Preparing Your Investment for Winter

By Lee Abernathy, Environmental Scientist

During the summer months your floating pond fountain helps to maintain your pond with constant aeration while providing a pleasing view. As winter approaches, it is time for your fountain to receive some maintenance coupled with some well-deserved “TLC.” SOLitude Lake Management offers ways to help your fountain run at peak performance during the cold winter months and all year round.

The first thing that should be considered for every fountain is an oil and seals change. This important task ensures that the fountain is running with clean oil and that your seals are working as designed, preventing any water from leaking into the unit. Changing the oil in your fountain works much like changing the oil in your vehicle: the cleaner the oil, the smoother it runs. SOLitude Lake Management can provide this service on any brand of fountain that utilizes oil cooled submersible motors. Most manufacturers recommend these oil and seals change maintenance services be performed every three years. Our highly trained and professional staff can remove your fountain’s power unit, perform the oil and seals maintenance service and have it back in the water quickly with little down time. Everyone who owns a floating fountain should consider this service.

For our customers located in areas that are more prone to consistent hard freezing, we offer a program for removal and storage of your fountain for the winter months. We can prevent the risk of damage from severe cold and ice by removing the fountain motor and float from the lake, sealing the underwater power cable disconnect, performing a detailed inspection and cleaning of the unit. At this time, we’ll make any necessary repairs, and store the unit for the winter in our warehouse or any other location designated by the client.

The benefits of pond aeration are equally important in the winter, so for those clients who live in the colder climates who are willing to leave their fountains in during the winter, we have strategies that will allow you to do so safely and effectively. If the fountain runs 24 hours a day, there is typically no risk of hard freeze or damage to the fountain. Adding submersed aeration to your pond will improve the overall health of the pond and placing diffusers under the fountains will help keep the ice open in the area of the fountain, which will also allow for year round fountain operation. The top to bottom aeration and circulation created in this scenario will also help year round with improving water quality and prevention of pond algae.

Regardless of how you choose to manage your fountain in the winter, remember that your fountains are a valuable asset to the pond, and as such, it is important to keep them running at their best. Please do not hesitate to contact SOLitude Lake Management with any questions you may have about preparing your fountain for winter.

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Contact the experts at 888-480-5253 for all of your lake, pond and fisheries management needs. Since 1998, SOLitude Lake Management has been committed to providing full service lake and pond management services that improve water quality, preserve natural resources, and reduce our environmental footprint. Services are available throughout the Eastern United States. Fisheries management consulting and aquatic products are available nationwide. Learn more about SOLitude Lake Management and purchase products at www.solitudelakemanagement.com.