Waiting until winter actually arrives in your area makes it a lot harder to accomplish all the chores of winterization. Fall is the perfect time for preparing a pond for winter, especially if the pond is large and the area is cold enough to quickly form a solid ice cover. Waiting until freezing temperatures arrive could leave you with damaged equipment or a pond that has less depth than you expected. Here are four tasks that should begin long before winter so that the pond ready to deal with the season.
Take in UV Equipment
UV clarifiers and filtration units are particularly sensitive to cold temperatures. There’s no need to treat ponds or filters with UV light in the fall and winter, so shut off these units and bring them indoors. Keeping the UV lights in a part of the home that won’t freeze will ensure they’re ready to use without expensive replacement in the spring. Many UV clarifiers are installed in-line and require some tools to remove for the winter. To make this winterization chore much easier, be sure to request plumbing connections that are easy to remove and replace seasonally.
Skim or Catch Falling Leaves
The biggest step to take during fall, to prepare your pond for the winter, is to stay on top of falling leaves. Every leaf you skim from the surface or catch in a net cover leads to a healthier pond over the winter. It also reduces the work of dredging the sludge from the bottom of the pond; which can be a significant task for larger bodies of water. Spreading a net over the surface of a large pond also takes quite an effort, but it’s still far easier and more effective than trying to dredge regularly to control heavy leaf fall. Decomposing leaves contribute tannins to the water and interfere with the usual breakdown of waste and other by-products. Instead of trying to scoop the leaves out at the end of fall, keep them out throughout the season.
Clean the Pond
Don’t wait until the spring to deep clean your pond. Fall winterization is the perfect time for dredging and removing sludge because it also helps you control any new leaves falling in. If you plan to remove fish and plants, you can wait to clean out the pond until they’ve been relocated to avoid risking any damage or injury. Don’t wait until the water is too cold to comfortably handle since dredging and cleaning are wet and messy jobs.
Swap Pumps if Necessary
If your fish absolutely need a pump to keep water circulating in the winter, you’ll need to use a recirculating submersible model. Placing the pump deep in the zone where the water won’t freeze solid will keep it from being damaged or failing due to ice. The tubes and pipes that lead in and out of the water can still be damaged by ice, so make sure to use reinforced rubber or silicone materials that are rated for outdoor use in below freezing temperatures.
A little extra work done in the fall makes it much easier to keep the pond protected over the winter. Don’t let freezing temperatures damage your pond when BTL Liners has the liner materials to withstand these kinds of conditions and more.
