Your Outdoor Fountain and the Cold Weather
Here comes Old Man Winter. I don't know about where you live, but I live in the Pacific North West, and it just got COLD...QUICK! I was almost caught off guard, it has been such a pleasant fall that I have not even begun to prepare my outdoor fountains for the cold. I have a large slate wall fountain that hangs on our garden wall, along with a few small garden fountains throughout the yard. I learned a big lesson last year when a similar cold snap hit us, and I didn't even give my fountains a second thought. I left them full of water, the pumps running, and the peaceful trickling sounds keeping the falling snow company. I have to replace most of the tubing, and all of the pumps on them. This is a mistake that I don't plan on making again, and I am here today to help you prepare your fountains for your winter season.
Now, I know that many of you may not live in a place that freezes over every winter, or even come close, but you may want to read this anyhow because of the changing weather patterns that seem to be taking many regions by surprise. Winter care for you outdoor Fountains really isn't that dificult, and all it takes is some common sense. The most important thing is that you monitor the temperature in your area. Here in the North West we go through about 3 months of temperatures that can easily go below the freezing levels, so for similar regions it would be wise to simply drain all of your outdoor fountains. Make sure that you let the pump run dry for about 5 seconds in order to get the water out of the tubing. If you live somewhere that it rarely goes below freezing, but sometimes can, there is another option. It can be risky, if you get really low temperatures, but circulation can keep water from freezing. So, if you have a short period of low temperatures and don't want to drain your entire fountain it can be beneficial to keep the power on and this could keep the water from freezing and doing damage to the pump and tubing. Just keep an eye on it and if any ice forms on the fountain shut it off immediately and drain it.
Like I said above, all it takes is some common sense and a watchful eye on your outdoor fountains. Take it from someone who has suffered through the consequences of not taking action, it creates much more work, and costs much more money, to do nothing. Take care of your water features and they will take care of you. Happy Holidays, and stay warm!
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