Troubleshooting Your Pond Pump

A sudden freeze hits your backyard pond, cracking your old submersible pond pump. This is not uncommon when you have an older unit that has been in your pond for several years. But, the after-effects can sometimes seem catastrophic for your pond.

So, how can you find these types of issues before it’s too late? 

If you are noticing problems with your pond pump, you might want to consider troubleshooting. Ensuring your submersible pond pump is actually broken before you replace it will help save you money and a lot of labor.

Some things to try when troubleshooting your backyard pond pump:

1.    Check the circuit breaker on your electrical panel that supplies the power to your pump. Try resetting the power or switching between “on” and “off” positions to see if this corrects any issues.

2.    If your submersible pond pump is plugged into a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlet, you can test the breakers to see if there is an issue. Unplug your pump and press the reset button on your GFCI. Then, plug your pond pump back in and see if this solves your issue.

3.    Completely unplug your pump and test the water level. If it has dropped to expose too much of the pump housing it could have tripped the thermal protection device. Refill your pond and wait for your pond pump to cool down. After some time, plug it back in and see if this corrects your issue.

If you can’t seem to find out what is wrong with your pond pump, it’s probably a good time to start shopping for a new submersible pond pump. 

Always choose a magnetic drive pond pump or one that does not use oil, especially if you have fish. This will ensure that if something ever does happen, you will not be left with an entirely contaminated backyard pond. 

It’s always better to keep your pond in proper working order than worry about trying to fix a broken pump by yourself. If you have any questions, contact us at Pondliner.com and we will troubleshoot with you!

Plan Your Pond Facelift

Fall is the perfect time of year to start planning updates for your pond. Not only does it give you plenty of time to make a well thought out plan, but it’s also right around the holiday season when you can start asking for some of your necessary pond supplies as holiday gifts!

So, how can you update your existing pond to make it even more enjoyable?

If you’re getting a little bored with your backyard pond there are a variety of ways you can update it to provide new excitement. The most popular choice for updating a pond would be to add some sort of water feature.

Water Features

Water features are a great way to personalize your pond and turn it into the focal point in your backyard. Some of the common choices for water features include:

• Waterfall
• Pond fountains
• Floating pond fountains
• Birdbaths
• And more!

When you choose to add a water feature to your backyard pond, you can completely customize it. Whether you choose to have a gushing geyser, gentle waterfall or charming birdbath is completely up to you.

Koi & Goldfish

Another way to update your water garden is to consider adding fish. If your pond doesn’t currently have fish, it’s an easy addition you can make that will add new interest and life to your backyard.

Some of the common koi and goldfish you can add to your backyard pond include:

• Decorative koi fish
• Butterfly koi fish
• Goldfish

Looking for other ways to change the look of your boring backyard pond? Consider adding pond lights, new water plants or even new decorative features.

Make it easy on your family and friends this holiday season. Tell them you want to update the look of your backyard pond with new pond supplies and features from Pondliner.com.

Is My Pond Temperature Too Warm?

If you have a smaller pond, you might be worried about the warm temperatures it reaches in the summer. High temperatures from the sun can be harmful to your plants and fish. Your pond supplies, such as pumps and filters, could also be damaged by high temperatures that increase algae growth, so it’s important to monitor the water temperature.

 What is an Acceptable Pond Temperature? 

While higher temperatures can be tolerated in ponds without fish, the ideal pond temperature is 65˚F–75˚F. Fish can survive small pond temperatures of 35˚F–85˚F, but if the water is consistently above 85˚F, you will need to enact some cooling procedures to keep your fish and plants healthy.

How Should I Cool My Pond? 

Safe cooling procedures are often a good idea for keeping your fish healthy and minimizing sun exposure, which increases algae growth. Stay away from simply changing out hot water for cooler water, though. Your pond life will be shocked by the quick temperature change, and your fish and plants could die. Consider some of the following tips you can use to safely cool your pond:

·         Plant trees around your pond. By adding shade around your pond, you will decrease the pond’s exposure to sun and extreme heat. This is a natural way to cool your water without affecting any of the internal workings of the pond’s habitat.

·         Add lilies or other shady water plants. You can easily cool your pond and add a new decorative plant by adding lilies to your backyard water feature. Lilies lay on top of the water, protecting fish and the other plants from the sun’s heat.

·         Add a waterfall. If you want to make an addition to your pond and decrease its temperature at the same time, you can install a waterfall or fountain aerator. These pond supplies will aerate your pond, and you can blow a fan across the falling water to cool it before it enters the pond.

·         Use a pond tint. By treating your small pond with pond tint, you can help your pond filter during the hot sunlight. A slight blue tint will keep your pond cooler than it is with its natural color.

Using these cooling tips can help protect your pond life from the dangers of heat. If you need pond supplies to cool your backyard water feature, Pondliner.com is here to meet all of your pond maintenance needs.

Summer Lovin’: Giving Your Pond Summer TLC

Backyard pond maintenance in the summer doesn’t take much work. It’s the time of year when you can sit back and enjoy your backyard. You can’t completely neglect your pond, though. Fish are more active and your plants are growing, so problems could quickly arise. Learn how to keep your pond clean so it stays healthy in the summer.

Keep the O₂ Coming

If you don’t have an aerator for your pond yet, summer is the time to get one. Warm water doesn’t retain oxygen as well as cooler water, so it’s important to keep your aerator on 24/7. Increased oxygen allows more ammonia and nitrate reduction. This needs to happen so you can allow algae to grow healthily and fish to digest their food efficiently. You can talk to an expert from Pondliner.com to decide what pond aerator is best for you.

Algae Is Good, But Avoid Algae Blooms

You want the algae in your pond to grow at a healthy pace, but it could get out of control in the summer months. Increased sunlight, plant growth, and fish activity can create an abundance of algae. Consider trimming back your plants and adding some water lilies that block the sun. If you decide to use algaecide, be sure to avoid overuse, or purchase non-toxic chemicals so you don’t harm your fish.

Check Your Pond Supplies

With all of that pond life activity, it’s important to monitor your pond filters and pumps. Pond supplies might be more likely to break in the summer because of all the use they get. Stay on top of maintenance issues by checking to see if your pond pumps and filters are in working order. If not, you might need to buy some new products or get them fixed.

You pond can be healthier in the summer if you simply keep it oxygenated, beware of algae blooms, and monitor your pond supplies. Pondliner.com is here to help you with all of your summer pond maintenance needs. Contact us today.