Pond waterfall - level dropping

[oskar]

Our garden has a waterfall which we have spent quite a lot of money and time trying to fix. We had water vanishing and noticed that it was leaking from the badly made waterfall and out of the pump itself into the neighbouring field.
After re-filling, cementing, sealing with pond seal, and applying liner the waterfall appears to be working brilliantly. Water isnt leaking backwards from the pump, either. Everything seems to be going to plan.

so why has the level dropped by about 3 inches during the course of the day?

before we fixed the w/fall, the pump sat at the edge of the pond, doing its job and the water level remained the same thorughout.

Is there something we should know about water going up a pipe in order to then come down again???? we cant fathom it out at all and are very tempted to turn the boulder monstrosity into a flower bed!

much obliged

 

[lymmranger]

I used to spend my time installing ponds for a living

water levels will drop for 3 reasons

1/ Evaporation (unlikely to be the cause in this case)
2/ LEAKS!!!!
3/ Animals drinking (again unlikely)
you must still have a leak somewhere in the system, and trust me they can be very tricky to track down.
Its really a question of being logical and work your way through the system methodically.

Good luck!

 

[snico]

You definitely have a leak somewhere, Have you checked and double checked all your hose and pipe fittings since you done your waterfall?

How big is the pond? Evaporation seems unlikely at 3 inchs a day

I tiny drip from a pipe can take a lot of water over the course of a day

 

[regsmyth]

I think it can also leak out by syphoning over the edge.
If you have a creased liner, and the crease runs out of the water, over the edge, and down into the soil - if the bottom of the crease is lower than the water level in the pond, it could syphon out.

 

[oskar]

Cheers for the replies.

Ponds about 13 x 12 ft. We no longer have water going over the edge now that we have a continuous liner running from the top right down to the bottom, on top of sealed concrete, and held with huge boulders and stones at the side and theres NOTHING escaping at the edges. This was an initial problem so we rectified it.

The pond itself is not leaking, the only problem lies when we return the filter box to the pit at the top of the waterfall..... (should we be using a specific type of pump for this feature???)

I wondered if the stones that held the last step were absorbing the water? (tis a manmade w/fall with flat stones as the steps, cascading down and now under liner) Woke this morning to find the water had dipped again so we have turned the pump off for the time being (pray the fish can forgive us).

Cant be the pipes as when the box is sitting on the edge of the pond everythings fine and theres no water drop, its only when the box is placed up high into the waterfall feature, that it happens.

Hubby is tempted to take a sledge hammer to it all and regain the land lost.. it would have been so lovely if it had been built properly.

 

[snico]

Is it not coming over at the top of the water fall, even slightly?

You need to bypass everything, run the pump as normal to the filter, then send the water back to the pond directly from the filter. If the water level stays the same you know the problem is with the water fall.

 

[oskar]

sorry snico, im struggling to understand your reply........
could you explain a bit further please?

I had wondered of some water was falling down the gap tween the filter hose and the hole we have built around it to disguise it and so placed some newspaper into the gap to catch any water slipping away and it remained dry! so all water was coming from the filter hose and continuing to go forward, good sign.

just cant bleedin' well think where its going!

 

[snico]

You have the outlet from the filter going into the waterfall pit at the top?

If so, place the filter where you would normally set it, but instead of going into the waterfall, connect a pipe or hose from the filter outlet, and then send this directly back to the pond instead of going throgh the waterfall.

It would be easier if youcould a pic of your set up too

Also, if your pump is sat outside the pond, place it inside the pond itself.

 

[oskar]

thanks for the reply.

The pump is always in the pond, its never moved from there. Sorry, I always refer to the filter as 'the pump'. The filter box is now (as an experiement) sitting on top of the waterfall - no longer in its hiding hole - and we shall see what has occured by the morning....though I'm thinking that somehow its still gonna be down.

If i can post a pic of this I shall! I've managed to put a pic on 'my album' bt dont know how to insert here. its not a great pic but gives you some idea...
The waterfall was built away from the pond, tis about 3.5ft high and at its widest about 2ft wide, eventually leading to the ponds side.....

thanks for all your help, i'll return!

[/img]

 

[oskar]

Well, after having the green filter box sitting on top of the waterfall, on the first step, the pond water STAYS!! so its when its put back in its hiding hole that the water has vanished. We regularly checked the hiding hole and saw dry earth so it wasnt vanishing there so I'm suspecting the first step might have a leak despite its pond sealant and new concrete and continuous liner.........

Now i'm tempted to paint the green box and disguise it as a rock....ha!

thanks for all your replies, really appreciated. We will get there in the end!

 

[mikeyd]

To display a picture you just do this:

View media item 26078
When you are writing your post click on "show my images" under the box you type in.

 

[snico]

Looks like you have a leak in the waterfall then?

 

[oskar]

well, at the very top of the waterfall....as the rest of it is ticketyboo.....

and thanks for showing me how to post a pic.....didnt expect you to be able to 'pinch' my own though!