Pond & Water Feature Troubleshooting
Serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Arizona (AZ) & Surrounding Areas
Troubleshooting
Pond & Water Feature Troubleshooting For Phoenix Arizona, AZ
Below are common issues that may come up from time to time for ponds in Phoenix, AZ. This should help you with a few simple fixes to save you the trouble and money of a service call.
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ISSUE
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LIKELY CAUSE
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ACTION
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|---|---|---|
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Water is cloudy
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Genesis is occurring in a new pond; storm, wind, etc., has introduced dust into the water
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Add or increase Beneficial Bacteria. Back off feeding the fish until the water remains clear.
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Water is pea-green
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Genesis is occurring in a new pond; adding fertilizer to plants; over-feeding the fish
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Add or increase Beneficial Bacteria. Back off feeding the fish until the water remains clear.
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Water is dark or brownish (tea-colored)
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Tannins in the water from the leaves or flowers of a near-by plant or the quality of the water filling the pond; mulch introduction from adding new plants
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This is a naturally-occurring phenomenon that is not hazardous to the health of either fish or plants. However, if this is unsightly for you, you can purchase activated charcoal and add it to the media net found in the Biofalls. This may need to be replenished occasionally to continue to clean the tannins out of the water.
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Abundant string algae
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Water is warming up, but the beneficial bacteria is still in hibernation; or not enough diversity in plant life; or over-feeding the fish; or adding fertilizer to plants; etc.
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1. Hand-weed the algae out of the pond; we use it as mulch for tree wells, or in composting operations; and
2. Use String Algae Buster to halt the growth. |
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Pump is sucking air
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Your water level is low; or skimmer basket is full
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Empty the skimmer basket more frequently. If the autofill is not functioning, adjust as necessary (see YouTube video in our Help Library for complete instructions).
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Auto-level device is running constantly
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The device has come loose, become bent, or is malfunctioning; or There may be a leak around the pond, or water feature caused by settling.
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• Check for leaks along the edge of the waterfall or stream. They will show as a damp area along the outer edge or around the edge of the Biofilter. Remove the obstructions in the stream.
• Clean/adjust the device. If you cannot adjust it, turn off the water to the pond and call for service. |
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Auto level is not coming on at all
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The device has become bent, or is plugged. |
Make sure the control valve is open. Adjust the device (see YouTube video in our Help Library). If you cannot adjust it, call for service.
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The pond is flooding or overflowing
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The auto-level device has come loose, become bent, or is malfunctioning; or There may be a leak around the pond, or water feature caused by settling or water displacement due to plant growth. |
• Turn off the water source until you can do the following:
• Check for leaks along the edge of the waterfall or stream. They will show as a damp area along the outer edge or around the edge of the Biofilter. Remove the obstruction or call for service. • Adjust the auto-level device. If you cannot adjust it, turn off the water to the pond and call for service. |
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The pump is making noise (other than sucking air)
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Pump is plugged up; pump is dying |
Some pumps may emit a small humming noise. If the noise becomes audible above the waterfall, it is the bearings beginning to give out. It may still function for quite some time, but it is up to you as to when you can’t stand it anymore and need it replaced.
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Waterfall/Stream is flowing very slowly; low water flow
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Pump or plumbing is plugged up |
Unplug the pump and clean it out. If that doesn’t work, you may have a clog in your plumbing, and this will require professional service.
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Pump has quit running
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Pump has died. Outlet has issues. Connections have gotten wet. |
Pump may need to be replaced. However, before you do that, make sure it's not an electrical issue that requires an electrician. You can check this by plugging a blow dryer or something else into the pump outlet to see if it works. If so, then it's the pump. If not, you need an electrician.
If it's been raining a lot, unplug the pump and wait for everything to dry out. Then try plugging the pump back in. You may need to reset the GFCI, as well. |
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Leak
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This could happen because of a settling leak along the edge, plant overgrowth with roots displacing water, or an actual leak in the system. |
First, check the float valve to see if it's running constantly (faster than a drip). If not, then you don't have a leak, and you might want to check elsewhere, like your irrigation pipes. If so, continue with the next step.
Determine where the water level is at the moment (because turning off the waterfall and/or stream will overfill the pond temporarily). Either eyeball and remember, or put a piece of tape somewhere to note it. Turn off the water supply to the feature and unplug the pump for 24 hours, and note how low the water in the pond drops below your original mark at the end of this time period. If it does drop, then continue to monitor it in 12-24 hour increments to see how far it drops, until it stops dropping, which will tell us at what level the pond has a leak. If the water doesn't drop, plug the pump back in, leaving the water supply off. The pond will drop initially, until the waterfall and/or stream are back up and running fully. Once that's happened, note how low the water in the pond drops over the next 2-4 hours. This second step should NOT be done without someone checking on things every couple of hours, because if it's a serious leak, this could drain the pond unexpectedly. |
