Leak
Detection
Troubleshooting
Pond Leaks
Does my water feature have a leak?
So you’ve noticed you’re having to add more water than you previously were to your water feature. There are a few simple steps that can be taken to determine the cause of water loss before giving us a call to come out. 90% of the time, the leak is in the waterfall and/or stream area.
We Recommend a 7-Step Process
Step 1: Shut down the water feature. Fill the pond or basin to capacity before overflow. Note the water level. Leave it sitting without running for a minimum of 24 hours; preferably 48 hours. Remember you should always provide additional aeration to the pond while the waterfall is not running. You can use an Aquascape Aeration Kit or even an additional pump inside of the pond to help provide additional oxygen to the water. Just make sure that whatever you use does not cause water to splash outside of the liner area. Please note that during extremely hot weather conditions, we strongly advise against shutting down your pond, because it can cause stress to your fish.
Step 2: Check the water level. If the water level stays the same after the 24-48 hours is up, then there is not a leak in the pond or basin. Generally, this is the case, but we must rule out the pond or pondless basin first, before we can move on to any of the other steps. Move on to Step 3. If the water level dropped (especially a couple of inches), then there must be either a hole in the liner in the pond or basin or the silicone seal on the skimmer plate (pond systems only) has deteriorated. Do not turn on the system. Continue to monitor the water level until it stops dropping. The hole or leak will be somewhere along the top of the water level.
If the water level falls below the “faceplate” on the skimmer, then there is most likely a hole in the pond liner itself. Once the hole is located, it can easily be patched with an Aquascape liner patch. If the water level is within the area of the skimmer face plate, then go to Step 5
Step 3: Turn the system back on. Inspect all of the edges along the stream and waterfall. Are there any wet spots? Move a few rocks here and there to make sure that the water is staying inside the liner. If you find an area that is wet, trace it to where the water is flowing over the liner. Lift up the liner and add additional soil or even a rock underneath the liner to prevent the water from flowing out over the top of the liner. Congrats! You fixed the leak!
Also, check the area inside the stream or waterfall for excess debris, i.e., leaves, acorns, seed pods, blossoms, etc. Debris inside of the stream can sometimes build up and divert water over the edge of the liner (like a dam). Remove the debris by hand, which will allow the water to flow freely again down the stream without running over the edge of the liner. If this is the case, then congrats! You fixed the leak!
If you cannot find any areas along the stream where the water is getting outside of the liner or any areas that are visibly wet, go to Step 4 for ponds or Step 6 for pondless waterfalls.
Step 4: For ponds only. Turn off the system. Check the silicone seal along the lip of the biofall filter. Add a bead of silicone in between the liner and the biofall lip. Re-foam the waterfall rock if,necessary. Wait 30 minutes for the silicone and foam to cure/dry. Restart the system. Check the water level in 24 hours. If it stays the same, you fixed the leak, woohoo! If the water level dropped, go to Step 5.
Step 5: For ponds only. Turn off the system. Check the seal around the skimmer face plate. Sometimes after many years, the screws disintegrate and need to be replaced. Sometimes additional silicone needs to be applied around the skimmer face plate. Let the silicone cure for at least 30 minutes. Turn the system back on. Check the water level in 24 hours. If it stays the same, you fixed the leak, woohoo! If the water level dropped, go to Step 6. (Replacing the screws around the skimmer face plate as well as resealing the face plate with silicone should be completed by a professional.)
Step 6: Keep the system running. Check the plumbing lines and connections. Dig up the plumbing line and check the plumbing connection (bulkhead fitting) on the back of the biofall to make sure that it didn’t crack. Inspect the plumbing line for any leaks from the biofall to the skimmer. If you find a connection that is leaking, turn off the system, and fix the plumbing connection and/or line. Let the glue dry for 30 minutes. Restart the system. Check the water level in 24 hours. If it stays the same, you fixed the leak! Yay! If the water level dropped, go to Step 7.
Step 7: Evaporation. If you’ve gone through all of these steps, and you are still losing water, then one of two things could be happening.
- Something was missed or overlooked in Steps 1 through 6;
- Evaporation
Many factors can affect your rate of evaporation:
- Hot Sun and Temperature
- A Large Amount of Plants Absorbing Water
- Windy Conditions
- Splashing
- Length of Stream
Pump Size
For an 11’ x 16’ pond:
- If you lose 2” of water in one day; it’s a leak.
- If you lose 2” of water in a week, it’s evaporation.
For a pondless waterfall:
- If you lose 4” to 6” of water in a day, it’s a leak.
- If you lose 1” to 2” of water in a day, it’s evaporation.
Here is a simple formula to determine the rate of evaporation for your water feature.
Formula: 1/2% to 1% of gph pump flow results in gallons of water loss per day.
- 2,000 gph x .5% = 10 gallons
- 2,000 gph x 1% = 20 gallons
- 4,000 gph x .5% = 20 gallons
- 4,000 gph x 1% = 40 gallons
- 8,000 gph x .5% = 40 gallons
- 8,000 gph x 1% = 80 gallons
First, take your pump size and determine the rate of evaporation using the above formula. Then, determine the surface area of your pond and the amount of inches of water you are losing.
For example, the surface area of an 11’ x 16’ with 1” of water loss. 11’ x 16’ x .08 x 7.48 (water volume) = 105.31 gallons
Now, compare the rate of evaporation for your pump size with the amount of water loss determined by the surface area of your pond. Are they close? If they are, it’s evaporation. If they aren’t, then it’s a leak.
Leak Detection Service
I’m sure that after reading the above troubleshooting guidelines, you realize that troubleshooting a possible leak can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. That is why we provide these guidelines for your benefit. We are, of course, always happy to come out and do the entire process for you if you so choose.
The cost of a full leak detection from us with up to three visits to locate the leak’s source is $999. Most of the time, we can isolate the problem within a few minutes (after Step 1 and Step 2 have been completed). We strongly encourage you to do as many of the Steps as you can complete before having us come out to save you both time and money. If you are unable to complete any of the above steps yourself after starting (for example, digging up the plumbing lines, re-sealing the biofall, replacing bulkhead fittings), we are always available to provide that service for you at the above-listed fee.
- Mount Juliet, TN | 615.335.4186
- hello@CleanEarthWaterScapes.com