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Why
do I need a pond deicer ?
During
the summer and fall your pond undergoes many changes. These include the
accumulation of leaves, plant matter, fish waste and other debris. These
materials sink to the bottom of your pond and begin to decay. Before winter this
decay does not pose any danger to your pond as the gasses produced bubble safely
to the top of the pond and are released into the atmosphere.
Once
pond winter sets in and your pond ices over these gases are trapped in the pond.
As the gases from decaying material begin to accumulate they become toxic and
can actually sicken or kill your pond fish. A Floating or submersible pond
decier is one of your very best ways to prevent fish kill during the winter pond
season. A well placed pond de icer will allow the escape of these toxic gasses
and ensure the safety of your fish.
NOTE: some well intentioned pond owners
have reported over the years that they just go out with an axe and smash holes
in the pond ice to let out the gases. This is not a very good idea as the impact
of an axe or hammer striking the ice will send shockwaves that can instantly
kill or cause brain damage to your fish!
How
do I use a pond deicer ? A pond de-icer generates an
electrical current to a heating element inside the de icer. This generates heat
which will keep a small hole open in the ice to allow gas exchange. There are
several guidelines you should be aware of on the placement and operation of a
floating or submersible pond deicer.
1. Use one deicer for a 600 gallon pond. If your
pond is larger than 600 gallons you will want to use two deicers tied together.
2. The use of an extension cord will reduce the
effectiveness of the deicer. Long cords will reduce the heating capacity and the
units ability to maintain tempature. The proper method is to plug the unit into
an electrical outlet installed near the edge of your pond. In the real world we
know that many of you will decide to use extension cords anyway. I would suggest
to you to use the shortest cord possible to reach your outlet. A 12 foot
extension cord is going to loose a lot less power than a 50 or 100 foot cord.
3. A floating pond deicer should be placed
touching, or as close as possible, to the pond liner in the shallow end of your
pond. The pond de icer will warm the liner and reflect back the heat more
efficiently.
4. A floating or submersible decier should be
placed in the shallowest section of the pond possible.
5. The floating pond de icer should be blocked
from the wind. Cold wind will whip across the surface of the deicer and will
steal heat faster than it can make it. You can build a wind barrier to prevent
this heat loss. You can even put a sheet of plywood OVER the deicer to prevent
the wind from reaching it at all. Be sure not to cover the entire pond as doing
so will prevent the needed gas exchange.
6. Floating and submersible pond deicers are
designed to turn on when the temperature of the water falls to freezing and to
shut off when the water temperature reaches 45 degrees. This internal thermostat
saves you money by allowing the unit to turn off when the water temp goes up.
NOTE: to save even more on electricity please consider the Thermo Cube T-3. This
handy device reads the AIR TEMPERATURE and turns the unit off when the air gets
to 45 degrees. This means on sunny winter days you will be using the heat of the
sun for free.
Trouble Shooting your Pond Deicer Each
year we assist many customers in the proper use of their pond deicer. If you
find that your floating or submersible pond de icer is not performing as desired
please check the following.
1. Is the pond de-icer clean? Over time, lime
deposits may adhere themselves to your deicer making it hard or impossible for
the heat to escape. If you see deposits on the unit you can clean with Vinegar
or Lime-away and a scrub brush. The cleaner your pond deicer is the better it
will work.
2. Is the deicer out of the wind? If not, the
wind is robbing it of heat. Use the methods in the section above to make a wind
barrier for your deicer.
3. Are you using an extension cord? If so
consider using a shorter cord or invest in an outlet closer to the pond. The Cal
Pump Power center is an option to bring power down to your pond and reduce the
power loss in your pond de icer.
4. Try an “Air Test” . If you have checked and
resolved the above issues then it is time to test the pond deicer to determine
if it is working properly. Take the unit out of the pond and place it in a
plastic bag. Put the entire deicer inside your freezer for 1hour. Once you
remove the unit and plug it in right away. If the unit starts to heat up the
deicer is working fine and you should re-examine steps 1-3 to determine why your
deicer is not performing as needed.
NOTE: Other than when performing the air
test you should not plug your deicer in while it is out of the water. Serious
damage to it may occur.
What is the difference between a pond deicer and a pond heater
? Often times in advertising you will find the term pond
heater used for a pond de icer. In fact many customers search for the term pond
heaters when they are really searching for a pond deicer. A true pond heater is
a completely different type of product and is used to actually raise the
temperature of your pond. These units are VERY expensive and may consume
hundreds of dollars of electricity a month to operate.
A pond
heater is most often used by owners of exotic tropical fish. Goldfish and Koi
will not benefit from “hot tub” warm water and you would not want to use a
heater to raise the water temperature for these type fish. Some experts believe
that the use of a pond heater on non tropical fish my interfere with their
natural seasonal cycles and reduce their ability to fight off parasites and
infections.
The
important thing to remember is to use a pond deicer for the release of gasses in
your pond and a pond heater for the comfort of some kinds of exotic tropical
fish.
Thank
you for your interest in the Pond Deicers and we look forward to assisting you
with the proper winterization of your pond.
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