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Subject: Pond leaking!! Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:43 pm
My pond leaks. A total disaster.
The water level falls approximately 15 cm or more over night. I am busy going through all the motions to try and locate the leak, but I am a bit fed up. The rebuilt pond is now a year old.
I wanted to post the link to that thread, but the photos are gone. I didnt delete it from Photobucket.
I bypassed the inlet once (where the venturi was), no leak. So I thought it was the waterfall. Second night bypassed the waterfall- leaked. I thought I had the solution. Now I bypassed the waterfall again- still a massive leak. I was wrong.
I do not think it is from the bottom drain- the weir does not get any air. And even though we had the problem with the sealer, it wont leak that much- a broken pipe or a crack in the wall.
So, I have decided to:
1. Get a 'professional" in, not a fly-by-night - any ideas who are very good?? and not too far from me (Kempton)? But then it will be the whole portapool thing, connecting the pipes to keep the bio filters alive...and no money for all my ideas like Neville's pump.
2.Rebuild the waterfall etc, because some of the pipes are under the waterfall.- perhaps more modern? Has anyone got nice photos for ideas?
Perhaps it was Pieter's big fish that tipped the scale!!
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!! Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:55 pm
Hoekom moet ek altyd die skuld kry? Toemaar ek kan dit vat
Ek mag verkeer wees, maar ek dink dit kan 'n las op 'n pyp wees wat die oorsaak kan wees.
Wanneer dit baie koud word begin dit lek waar daar te min gom by 'n las in die pyp gebruik is.
Skakel vir Eugene by 082 962 0313, hy behoort jou te kan help.
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!! Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:40 pm
Jou vis is die trots van my versameling!! (Kort net 'n groter dam want ek is overstocked)
Ek dink jy is reg, die enigste klein probleempie is dat daardie lasse almal onder berge sement is....
Sal hom Eugene more bel.
(Vir my vrou belowe ons kan maar die houtvloere, ens kry..)
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!! Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:59 pm
Albie, dit klink vir my bekend. Vir my straf moes ek 'n helse klomp geld betaal vir 'n African Grey teelhok. Moet nou nog net iewers die voels opspoor anders kry my visse nie kos as ek nie daar is nie Die voels in VS het 'n siekte gehad so moet nou iewers vir ander soek.Gaan hul maar jammer kry in die koue en hul gaan bietjie sweet in die somer want hok is basies uit sheet metal gemaak.
Sterkte met jou dam, ek weet hoe dit voel en my plante was ook nie baie gelukkig gewees met die 5000L water per dag nie. Jy sal wel jou dam geniet wanneer alles reg kom
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!! Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:06 pm
Dankie Marius, jy verstaan. Hoop die tax man is my genadig!
Enige kommentaar op die shimmies of moet ek dit maar aanvaar?
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!! Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:09 am
albie het jy die lek op die pond gekry soms is dit verkeerd om die hele plek om te dolwe om die nat kol te kry dit slaan partykeer even 20 meter weg van die pond af uit of loop onder concrete weg en wys die nat op `n ander plek
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!! Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:40 pm
Ek het vir Eugene gekontak- hy kom more kyk. Ek probeer maar in die tussentyd van 'n kant af pype, ens isoleer.
Wayne het eens op 'n tyd 'n goeie skedule ge"post". Sal die post later soek
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!! Wed Jul 14, 2010 6:20 pm
I found the post from WayneB:
First thing - use a log book because you will get confused and wont remember what the readings was when you did this or that. These test will propably have to happen over a couple of days unless you are awake for the next 6 hours from each test.
You have to determin if the leak is helped on by the pump or not.
1. Fill up the pond upto its normal level and mark it.
2. Switch off the pump off for 6 hours. After 6 hours check the level again. If it dropped measure with how much and write it down.
3. Refill the pond upto the full mark. Now switch the pump on for 6 hours. If it drops mark the level and measure.
4. Compare the two. If you had no leaks at (2) then its on your pump line somewhere. If you had more water loss on (3) than on (2) then you have a leak on both the pond and the pump lines.
To determin if your water feature is leaking
1. Fill pond to full mark and take level.
2. Let it run for 6 hours with only the waterfall on.
3. Take level.
4. If it dropped refill the pond to full mark. Bypass the water feature by extending the pipe that drops the water on the water feature and take it directly to the pond. I find that the swimming pool type kreapy crawly pipe works very well for this.
5. Now with the waterfall bypassed let it run for 6 hours and then check the level.
6. if it still leaked the same amount then its not the feature but might be the pipe feeding the waterfall that leaking.
Now to determin if your bottom drain line is leaking..
1 . Buy a 110ml plug from a hardware store its a device that looks like a trolley wheel but the wheel is made of rubber. On the back of the wheel is a screw as you tighten it the rubber wheel gets expenanded. You need to dive down put that in the 110ml pipe of the bottom drain - tighten it enough so no water can get pass it.
2. If you have a settement chamber empty it and check that no water comes in via the bottom drain line.
3. Wait 6 hours and check level - if it drops then its not your bottom drain . (Depending on how well you thightened the plug)
To determin if one of your underwater return lines are leaking
This test can also be used for testing most devices installed in the walls of a pond likes skimmers, lights, mid suction lines, under water return lines.
1. Fill the pond to about 2 cm above the water return and mark it.
2. Switch off the pump and wait 6 hours.
3. Mark and measure.
4. If the water level dropped then remove water out of the pond until the water no longer touches the return line. It must be just-just below it.
5. Leave for 6 hours.
6. If the level dropped then your leak is lower down. If it stopped leaking then you propably have a leak on that return.
To determin if your gravity fed settlement chamber or vortex is leaking.
1. Switch the pump off.
2. Using a stand pipe or some device block the incoming lines off.
3. Block the suction lines off.
4. Mark the level and Leave for 6 hours.
5. Check the level.
Remember you can have leaks on several of these places and they can all be addin to the your big leak.
Also remember that if the leak is lower down on your pond it will slow down (leak less) the closer you get to it as there wont be as much pressure on it. So this can cause you to think that there is a leak on a device even though there is not.
Thanks Wayne. A very good post
Subject: Re: Pond leaking!!