When choosing an automatic pond or pool water leveler, you should first realize that there are over 130 water leveling devices on the market today to pick from. There are 5 very important features to look for.

1. Most of the mechanical water levelers will eventually stick or jam in the open position, allowing for a continuous flow of water resulting in an overflow. Consequently, it is best to choose a non-mechanical float that is not prone to warp, stick, jam, rust or corrode. The least likely autofills are the electronic type such as the levelor, Pentair, Savio, Jandy or AquaFill.

2. Pick one that best suits your specific application, such as pool, pond, small or large fountain, hot tub, spa, fountain pot, container garden or fiberglass patio waterfall. Prices range from $60 to as much as $400, so there is no reason to spend several hundred dollars to keep a fountain pot or bowl full of water.

3. Make sure if it is an electronic type automatic water leveler, that it carries a good warranty to cover the cost of your investment. Some electronic water leveling devices can be affected by extreme changes in temperature resulting in condensation in the circuit boards, especially if the installation is near the ocean, since the salt air can corrode electronic components. In these cases you should purchase a water leveler in which the switching parts are hermetically sealed to keep out the elements.

4. Avoid automatic controllers that utilize sensing probes suspended in the water to detect the level since slightly acidic or alkaline water can cause the electrodes to corrode, thus reducing the ability to detect the small flow of current flow required to detect conductivity by the electronic circuit board.

5. Choose a leveler that can easily be hidden by installing it outside of the water feature, in a skimmer, or hidden easily by rocks along the edge of a pond etc.

Just remember that length of the warranty or the presence of a money-back guarantee can be a very good indicator or of the quality, durability, longevity and performance of the device in question.

In conclusion, it is best to avoid the majority of the toilet tank-type water level valves since they have such a propensity to corrode, rust, jam, stick or malfunction, resulting in a flood. You are familiar with the toilet continuously running… well imagine if the toilet tank didn’t have an overflow pipe taking the continuous flow of water to a drain. So you can expect the same results from a mechanical water level float installed in your pond, swimming pool, spa, fountain, hot tub or pondless waterfall: an insurance claim. Do your homework and stay dry.

Keep in mind that for suitable concrete pond construction, you need to pour the concrete to a thickness of four to six inches. After deciding on the dimensions and outlining the area, all soil (and rocks!) should then be dug out. Forms then need to be built and placed where concrete is to be poured, along with the proper placement of cut-to-fit reinforcement bars (rebar).

For digging out the area for concrete pond construction, you will need shovels, picks, a crowbar, and, of course, a wheelbarrow. Some other necessary items include a carpenter’s level, string, stakes, sheets of plastic, and a long two-by-four.

Pouring the cement in concrete pond construction should be done in one day, unless the pond is very large, and then it must be poured in sections. Pour cement in the bottom of the pool first, then the sides. If shelves have been dug out, pour cement there, next. Finally, pour cement for the top of the pond and for any coping that may be involved.

After you have completed these first steps of your concrete pond construction project, you need to let the cement cure for several days under plastic. Treating with muriatic acid at this stage helps prevent high pH levels in water later, which benefits fish and plants. After the acid treatment, apply several coats of paint made for pools or masonry sealant, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly.

Concrete pond construction can be a true learning experience. It’s best to start with a smaller pond, then if you meet with success, you can then move on to a larger project. But once you get the hang of concrete pond construction, there’s no limit to where you can go from there. So learn, build, and then build some more!  By Carlo Morelli

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NOTICE: The following is a low resolution clip from The full screen desk-top 1½ hour training video teaching step by step how to transform a digital photo into a beautiful water garden.

Slideshow of a large variety of waterfalls and ponds designed created by Douglas Hoover using
The Ultimate Training Course

Slideshow of ponds and water features designed, engineered and constructed by Doug Hoover

Ever since Mr. Wittstock of Aquascape began maligning reinforced concrete pond construction 15 years ago and began promoting his get-rich-quick rubber roof-liner ponds, the liner industry exploded. However, “What goes up, must come down!” The “pond liner” industry explosion is now beginning to implode. The great attraction of pond liners was, anyone can do it themselves… so the DIY pond liner kits were born, containing everything you need to build you your own beautiful backyard paradise. As a result, college grads and businessmen were swarming to join in on the new “Gold Rush,” with or without contractors licenses. Hundreds of experts began rising up in the ranks, boasting of their overnight fortunes gained by so little effort, and in as little as one day!

FLASH FORWARD — If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s time to pay the piper.

The majority of these “Liner Disciples” were not exposing the potential risks involved as to the integrity of liner construction; they were too busy spouting the false doctrines about concrete constructs as taught to them by their “Liner Messiah.” It was a mantra: “Concrete will eventually crack and leak, it will poison the fish, you can’t be creative with concrete because it is not flexible. ”

Even though none of that propaganda was true, they are not offering the client an alternative option to a rubber liner. They would always install a mechanical water level float so if there were any leaks, the filler would keep the water level up. However, this stop-gap was short lived, since the client would get suspicious when the cost of their water bill would surpass the house payment. The liner dude forgot to divulge the liner’s bad side, that it is subject to the flora and fauna: flora will puncture and fauna will gnaw and gnaw and gnaw. Did I mention Gnaw?

When the source of the exorbitant water bill is exposed and the liner dude is called, he has two choices only: ignore the call or bite the bullet. He needs to build the client another water feature since he has no clue where the gophers, rats, mice, moles, chipmunks, ground squirrels, ground hogs or hedge hogs have gnawed, or where the roots have penetrated or the rocks and boulders have stretched or punctured.

