mdvaden
02-08-2009, 12:23 PM
Thought I'd share a repair project I got called about last autumn.
Some folks bought a foreclosure, and wanted to get the ponds running again.
The small front pond with bubbling rock was not running at all, and the power line and pump location were invisible. So I gave them an estimate to spend about a day trying to figure out the back one.
Really nice looking visually.
Installed by the previous homeowner. But a mess for problems.
There are two pumps that send water to 2 falls. Those are the back left and back right. The water dumps up in the back and diverts into two water courses, with the right one going over stacked rocks.
Another pump sends water to a raised miniature pond on the right with water spilling over more stacked rocks.
What a mess. Just the back water course had water spilling over the liner in about 10 different locations. And splashing of the far back left narrow fall lost more water.
The stacked rock was settling, with the faces of both falls leaning inward.
This pond is one reason why I'm not a firm believer in aggregate water features if the liners and pipes are going to be inaccessible for inspection.
Anyhow, a day's work reduced a ton of water loss, but not all. I suggested they abandon one of the back water falls, trying to figure out which leaked - if not both - by diverting water away from one at a time to see if that curbed the leak.
Their funds were very limited, and have not heard back yet.
Looks like they gained a water feature with possibly as many as 30 points of water leakage.
Amazing how so much eye candy can be so non-functional.
Their biggest problem is probably money. We learned that the main body of the pond does not leak. The shortfall was the cash to start dismantling the falls and rebuilding - especially not being able to tell where the problem was and how much work it would take.
Some folks bought a foreclosure, and wanted to get the ponds running again.
The small front pond with bubbling rock was not running at all, and the power line and pump location were invisible. So I gave them an estimate to spend about a day trying to figure out the back one.
Really nice looking visually.
Installed by the previous homeowner. But a mess for problems.
There are two pumps that send water to 2 falls. Those are the back left and back right. The water dumps up in the back and diverts into two water courses, with the right one going over stacked rocks.
Another pump sends water to a raised miniature pond on the right with water spilling over more stacked rocks.
What a mess. Just the back water course had water spilling over the liner in about 10 different locations. And splashing of the far back left narrow fall lost more water.
The stacked rock was settling, with the faces of both falls leaning inward.
This pond is one reason why I'm not a firm believer in aggregate water features if the liners and pipes are going to be inaccessible for inspection.
Anyhow, a day's work reduced a ton of water loss, but not all. I suggested they abandon one of the back water falls, trying to figure out which leaked - if not both - by diverting water away from one at a time to see if that curbed the leak.
Their funds were very limited, and have not heard back yet.
Looks like they gained a water feature with possibly as many as 30 points of water leakage.
Amazing how so much eye candy can be so non-functional.
Their biggest problem is probably money. We learned that the main body of the pond does not leak. The shortfall was the cash to start dismantling the falls and rebuilding - especially not being able to tell where the problem was and how much work it would take.