Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Preventing pond outflow tube freezing.

I am trying to find a way to stop the water around my outflow tube from freezing this winter, without using any electric heater or such. I am going to use my bubbler around my dock, but the outflow tube is too far away to reach with hydro. I can expect up to 1 foot thick ice in the dead of winter... possibly even a bit thicker. I am afraid that not only will it stop the outflow from leaving the pond but that it will crack/destroy the tube as well.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to stop a 5 x 5 foot area or thereabouts from freezing without using power?

Pottsy,

Do you have a constant inflow into the pond even in the dead of winter? Typically if you have a watershead pond then water coming in comes to a halt under heavy freezing conditions.

Two thoughts: 1)Black paint or landscape cloth to absorb available heat; 2)salt.

Pottsy in Ottawa:

Currently, it is 95 degrees, with 70 percent humidity, here in the Texas Hill Country. So far be it for me to give advice to a Maple Leaf on how to keep water ice-free in the winter.

I might, however, direct you to one of the long-time Pond Boss supporters, Malibu Water Resources in California. The question for those folks is straight-forward:

On a pond here in glacier country, will your windmill aerators keep a 5' x 5' area free of ice?

Mark McDonald
Editor, Pond Boss

I don't think I would have even thought to worry about the ice causing a problem. I think the physics are on your side. If the pipe is round then any pressure pushing in on the pipe will be evenly distributed. Under those conditions a pipe is very strong. Also under pressure ice melts so it will probably liquify around the pipe. If there is a net inflow of water into the pond then it will start to seep around the edge of the pipe melting it further. Even if this does not occur any buildup of water will raise the ice a little but will eventually start running over the top of the ice. I have seen this happen.

I had a permanent 4" white PVC siphon set in my pond. They finished the pond in the fall. The pipe runs from the dry side of the dam about six inches below the dirt to the wet slope remaining underground. It then pops out of the side about four feet above the deepest part of the pond and runs horizontally for about fifteen feet before plunging straight down about four feet and then curving up. The water was about 3 feet deep and froze to a foot thick. Water was running in and sometimes the ice was stuck to the sides and the water would go on top of the ice. Sometimes the ice would break free and rise with the water. I never did pull the pipe up (it was weighted with stones below water). When the ice had risen to just below the horizontal section I got frightened that it might rest on the ice and lift up. So I cut the ice to make it thinner and put salt on top of the whole length of the pipe. The pipe never did damaged even though I could only visit it once a week.

I think if there is flowing water you shouldn't have a problem. Is this something you have had happen already or are you theorizing?

PS. I don't know what would happen with corregated pipe. Although I think pressure would again melt the ice. The pressure thing does not work as well as the temperature drops so you might still have a problem with how far north you are. I am in NY and that was a particularly cold winter I was describing.

Hey Lads thanks for the input.

I do have a small amount of water flowing into the pond at all times from below ground level, though since we haven't had significant rain or anything much less then 85 degrees here for a month, even that has slowed to a halt. (Was gainging an inch a week, now loosing 2 a week.)

My concern is because last year before the pond was completed and I didn't have an overflow tube in what happened was either the ice would float up on top of the water getting thicker as it went, or it would crack around the edges and water would flow in. Mind you even in the dead of winter in 2-3 feet of water I was working in there with my backhoe so that skews the whole observation a bit. My concern is that the rising water will either freze solid around the pipe not allowing any to flow out, or the ice will lift the pipe out and/or push out the banks as it freezes.

I guess my best bet is to try and at least keep the area free of snow and put down salt to losen the ice if needed.