Winterizing my pond

[mheiderscheit]

I am getting ready to winterize my pond. I have turned the pump around to circulate the water and added the heater to keep a hole in the ice. Those of you that live in cold winter climates, do you put some sort of filter around your pump in the winter to keep things from getting into the pump? I am not sure if I should wrap the pump or not.

Thank you for you help.

 

[CJ's POND]

:biggrin: Hi, I' m no expert and have made alottttt of mistakes but I'm in Ohio, zone 5. This has worked for me for 2 winters now. I drop my pump to 1-1/2 feet, put it in a cage like net made just for the purpose of proctecting the pump. This keeps the water circulating thru the winter. I purched it at Drs Foster & Smith. There are 2 different ones. I have used both & they do the job. I'm not a DIYer but I'm sure someone on this forum could come up with an idea for a DIYmodel.
CJ

 

[koikeepr]

Are you using a heater or de-icer?

In cold climates most folks turn their pumps off to prevent damage to it.

 

[CliffandJoann]

We're in zone 7 and keep a 250gph pump running all winter,(small waterfall)
we also keep an aquarium airstone running all winter. Our pond is 3 1/2 feet
deep on the deep end and this is where the small waterfall is located.
We have never used a heater... In the coldest winter we ever had
in the last 12 years, the pond froze down 8"...we also had on a few
occassions the waterfall froze, that's why we also depend on the airstone.


hey CJ, I saw your post and thought it was one of mine. We are also known
as CJ (for Cliff and Joann)

 

[mheiderscheit]

I live in Wisconsin, so our winters are cold----last year we actually hit -49!! In the past, we have put a stock tank heater in the pond--the type used to keep cattle troughs open during the winter. Then we disconnect the pump from the water fall line and turn it back into the pond so that it just circulates the water. I have lost a pump over the winter and I don't know if it was it because something got caught in it or if a part broke.

I am totally open to suggestions on better ways to keep the pond open. We don't really hit cold weather until January. Now the highs are in the thirties and lows in the twenties so I do have time to make adjustments.

Thank you so much for all the help here. I usually am just a lurker, gathering information from all the experience here.

 

[koikeepr]

we are glad you've come into the fold and gone beyond lurker! Welcome! Welcome!

the cold water likely just killed your pump. They are just not made to function in water that is that cold.

I am well familiar with those stock tank heaters, and those are fine to use. What temp does the stock tank heater keep your water at? is it 40 degrees? If so, you can just keep that in there and turn off all your other equipment. You could try to keep your pump going, but again you risk killing it thanks to cold water. If you can maintain a reasonable temp like 40 degrees, your pump might make it.

But don't worry about shutting everything down and letting it all go dormant until the spring, either.

 

[mheiderscheit]

Thanks for your response. I am not sure the temp during the winter. However, the heater does seem to keep a hole open most of the winter.However, usually during January, we have a couple of weeks when the temps do not come above zero. That is when even with the heater we get a small amount of ice covering the hole. This is also when the pump seems to go out.

The other thing is, we have fish to keep alive. Two winters ago when my pump went out I lost most of my fish. However, the baby fish survived! If I took the pond pump out, what type of pump should I replace it with to keep the water from freezing during those frigid days of January?

 

[koikeepr]

i gotcha. Yes, that means your heater is not powerful enough to keep the ice away. Well, you can certainly buy a convenential pond heater that usually keeps the water at around 40 degrees. Otherwise your pump--no matter what brand you get will give out. Pumps just aren't made to withstand those types of temps.

So, you should worry more about getting a proper heater and forget about a pump. You don't need the pump running in winter. The pump isn't keeping your fish alive--especially if you say the babies survived. winters in your area are a lottery. some fish may just not make it. Seems like they made it last year, from what you are saying, correct?

 

[mheiderscheit]

Yes, my fish did survive last winter. The reason we keep the pump running is to keep the water circulating and oxygenating the pond. I was told you have to keep a pump running to keep oxygen in the pond over the winter. This isn't true? Do you think I should get a better heater and forget about running the pump? What type of heater will keep an opening in my pond all winter?

 

[koikeepr]

You can keep an air pump going attached to an air stone do this much more effectively in winter--AND without killing a pump. This alone will keep a hole open in the pond all winter.

If you want to get a heater or a de-icer, sites like Dr. Foster & Smith are having a sale on both right now. You can check them out.

 

[newday3000]

I live in Ottawa, Canada (i.e cold as hell). Ponders in this area use a low GPH pump and point it at the surface of the water to keep a hole open. Cheap, simple, low power consumption (11 watts).

I did this simple DIY setup with aquarium pump I had already. I have had ice forming over the pond and it worked great keeping a huge hole open in the ice. https://www.gardenpondforum.com/my-cheap-winter-pond-de-icer-testing-winter-t4532.html

I don't see why water temp will hurt a pump. it's a magnet and water sealed coil to spin the magnet. if the pump is in water that is not frozen i.e. low enough in the pond mine is 12" down it will be fine. Pumps don't operate any differently in colder water. If ice get's into the pump impeller this would cause an issue but this won't happen since ice can't form if the pump is pumping. The pre-filter also protects the impleller.

 

[koikeepr]

most pump manufacturers specifically say in their instruction manuals not to operate the pumps in winter due to potential damage.

Of course, that hasn't stopped many ponders from trying it.

 

[mheiderscheit]

Sorry to be such a pest with the questions, but if I can get away without purchasing another pump, that would be great.

I looked in the Dr. Fosters catalog and they have a Laguna Aeration Kit that looks like it may be what I need. However, it says at the end of the description, that the pump cannot be exposed to wet weather---how does that work? Is this normal? Would I have to run the tubing from my garage for instance?

Once again, I thank you for your help.

 

[koiguy1969]

you can use an inexpensive aquarium pump insde a tupperware container with some vent holes in it...ive been running one like that on my outside pond for 2 seasons, my fish winter inside. i see no reason it wouldnt work in the cold.

 

[rdk]

I just hooked up a Laguna air pump from Dr. Foster from the inside of my garage, piped to the pond a few days ago and it works great. The fish seem to enjoy it. RDK