Vacuuming waterfall plumbing

[PondHacker]

This worked for me last winter, and my son and I did it again today and pulled a lot of water from the 2" line between the skimmer and waterfall.

I bought a Python aquarium drain kit that comes with a syphon pump like the old Blue Magic waterbed drain and fill kits, and 25' of clear plastic hose. I cut the aquarium vacuuming stuff off of the end of hose to create a 1" 20' plus vacuum line.

Then you can run the hose down your waterfall pipe at both ends, vacuum the water out with the syphon pump on drain setting.

Works slick, much cheaper than dedicated devices for the purpose.

 

[j.w]

@PondHacker

 

[Lisak1]

Well, I have no idea what you just described, but sounds like it worked great for you so Yay!

Welcome to the GPF!

 

[PondHacker]

Well, I have no idea what you just described, but sounds like it worked great for you so Yay!

Welcome to the GPF!

You can buy a python aquarium drain kit on Amazon, hook it up to a garden hose instead of a sink, and use the "drain" setting on the siphon pump to vacuum the water out of your pond plumbing lines.

(So they dont freeze/burst like mine did two years ago)

They make expensive devices (Cyclone) for this, a d people use compressors as well, but to me this seems a cheaper and easier way to clear the lines.

 

[Lisak1]

Interesting! Won't disconnecting the pump and allowing the water to drain do the same thing? (Considering you've had to explain it to me thus far, you'd think I'd keep my opinions to myself! Haha!)

 

[PondHacker]

Can only speak for my pond, but there is a stretch of hose by the skimmer where the water would have to flow uphill.

A lot of water does come out when I disconnect the pump, but the pipe enters the skimmer box at the top.

It would definitely be better pond design if the whole run from waterfall down to skimmer was downhill.

And LOL, if I'm the only person on the board who has to clear water lines...

 

[Lisak1]

And LOL, if I'm the only person on the board who has to clear water lines...

You are... it's only you. haha!

 

[addy1]

You are... it's only you. haha!

I don't clear lines lol, so far they have done fine with freezing over winter.

And LOL, if I'm the only person on the board who has to clear water lines...

I did have one break years ago, it had water in it, the feed to my deck ponds, sticking a bit out of the ground. A deer walked on it, cold enough and brittle enough it cracked. Now that pipe is ground level.

 

[PondHacker]

I've had the skimmer box break from freezing one year, and the water line the next. In Wisconsin we get weeks of sub zero weather.

This year I'm trying large rocks in the skimmer box, a tip from a neighbor. (Said the rocks diffuse the ice expansion)

 

[PondHacker]

 

[PondHacker]

The pond in summer, first waterfall is behind the footbridge in the background.

 

[addy1]

This year I'm trying large rocks in the skimmer box, a tip from a neighbor. (Said the rocks diffuse the ice expansion)

I put a plastic bag with bubble wrap weighed down with some rocks. It displaces some of the water and the bubble wrap can squish if freezing happens, which is does.

 

[addy1]

Very pretty pond!

 

[PondHacker]

I put a plastic bag with bubble wrap weighed down with some rocks. It displaces some of the water and the bubble wrap can squish if freezing happens, which is does.

I like your idea better, I'm going to go that way. Thanks!

 

[PondHacker]

Very pretty pond!

Thank you, kind of you to say!