Each year it seems we get calls, texts and e-mails from hundreds of Oklahoma Pond and Water Feature owners asking what they should do when the electricity goes out on their pond. Of course they want to find out what you can do for your pond fish if you lose power in Oklahoma.
 
It's happened to all of us, whether we know a storm is coming or the lights just go out, we lose power sometimes.  Many times it's not a big deal because it's off for a few hours maybe 6 tops. However when the power is off for days there could be problems.  At first our attention is on our families.  We need heat and water, will I lose all my food, can't flush the toilets, can't cook.  Our first goal is to get the needs of our families met, then the secondary concerns come to mind. 

My first secondary concern is my fish.  Unless you have a generator there is not much you can do except possibly purchase or have on hand a battery powered aerator.   These can be found on the internet, they are small, but something is better than nothing.  If you don't have a generator, I would highly suggest investing in one.  The prices for these range from $10-$30.  Have it on hand and should we lose power for an extended period of time you now have a back up to get that water oxygenated, especially during the summer months.  Here in Central Oklahoma during the Winter month's you do not have much to worry about. The main thing here is to make sure you keep a hole in the ice to allow gasses to exchange, the pump is not needed.  
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If you have a generator, you have it a bit easier!  This is the time you really should have an aerator.   Aerators are highly efficient means of aerating and deicing ponds, and we feel a must have if you have a pond.   

If it happens to be winter time, just make sure your deicer is unplugged should have one.  Plug the aerator into that generator and you're all set.  Aerators use very little electricity and will do the job in protecting your fish and providing oxygen and deicing during the winter months.  

The summer time is a bit different.  Your main goal is to get that aerator plugged in and running.  Depending on your generator and what circuits you have it running will depend on what you should do.  If the generator runs the pond outlet make sure everything else is unplugged- pumps, lighting, and any other items you have out there.  Then just plug the aerator in.   On the other hand, if the generator doesn't run the pond outlet, just get that aerator plugged into the generator or an outlet the generator is powering.   

Losing power is frustrating and stressful for you and your family.  Being prepared can lessen that stress and diminish the frustrations that come with being powerless.  

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!
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Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

Many Oklahoma homeowners desire the soothing sounds of running water, but are just not ready for a pond or simply can’t afford one. The AquaBasin Bubbling Rock Kit™ allows you to "Do It Yourself" and can easily be installed within just a few hours.  Now here is how you can add that soothing sounds of moving water to your Oklahoma landscape.  

Once you have the pump kit, basin and rock, you will next need to identify a viable location and prep it for installation. Within buildings they can be installed near the surface level and outdoors they can be installed on a patio. Stone and plants can be used to conceal the basin. You should also pay attention to the splash radius particularly if the bubbling rock is being installed indoors.
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Many Oklahoma pond owners choose to bury the basin. To do this, you will need to find a spot and then excavate it. It should have the same depth and size of the basin. The soil at the bottom of the hole must be tamped to provide a strong base. You can then add a layer of sand (C-10 is best) to act as the leveling base. The basin can then be placed in hole and the soil can be used to anchor it in place. After this you would install both the bubbling rock and the pump kit.

If you are wanting to add lights to the fountain you have a couple options depending on where you would like to put them. If you are wanting lights in the top of your rock fountain, do it before adding your aquatic plants and gravel. The reason is that the cord of the lights needs to run down the middle of the drilled hole. If you forget and add plants and gravel first, it's a pain but it can be done.

If you are just wanting to add light to shine up the fountain you can add them when you add your aquatic plants. Just remember no matter when and how you add the lights, there is going to be some cords that have to be cover with the gravel.

Tip: Try to keep the light wire away from the roots of the aquatic plants. 

It’s winter time here in Oklahoma, a time when pond pumps in many water features that have skimming systems suddenly and seemingly for no reason just stop working. We seem to get many phone calls this time of year that “my pump has suddenly died, it was working this morning and this afternoon it has just stopped”.
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After so many years in this business, seeing patterns and situations that develop at given points in the year my first piece of advice for those customers with “sudden dead pump syndrome”, after telling them to unplug the pump, is to ask them to check the pump intake to see if their neighborhood frog has it’s leg caught in the pump intake. We estimate that about 90% of the time that is what the problem is. Most of the time if the problem is brought to our attention early enough the frog can be released and be on its merry way, hopping a bit crooked, but all the same on its way. Of course that is not the case in the pictures.

