Winter is just around the corner, which means that before you know it, it is going to be here. You may already be busting out the boots, long sleeves, snow gear, and holiday decor. A winter item that may be taking a back burner to the rest of the fun holiday festivities and winter activities is getting your pond or other outdoor water feature ready for the long winter.
Taking care of your pond or outdoor water feature can already take a lot of work to maintain during the warmer months of the year. The last thing that you want to do is work even harder during the colder months of the year because you did not take the proper measurements and precautions when winterizing your water feature or pond.
The good news is that you can take some simple preventative and ongoing care steps to make sure that you properly winterize your water features so that you can save a lot of time and hassle this winter.
For Water Features
Let’s take a look at a few ways that you can prep and take care of your water feature this winter
1) Clear out Plants And Algae
The first thing that you want to do when you are winterizing your water feature is making sure that you clear out any plants, debris, and algae. The main reason that we want to do this is to keep wet debris like leaves from clogging up your water feature. You may need to vacuum or pressure wash out any debris that is clinging to the bottom of your water feature.
2) Drain Your Water Feature
Now that you have cleared out the plants and the debris from your water feature, you are going to have to make sure that the water is completely drained. You need to be sure that the water is drained out of the main basin of the feature, and you have to be sure that all of your water and plumbing lines are clear as well. You don’t want to have to deal with your pipes freezing over when the cold winter weather blows in.
3) Remove the Pump from Your Water Feature
If your water feature has a pump, you are going to want to make sure that you take it out and store it somewhere safe. Even without the feature itself being in use, cold weather and harsh elements can damage your pump. Make sure that you store your pump in a warm, dry place for the winter, so that you can reinstall it when the weather starts warming back up again.
Winterizing Your Pond
Ponds can be a slightly different story when it comes to preparing them for winter, in that you can clear it or keep it running. The frozen water on a pond can make a beautiful scene over winter and the holidays.
1) Clear Debris From Your Pond
If you are going to clear your pond for the winter, you are going to need to make sure that all debris and leaves are clear from your pond. This is going to be critical in whether you choose to keep your pond filled or empty, during winter.
2) Maintain Chemicals
Keeping your pond filled during the winter months is going to require some care. You need to be sure that you have the right combination of chemicals and coldwater bacteria so that you can keep your pond clean and crystal clear, all winter long.
3) Make sure the Water Is Circulating
If you want to prevent your water from freezing, you are going to need to make sure that the water in your pond is circulating. This is especially important on those freezing nights and major cold fronts.
4) Draining Your Pond and Removing the Pump
On the other hand, if you are going to be shutting down your pond for the winter, you are going to need to make sure that you drain your water and remove your pump. As mentioned before, store your pump in a safe warm place during the winter to help preserve it. That way, it will be ready to be reinstalled when you get into the spring and summer.
Get Ready for Winterizing
Depending on where you are located, you may have seen some freezing nights and even snow already this fall! The sooner that you get started with winterizing your ponds and/or water, the better prepared that you will be for winter.
Need help with winterizing your water feature? Contact us today and get a quote.