What Size of Pond Heater is Right for My Pond?

Finding the right pond heater for your pond is much easier than you may think. You have lots of options, but the most important things to pay attention to are climate and size.

Starting with size, all you need to do is determine how many gallons of water your pond holds. Not sure how to do this? Use our handy pond liner size calculator. Just enter the appropriate measurements of your backyard pond and our tool will determine the volume for you.

Once you have the volume of your pond, it’s time to think about your local climate. The average winter temperatures your pond is going to be battling directly influence what kind of pond heater you need to buy.

Use the map below to identify your zone. Then use the corresponding chart to match your temperature zone and your pond volume to determine how powerful your pond heater needs to be. (to view a larger image of the map, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page)

Does it even really matter how powerful my pond heater is? Absolutely. If it isn’t powerful enough, it won’t work effectively to keep a section of your pond from freezing over and your fish could suffer. However, if it’s too powerful, you’ll be losing lots of money in energy costs. Either way, it definitely pays off to choose a pond heater that accurately meets your pond’s specific needs.

Have more questions about pond heaters and other pond supplies? Contact a professional at Pondliner.com today.

*Image provided by Sparkling Backyard Garden Koi Ponds, LLC

Placing Your Floating Pond Heater: It's Easier Than You Think

Last month we talked a lot about why you need pond heaters for your water garden. The role they play in keeping your fish healthy throughout winter is second to none. Today we're going to talk in a little more detail about how to place your fish’s favorite cold weather device.

Placing a Floating Pond Heater in Your Water Garden:

1. Don't jump the gun. You don’t need a pond heater until your pond has frozen over, or at least started forming ice on its surface. Once you notice this happening, it’s time to take action.

2. Decide on a location. Your pond heater should be placed within easy reach of the edge of your pond. If there are any maintenance needs or functionality problems, you want to be able to access the heater immediately.

3. Insert the pond heater into your pond. It’s that simple. Once the location is chosen, you simply set your pond heater into the water. If it runs on electricity, it will obviously need to be plugged in. And if it runs on gas or oil, you’ll need to make sure this fuel source stays full all season long. *There are also some solar pond heaters that don’t require wiring and are very energy efficient. However, you need to live in an area that gets enough sun to keep them functioning properly.

4. Drill when necessary. Ideally, you want to insert the pond heater as soon as you notice ice beginning to form on the surface of the water. However, if your pond is already frozen over and the ice is more than two inches thick, you’ll need to carefully drill a hole where you want to place the heating device. Don’t just crack the ice, because this can cause shock waves that will harm your fish and other pond life.

Placing a floating pond heater in your water garden is easy, but it makes a huge difference to your fish and other pond life. Have any questions? Contact one of our pond supplies representatives today.

Pond Heaters, Pond Deicers - What's the Difference?

When it comes to winter pond supplies, one of the most important pieces you can buy is a pond heater. Or is it a pond deicer? Wait a minute…

Some pond owners get confused when it comes to buying one of these products, but we’re here to help.

The first thing to note is that pond heaters and pond deicers are the same thing.

That’s right. Two different names, but it’s the same product and it achieves the same outcomes. So either one you buy, you will be getting a product that is designed to keep your pond from completely freezing over in frigid temperatures. The choice you have to make it whether to purchase one that is submerged or floating:

• Floating pond heater/deicer: located on the surface of your pond, these floating pond supplies are used to keep an area of your pond’s surface open during the winter. In addition, they are temperature programmed, so they only run when the water temperatures hit a certain point. Floating pond heaters/deicers won’t keep your entire pond surface free from ice, but they will create a big enough hole for the exchange of gases to occur.
  
  
• Submerged pond heater/deicer: placed in the bottom of your pond, these pond supplies are used to heat the water at your pond's lowest point. These are most beneficial in ponds less than 18 inches deep, because they will give your fish enough warmth to prevent them from freezing to death. You’ll want to monitor your pond’s surface closely, though, because a submerged heater can’t guarantee that it will generate enough heat to keep the surface of the pond from freezing over. If you notice that it isn’t doing enough on its own, you may need to purchase a floating version as well.

So there you have it. Pond heaters and pond deicers are one in the same. You can buy versions that live at the bottom of your pond, or those that float across the top. Either way, your ultimate goal during winter needs to be to keep a small section of your pond from freezing over. Do this, and you shouldn’t have to worry about your pond life making it happily to springtime.

*Image provided by debs-eye on Flickr.

Help Your Fish Weather The Cold With a Garden Pond Heater

The weather outside is certainly turning frightful for many areas across the country. Winter is officially here, folks, and for those of you who have backyard water gardens, this is a critical time of year.

Fish ponds are designed to survive in the outdoors all year long, but in the coldest temperatures they may need extra help that Mother Nature can't provide. If you live in an area of the country that doesn't reach extremely cold temperatures, you won't have to worry about your pond life freezing to death.

However, if you battle months of brutal winter weather, you need to make sure your fish and other pond life have the supplies they need to survive.

When stocking up on winter pond supplies, one of the most important things to purchase is a garden pond heater.

How Does a Garden Pond Heater Help My Pond Life Survive the Cold?

Once a pond is frozen over, the healthy exchange of gases that normally occurs between your pond's water and the air around it is eliminated. Toxic gases produced by your fish and plant life then have the opportunity to build up in the water and become harmful.

However, garden pond heaters, also known as pond de-icers, are designed to create a small hole in your pond's ice that allows toxic chemicals to escape the water. A garden pond heater will not remove an entire sheet of ice from your pond's surface, but it doesn't need to. As long as there is a small hole in the ice, gases can be exchanged and your pond life will not suffer.

Pondliner.com carries a variety of different garden pond heaters to meet your needs. Some float on the surface of your water while others are designed to be submerged. Browse our available products to find the model that will work best for your pond.

As always, if you have any questions about keeping your pond healthy throughout the winter, please contact one of our friendly and knowledgeable pond supplies experts.

*Image provided by First Light Farms.