equipment isn't my strong point when it comes to ponding) Just tossing ideas out there....

In our skimmer box we have the pump of course and the spongy filter material. We keep it clean. Also we put a net over the pond in the fall and leave it in place until all the leaves have fallen off the trees in our backyard, so there aren't any leaves in there.
It's interesting that you mentioned about the new pump. When we bought it, we had problems with it blowing off the connecting PVC pipe, and we brought it back to the store to get a less powerful pump, and the guy insisted that it was fine for the size pond we have. He did something to keep it from blowing off the pipe. Now we have this problem with the skimmer box. I'm wondering if you are right on the pump maybe being too strong. We spent $500 on it, and now that we have had it several weeks, they're most likely not willing to take it back or exchange it. Thanks so much for your reply, I really appreciate it and am glad to have found this forum.

 

[j.w]

@candywilson2

 

[candywilson2]

View attachment 170922 @candywilson2

Thanks so much, glad to have found you guys!

 

[j.w]

Thanks so much, glad to have found you guys!

Happy you found us and happy to help!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

In our skimmer box we have the pump of course and the spongy filter material. We keep it clean. Also we put a net over the pond in the fall and leave it in place until all the leaves have fallen off the trees in our backyard, so there aren't any leaves in there.
It's interesting that you mentioned about the new pump. When we bought it, we had problems with it blowing off the connecting PVC pipe, and we brought it back to the store to get a less powerful pump, and the guy insisted that it was fine for the size pond we have. He did something to keep it from blowing off the pipe. Now we have this problem with the skimmer box. I'm wondering if you are right on the pump maybe being too strong. We spent $500 on it, and now that we have had it several weeks, they're most likely not willing to take it back or exchange it. Thanks so much for your reply, I really appreciate it and am glad to have found this forum.

Does your skimmer have an adjustable weir? If so, maybe if you play with the height/level you can get it more balanced between intake & output. Maybe? Again, just throwing out ideas...

And, welcome to the forum! It really is a nice, friendly place with a lot of experienced ponders who are more than happy to help & share experiences.

 

[GBBUDD]

Hi everyone, I'm Candy and am new to the forum. Glad to be here! We have a small, maybe 1,000 gallon pond with 3 koi in it. We recently bought a new pump and it is working fine. The problem that has come up in the last few days, is the water level in the skimmer box where the pump is, keeps dropping. The water level in the pond itself is also dropping a little from day to day. I know that if just the pond water level was dropping it could be a leak somewhere, or also maybe the rock arrangement around my waterfall might be allowing water to leak off the side. But I have not ever had the problem of water level dropping in the skimmer itself. Any ideas on why that could be happening? Any ideas on something my husband and I could do to fix it ourselves? The pond company wants $225 an hour to fix any problem we have and that could add up really fast. Thanks for your feedback!

Is the pump the same size and head , and rpm. If the pump is stronger it could be doing .any things your not able to see like raise the pond level. And water going over an edge. Or splashing more. And ifbot is stronger it may also be pulling.more water out of the skimmer box than water going in

 

[Norma D.]

we had same problem when we started our 3000 gallon pond. the root of the problem for us was not being able to keep the pond level high enough. Five years ago we added an in-pond skimmer that pumps water INTO the skimmer box (which we use now for added filtration).
The pond level problem was due to a leak that was caused by a fold in the liner that is not accessible until we rebuild.

 

[JFKVirginia]

Hi everyone, I'm Candy and am new to the forum. Glad to be here! We have a small, maybe 1,000 gallon pond with 3 koi in it. We recently bought a new pump and it is working fine. The problem that has come up in the last few days, is the water level in the skimmer box where the pump is, keeps dropping. The water level in the pond itself is also dropping a little from day to day. I know that if just the pond water level was dropping it could be a leak somewhere, or also maybe the rock arrangement around my waterfall might be allowing water to leak off the side. But I have not ever had the problem of water level dropping in the skimmer itself. Any ideas on why that could be happening? Any ideas on something my husband and I could do to fix it ourselves? The pond company wants $225 an hour to fix any problem we have and that could add up really fast. Thanks for your feedback!

I have a 1500 gallon pond with skimmer and waterfall. The water level at the inlet to the skimmer drops as the pond level drops. In our skimmer, when the water level over the bottom of the skimmer inlet drops below about 1/2 inch, the pump will begin to cavitation (that is, pump output exceeds skimmer inflow). Of course, if the basket or filter are clogged, cavitation will begin at a higher level, so keep them clean. Water level does drop slowly by evaporation, if it is dropping quickly, look for leaks, especially around liner folds in the waterfall area.

 

[candywilson2]

Thank you, that sounds like a good solution!

 

[Cakeatron]

Thank you, that sounds like a good solution!

Do you happen to have a waterfall feature? In my experience, leaks often originate in the waterfall area. Of course, the skimmer box seal should also be examined.

 

[candywilson2]

Do you happen to have a waterfall feature? In my experience, leaks often originate in the waterfall area. Of course, the skimmer box seal should also be examined.

Yes there is a waterfall. Our pond is really small, only about 4 x 5, but we do have a waterfall.

 

[Cakeatron]

To identify the source of the leak, a straightforward test can be conducted as follows:

Begin by raising the pond water to its usual level. Once the desired level is achieved, create a reference mark on the interior of the skimmer box, precisely at the water line. Utilize any readily available material such as chalk, tape, or string for this purpose.

Subsequently, turn off the waterfall pump and ensure that any automatic fill valves are deactivated. Allow the pond to remain undisturbed for approximately 24 hours.

Upon returning the following day, compare the current water level to your initial mark.

If a drop in water level is observed, the leak is likely located within the waterfall system or its associated plumbing.

Conversely, if no change in water level is detected, the issue is most probably originating from the pond itself.

Please note that if significant water loss is evident, indicating a rapid leak, it is advisable to monitor the situation closely, and the 24-hour period may not be appropriate.