If you are located in the Oklahoma City Metro and need help removing your pump, preparing your pond for the winter or have any pond maintenance questions, call or Contact us.

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving all your Oklahoma pond problems!
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration. 

Ponds, pondless waterfalls, and fountains are low-maintenance additions to any Oklahoma landscape. All needing a pump to operate and most running 24/7. Eventually, even the best equipment can have issues. Learn how to troubleshoot your pump to keep your water feature in tip-top shape. If you are having pump issues try these quick fixes to get things running smoothly in no time.

1. Pond pump only operates some of the time.
   Cause: You probably don’t have enough water in your pond or fountain.
   
   Fix: “Just add water” sounds too good to be true, but sometimes that’s all you need to do. Keep in mind that pumps must be submerged in water in order to work properly. Low water levels can activate a pump’s thermal shut-off. Once the pump has cooled down, the shut-off will deactivate and the pump will start running again. Keep enough water in your system to avoid this on-again, off-again drama. This is one of our most common phone conversation.
2. Pond pump doesn’t run.
   Cause: This can be caused by an interruption in the power supply. You might have a crummy electrical connection, a tripped breaker, or a blown fuse.
   
   Fix: Make sure your electrical connections are working and have been installed and tested by a qualified electrician. Keep in mind that if you’re using long extension cords, you might experience a drop in voltage at the pump and a jump in the amps. This can heat up the pump and burn out the motor.
3. Pond pump pushes only a small amount of water.
   Cause: You might have debris in your plumbing.
   
   Fix: It’s time to clean. Disconnect the pump from the pipe. This will let the plumbing drain – and debris to flow out. Inspect the plumbing to make sure there’s no more gunk in there. When in doubt, give it a good rinse.
4. Pond pump hums but very little water is moving.
   Cause: Debris might be stopping the impeller. 
   

          Fix: Again with the debris! Unplug and remove the pump from the pond. Take a look at the pump to make sure there’s no gunk mucking up the            works. Look for rocks or sticks that might be lodged around or above the impeller. Remove whatever junk you find.

         
 While you have the pump out of the water, lay it on its side and plug it in. Make sure the impeller spins before you put it back in the pond. If it’s not spinning, use a screwdriver to give it a little push.

Professional Pond Pump Help
If you’re "done" with your pump, or if you don’t even want to deal with it, we can help. Continental Ponds is happy to troubleshoot your setup and help you prevent future issues. Contact us online or give us a call at 405-834-2291

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.
 

Every year we get hundreds of calls from Oklahoma City pond owners saying "my pump went out can you come fix it?" and our answer is of course we can. But..what if I told you to check a few things first and that might save you a couple hundred dollars. Now that I have you attention, listed below are a few quick things to check before calling your Oklahoma City pond contractor or electrician.   

​When your Oklahoma City pond/water feature pump quits running there are a series of necessary steps and precautions to take. If your pump were to quit running it is best to conduct a thorough check in detecting where the problem is. Before contacting a professional, it can be helpful to narrow down the possibilities. If you do not trust yourself to do so, then contacting a professional may be your best option. 

​The first thing to do if your pump quits running is to check the outlet. Unplug everything and make sure the GFI is reset if tripped. Ensure that you hear the click after hitting the reset button to be sure that it was properly reset.  After doing so, plug everything in one by one, allowing 30 seconds between items. As you are plugging each plug back into the outlet, listen closely so that you do not hear a clicking sound. If you do hear a clicking sound after plugging the plug into the outlet,  the device that plug is associated to may be the culprit.  

​From there, the next step may vary. Of the few options, two of them are to take the pump apart, or call a professional. If you decide to take the pump apart, there are manuals and instructions on how to do so from the manufacturer. Light research may bring the desired outcomes.  We talk about pump problem and how to fix them in another article which can be found here.    

Once again we have given you all the tools to make an informed decision on weather or not you need to call your Oklahoma Pond Contractor or electrician. So please do not make the mistake of NOT resetting your GFCI and then complaining when you get billed $200-$500, for someone to come to your house and push a button! As the old saying goes "your not paying for time, your paying for the knowledge." 

​For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.