If you notice a loss of water in your pond, it is necessary to first find the leak or hole in the pond liner. Read our article to find out how best to proceed and which methods work best.
Finding a hole in a pond liner is a challenge
Identify leaks
Before you can repair a damaged spot, you must first find it. This can often be quite tricky, especially with larger ponds.
To be on the safe side, you should first have ruled out all alternative causes of the water loss:
- Leak in the filter system
- Leaking hoses, brittle hoses or pipes
- Loss of water into the ground (e.g. because the foil was not pulled up far enough, the so-called capillary barrier)
- Water loss due to extreme evaporation (high temperatures, sedges or reeds on the bank edge favor evaporation)
Turn off all devices as a test. If the water loss stops, you can assume that the leak is most likely to be found in some pipes and tubes or on the devices themselves.
When all of this has been ruled out, you actually have to look for the leak somewhere in the pond liner.
limit area
First you need to narrow down the area where the damage is located. This can be done well by the sinking water level. This measure makes sense because otherwise you would have to search the entire pond liner for the hole.
To do this, fill up the pond completely and mark the water level on the pond liner at regular intervals (e.g. daily). It is best to use chalk for this.
When the water level slows down or stops, you have found the damage area. The damage is then somewhere between the water level and the last mark.
Clean the film with a soft cloth and gently touch it. You should be able to feel damage. Also check all seam connections in the corresponding area for leaks.
You can usually recognize very large holes from the current: If the damage is quite severe, leaves and small objects are usually pulled directly to the hole. They then only have to follow the path they take.
tips
If the pond liner appears brittle and brittle (especially with PVC liners), this can also be a cause of the water loss. In this case, the film is completely leaky and must be replaced.