As expected, many do not respond to the client complaint of water loss and the need to find the leak. This client will be another possible candidate for the growing list of angry rubber liner pond owners.

This is actually a true story.

Because this story has been repeated over and over for more than twenty years, most realtors have become aware of the risks, maintenance costs and short life of rubber liner ponds. When a realtor sells a home sporting a liner pond and it develops a leak during the warranty period, the client expects the realtor to fix it and in most cases this can turn out to a very expensive fix. This does not have to happen very often before the realtor will begin refusing to list a house with a liner pond and will most likely ask the seller to remove it and fill in the hole. Rubber liner ponds have been proven to be a liability by both realtors and insurance companies and consequency depreciate property values. There does not seem to be an issue with concrete constructed ponds and water features, in fact they can add equity in the home and increase its desirability and curb appeal..  Liner Ponds vs. Reinforced Concrete Lined Ponds- No Contest!

For more info Google: “liners vs concrete”

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Douglas C Hoover; Master Pond & Waterfall Builder- Designed and built well over 2000 waterfalls & Ponds since 1982- Author of the best selling Professional Waterfall & Pond Construction Manual and producer of The Ultimate Training Course.
http://DesignAPond.com

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Location

One of the most important things to consider is location. This is partly down to personal preference. Some people like a pond to be near to the house for viewing from indoors, while others prefer it to be a separate entity which they can visit when the mood takes them. If it can be viewed from inside the home then you can benefit from its beauty all year round. Site it too far from the house and feeding and maintenance can become a chore and missed out during bad weather. Too near to the house or garden walls and it can cause problems with deep excavations interfering with drains or foundations.

Do try to position the pond so that it is sheltered from cold winds and receives sunlight for at least half the day. This will also benefit plants in and around the pond.

Where possible avoid siting your pond under or too near to overhanging deciduous trees, as their leaves and blossom will fall into the pond and become a major headache in the autumn and winter months unless you are prepared to net the pond daily. Bear in mind that the leaves of willow, elder, oak, yew, poplars and laburnums trees are highly toxic. Additionally this will avoid tree roots piercing pond liners or cracking concrete.

Remember that you will need access to a power source if you intend to install lighting, pumps or filter systems. This may be easier and cheaper if it is nearer to the home or a shed with an existing power source. Also plumbing and drainage nearby will assist in filling, cleaning and siphoning operations.

Power and water supplies and drainage need to be considered. Armoured cable isn’t cheap and nor is the laying of permanent water drainage. Try to find the house plans if you can and see where all existing water pipes, gas pipes and other service supplies are located. You don’t want to find them the hard way after you start digging.

Always consider the safety of pets and young children. Remember a child can drown in water only a few inches deep. If you have young children then maybe a pond should wait until they are older and build a pebble filled water feature for now. If you do go ahead with a pond, you should consider covering it with strong wire mesh. Where children may be playing near a pond, it becomes essential to site it near to the home.

Also avoid areas where surface water tends to collect, or areas with a high water table as this could push up under the pond liner or structure and create problems. Avoiding these areas will reduce the risk of any pollutants being washed into the pond during heavy rain.

Style

Styles of pond are very much down to personal choice but are partly dictated by the location and type of garden. The style of pond you choose may also determine its location. A formal raised pond may look out of place in the middle of a large lawn but would look perfect incorporated into a patio area.

There are various styles of pond such as formal and informal, sunken or raised, and this decision is mainly down to personal preference. If you are at all worried about small children around a deep koi pond, then a raised pond can sometimes be a safer option particularly as it is then easier to cover with strong mesh to avoid accidents. Formal ponds are usually square, oblong or exact circles, the type often seen in stately homes, whereas informal ponds are more often kidney or irregular shapes and lend themselves more to a natural cottage garden look.

Size and Depth

Size should be in proportion to the surroundings, and do consider that if a pond is too wide, it is very difficult to catch the fish. Ideally it should be at least three feet deep, five if you are building a koi pond. This is particularly important if you do not live in the South of England as deeper water does remain slightly warmer in very cold weather.

Remember, the bigger the pond, the more fish you can keep, but you will need a bigger and more expensive filtration system. Also any water treatments required are in proportion to the number of gallons of water in the pond and filter system.

Shape

The shape and surface area are generally down to personal preferences but it is always best to create a shape which allows for a flow of water between the outlet, bottom drain or pump and the inflow of any filter systems. This will allow solid waste to be circulated and removed to the filter and not get caught in nooks and crannies. Using complex shapes is also best avoided to alleviate construction difficulties and create fewer folds in pond liners. The easiest way to envisage you pond in situ is to take a rope or hose and lay it where you think it will be sited. It is much easier to see how the finished pond will look using this method and once you are happy with your design, the pond outline can be marked out.

Don’t forget to allow for any streams or waterfall features you are considering and allow for planting areas. Normally a shelf is allowed for around the edge of a pond, but in the case of koi, who can be particularly destructive towards plants, it is sometimes best to allow a separate area for planting or even a separate adjacent pond.

Construction Method

Finally you need to decide on the method of construction. Are you going to install a liner pond, a pre-cast fibre glass style or a concrete or brick constructed pond? There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these but you need to decide which is best for you before you start digging. Also think about how you are going to carry out the excavations. Gaining access for diggers, concrete supply and removing excavated soil should be thought about early on.

Conclusion

All of this might sound like a lot of work, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. With a little forethought you will make the job ahead that much easier and save yourself time and money.  By Phil Agate

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