Pond Leak? Step 1: The Autofill
Check to see if there is an Autofill. This is something that automatically puts water into your pond. Autofills are usually found in the skimmer and usually look like the float in the back of your toilet – but not always! When there is an Autofill, you might not realize that there is a pond leak and you can’t measure water loss with it on. Read more about the Autofill HERE.
Here is a pond autofill there are other types, but this one is very common.
Step 2: Before you Measure Water Loss from a Pond Leak, Rule Out Evaporation!
We know that all ponds will lose about 3 inches of water each week, no matter how large or small the pond is. 3 to 4 inches of water loss a WEEK is considered evaporation. When there is a very long stream or a significant amount of splashing in the waterfall it could be 4 or 5 inches a week.
To rule out evaporation in your system keep track of how much water you are adding. The easiest to do this is to measure water loss by the week. For instance, maybe you have to put 4 inches in every other day. That would be 12 inches of water a week. 12 inches a week is beyond evaporation.
Why we measure water loss in inches.
We found this from a pond company in Tennessee. They are coming at evaporation from the aspect of gallons: How much water does a pond lose to evaporation.
3 to 4 inches of water loss a WEEK is considered evaporation.
Step 3: Pond or Waterfall Leak
Once you have ruled out evaporation and determined there is water loss, figure out if the water loss is in the pond or the waterfall/stream.
Unplug the pump.
Add water until the pond is at its normal water level. (Remember to add a dechlorinator to protect the fish)
Mark the level of the water. The water level can be deceiving when looking at it later! Seriously. Find a way to measure it with a tape measure. Eyeballing it will not be helpful. You can even put a pieces of tape that you can see easily.
Re-measure the water level the next day to find out exactly how many inches of water were lost in 24 hours.
If the water level did not go down, the good news is, the pond is holding water! There may be water loss in the stream or waterfall but the pond is secure!
If it did go down, the bad news is that there is definitely water loss in the pond.
If the pond lost water, continue to Step 4.
NO water lost in the pond, continue to Step 6.
Step 4 : IF the pond lost water:
Keep the pump unplugged and see how far down it will go. Where it stops – that is 100% where the water loss is. This should only be 2 or 3 days. If you have fish, make sure there are aerators. If it is above 85 degrees, you may want to wait until it cools off a bit. Shallow water can heat up fast which is not good for the fish.
Liner exposed to UV rays, will wear out sooner than liner that is protected.
Step 5: Inspection (after pond water loss)
Once the water level has settled to a certain point, you want to inspect right away. As water evaporates, it will be more more difficult to know exactly where the water line held. Remember that the water loss as to be just barely above the water line at this point. If the waterline is very close the the top edging, inspect these areas:
1. Plants – You can inspect the plants along the outer rim of the pond. Look for them pushing down the liner, creating water loss.
2. Edging – Remove and pull back the rocks on the edges of the pond and inspect for low liner.
If you have exhausted these steps give us a call – your system needs professional help!
I love to put water hyacinth in my Biofall to hide it, but I have to watch to that it does not divert water over the top of the Biofall out of the system
Step 6: (after pond did NOT lose water)
Good news, the pond is holding. That means the leak is somewhere in the waterfall or stream. Inspect these areas:
1. Plants – You can inspect the plants along the sides of the stream and waterfall and look for them pushing down the liner, creating water loss.
2. Edging – Remove the rocks on the edges of the stream and inspect for low liner.
3. Biofall – are there plants or filter media that is causing the water to flow over the top somewhere?
4. Biofall faceplate – Inspect the faceplate of the Biofall to make sure the silicone is holding.
5. Piping going into the Biofall. Sometimes earth settles and can upset the connection of the pipe into the Biofall. You may have to dig down under this connection looking for mud.
Step 7 : After Inspections
If you are still having trouble locating the leak, it may be time to set up a pipe test. Attached a pipe from your pump in the skimmer or pond that is long enough to reach up to the biofall. Follow these steps:
1. With the pump running, add water until the pond is at its normal water level. (Remember to add a dechlorinator to protect the fish)
2. Mark the level of the water. The water level can be deceiving when looking at it later! Find a way to measure it with a tape measure. Eyeballing it will not be helpful. You can even put a pieces of tape somewhere that you can see easily. You can measure down from a flat rock or a place easily reached, to the top of the water. Use this as reference for future measurements.
3. Place the end of the pipe so that the water flows out in the first and lowest section of the stream. Run it like this and measure the water loss in 24 hours.
If there is water loss with the pipe in this place, that section of stream is losing water.
If no water is lost after 24 hours, move the pipe up a section and retest over 24 hours. Continue to repeat this process until you come to a section where there is water loss.
Remember that re-measuring needs to be after 24 hours or evaporation will come into play. Measure to find out exactly how many inches of water were lost in 24 hours.
What if it's the PIPE between the pump and the top of the system?
We don’t see pipe breaks very often.
However, if the pump was unplugged during a hard freeze, it can lead to pipe breaks. IF the pump is turned off before the winter AND has a check valve attached to it it could cause a pipe break. (a check valve keeps the water from the Biofall and water in the pipe from flowing back down, coming out through the pipe and pump in the skimmer.)
If you have done the pipe test and found there was no water loss even when the pipe is placed at the very top of the system, that is a sign it might be the pipe. Dig down carefully to the pipe, along its entirety and look for wet dirt.
What if it rains during any of these leak assessment steps?
It rains during one of these steps you will have to do that step again!
Do you have an earth bottom pond that you think is leaking? Check out THIS ARTICLE.
* This blog was NOT written by AI. This was written by me. I am not a professional writer, I am a pond person. Therefore, if you see a typo, please forgive me!
*No koi were harmed in the making of this content.