Protecting Pond Water Features Throughout Winter

If you live in an area that experiences freezing winter weather, you have likely already taken steps to prepare and protect your backyard pond’s water features. Fall is the best time to remove, clean, and store pond filters, pumps, and pond décor. But once everything is cleaned and stored, does that mean you can forget about your pond until spring? Not at all!

There’s nothing more frustrating than opening up your pond after three months and finding that your fountain pump or pond water filter is unusable. To avoid this nasty surprise, check in on your stored water features at least once a week to verify the storage conditions are still okay.

  1. The temperature in the storage area should remain above 60° F.
  2. Pond pumps should be stored, submerged, in a bucket of clean water to protect their seals; make sure that the water is still clear and has not evaporated.
  3. Make sure no cracks have formed in tubing or pipes.
  4. Make sure any removed filters and tubing are dry.

What If Pond Water Features Are Kept Running?

Maybe you didn’t feel the need to shut down your pond entirely this year. That’s okay; depending on the climate, it might be completely unnecessary to shut down your pond’s water features. But you still need to check on them throughout the winter to keep the equipment running properly. The biggest danger for water features is if they begin to run dry, either due to evaporation or freezing.

pond boss® offers fountain pumps that have a low water auto shut-off feature; this can help prevent your fountain from running dry. But you should also keep an eye on the weather; if temperatures drop below freezing, check on your pond to make sure ice has not formed and blocked water flow. This advice is also true for patio ponds or other water features besides fountains.