Leaking pond help

[Mirinjawbro]

Hello all

Have a leaking pond and wondering if anyone has any tips to find it

When full the pond will slowly lose water until a certain level.

Currently we have

Liner
Slate / rocks around the outside
Cement between the 2
Then pond foam over the gaps with small pebbles stuck to it to hide

The pond is now empty again

Thanks

[98elise]

Mirinjawbro said:

Hello all

Have a leaking pond and wondering if anyone has any tips to find it

When full the pond will slowly lose water until a certain level.

Currently we have

Liner
Slate / rocks around the outside
Cement between the 2
Then pond foam over the gaps with small pebbles stuck to it to hide

The pond is now empty again


Thanks

The leak will most likely be a split in the liner at the level the water falls to.

How old is the liner?

Edited by 98elise on Wednesday 11th March 21:51

[Mirinjawbro]

Couple of months

It has never been filled to the top and stayed

I cant see any tears or see water draining out

I have thought about getting what I imagine to be almost like wallpaper paste and paint over the joins

[98elise]

Mirinjawbro said:

Couple of months

It has never been filled to the top and stayed

I cant see any tears or see water draining out

I have thought about getting what I imagine to be almost like wallpaper paste and paint over the joins

If its a couple of months then not age!

There are joins? Why would you have joints/joints in a liner? They would be very difficult to seal.

[Mirinjawbro]

Not joins in the liner

Its where the rocks ontop of the liner are kept in place

I think there may be gaps there

[VTC]

Start looking for Rat damage, they are buggers for eating holes through liners and living near the pond.
Our last hose had two large ponds and dealing with leaks was a monthly past time.
becareful with excess feeding as they will come for the food and stay.

we inherited the ponds and fish collection with the house and after the 5years there I do not miss the responsibility at all, let alone the constant spend, food pumps UV lights filter care etc.
even going on an anual holiday meant paying for people to come to feed the fish, check water levels etc.

[Mirinjawbro]

We do get rats but this has leaked from day 1

Theres 3 levels. It always settles id say around 2.5

Those waterproof pond sealants are super expensive

Or maybe a dye after filling to see if it sucks anywhere

[Megaflow]

Any external filters or pumps that might be leaking?

[Mirinjawbro]

Turned off to test. All fine.

After some googling it appears concrete isn't fully waterproof.

The pond always settles at maybe 90 95 percent height. We are wondering if its escaping through the join with the concrete / liner

The cement was used to secure the slate / rocks at the top.

Thinking about buying some liquid runner seal to go from the join down maybe 3 4 inches to test.

Any recommendations please anyone ?

Thankyou all

[WrekinCrew]

Mirinjawbro said:

...Or maybe a dye after filling to see if it sucks anywhere

I've heard that milk works. Pour a little in carefully and see which way it drifts.

[otolith]

Mirinjawbro said:

Turned off to test. All fine.

After some googling it appears concrete isn't fully waterproof.

The pond always settles at maybe 90 95 percent height. We are wondering if its escaping through the join with the concrete / liner

The cement was used to secure the slate / rocks at the top.

Thinking about buying some liquid runner seal to go from the join down maybe 3 4 inches to test.

Any recommendations please anyone ?

Thankyou all

That sounds like a design issue - I’m trying to visualise what you’re describing, but can’t see anything that wouldn’t be inherently leaky. If you’re trying to keep water in with concrete, it needs to be treated with a sealant and to be continuous. If you’re trying to fill above the level of the liner and expecting concrete sitting on top of the liner to keep water in, that’s not going to work.

Have you got a photograph?

[Mirinjawbro]

[Megaflow]

Ah, I am guessing the water level is dropping to the top of the black liner?

[Mirinjawbro]

Hard to tell as its not even the whole way round

Was done by a handyman

Thinking of buying some liquid putty / rubber and going over all concrete and down a few inches.

Thanks

[johnoz]

I thinkit all depends on where the liner finishes?

The liner had the big rocks on it! But does the liner then go up the back of the big rocks to the ground lovel?

If not this is where the problem will be the cement will not seal to the liner and the water will just seep away.

You could try sealing it, but you would have to seal every joint as the water will just find the next point to excape,

IMO the rocks need removing liner hight checking, then rebedding the rocks.

[Panamax]

I eventually gave up with liners and had a guy in to coat the whole thing with fibreglass. Once and done, many years ago now.

[Mr Pointy]

That will only ever fill to the lowest point of the liner. You're wasting money trying to paint anything on the liner to concrete join & hoping it won't leak.

[Mirinjawbro]

He has offered to concrete the whole thing. 100 mats. 100 to do.

The liner was long enough to go a few feet over onto the grass and the rocks sit ontop. I was not in while he did this

So if you remove the concrete and rocks the liner did and should go a foot or so back

[otolith]

Mirinjawbro said:

Ah. That's not going to work. If you want that kind of effect, you have to bring the liner up around the outside of the rock edging so that the rocks are effectively inside the pond.

[Mirinjawbro]

That makes sense as an inch or so under it never drops.

Not sure what to do now.