Garden Water Feature Problem

summer · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:01 pm Post subject: Garden Water Feature Problem

Hi Guys. I have a Garden Water Feature for about 4/5 years. Each winter i store it away, but this year when i set it up, it was leaking water. To me it looks as if their is (or looks like) a crack in the base (see pics) Any of you good guys have any plan as to how i can repair it, or is for the skip?. Many Thank's.

kindredspirit · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:08 pm Post subject:

Coat it with Polybond. (Cheap way)

Coat it with G4. (Expensive way)

Or line the crack with Tec7.

summer · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:48 pm Post subject:

kindredspirit, thanks for your fast response. Do you think that Tec7, would work on this Water Feature, as i think its made of resin or fibre-glass ?. One more question, which of those two, Tec7 or Polybond would you suggest been the best, and as you have said, G4 seems very Expensive.

kindredspirit · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject:

Maybe coat the crack with Tec7, then Polybond over everything?

I'm a fan of overengineering. Very Happy

vulkan · Rank attained: Rowan Tree Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 141

I would suggest you clean out the crack (Dremel and suitable disc?) then fill it in then coat the whole thing.

My worry is that a "coat" over just the crack may lift after a while, and a coat over the whole thing my not be enough.

Its worth a try, but the question that also has to be asked is, what happened Shocked

?

I.e. did you knock it / drop it? if you did that's ok, (since we know the cause) if you didn't perhaps its just getting old and it will split some where else Crying or Very sad

summer · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:34 am Post subject:

Many Thanks Guys again for your reply's. As far as i know, it did not get any knock or fall, maybe as Vulgan says it could be ''age'', yea you know the years are going fast, it could be maybe 6/7 years since i got this.

summer · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:42 pm Post subject:

Hi Guy's again. Just an update on the Garden Water Feature. I have it up and running again (not 100% it will keep running) but anyway this is what i used, (see pics) What i thought to be the crack at first, was ok, it was a hole off-center (very tiny one) that was causing the the problem. I used Bituminous Tape and Roofing Felt Adhesive, and it seems to have worked, for now, ''so time will tell''. Its 3 day's running now, and no leak so far.

kindredspirit · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:19 pm Post subject:

Well done.

vulkan · Rank attained: Rowan Tree Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 141

A word of caution / note:

Although the products used have stopped the leak, they are not designed for water feature use and as such should never be used in a pond / near live stock.

I knew some one who used "human grade*" products in his pond. It killed all the fish within a very short time. He then had to spend time (money) removing the product and then having the proper product installed. (even more money)

It would have been cheaper to use the right product in the first place.

* Safe for humans to come into contact with.

kindredspirit · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:57 pm Post subject:

But this is a water feature and no fish are ever going to be in it so it doesn't make a difference.

If it was a pond with fish in it, then BIG difference.

summer · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:50 pm Post subject:

Hi Guy's, as kindredspirit has said ''no fish'', or ''never'' will be in that Water Feature. Anyway in my opinion its not big enough for fish. vulkan yea could have gone and did it the proper way, but the material i used, was in the shed, and i took a chance to see if it worked. by the way its still working, and no leak.

vulkan · Rank attained: Rowan Tree Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 141

Geranimojess · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:53 pm Post subject:

Hopefully your problem is now solved. An afterthought to ponder over, every year your lifting a heavy object twice which has to put a strain on the weaker parts of the Fountain every time you move it no matter how careful you are this year will be no different except your going to contribute to undoing all the repairs you've carried out.
I've lived in several parts of Ireland and have had a water feature in all my Gardens without exception and apart from draining the water and removing the pump during Winter they have always remained outdoors even during the severe Winter of 2010/2011. apart from hairline cracks which you will see in practically every water feature a good smearing of clear Sealant is all I've ever used.
If your worried about leaving it out after emptying it and removing the Pump try placing an old Blanket over the Fountain and cover that in Bubblewrap securing it with string even place a few wads of Newspaper in the Fountain before covering it this helps to absorb any dampness.
Just a suggestion which I hope is of some help to you. Happy Gardening.

summer · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:45 pm Post subject:

Hi Geranimojess. I do believe you are right in what you say, all the shifting ''in the winter, out in the summer''. is not good, and probably contributed to my problem in the first place. I have a concrete one, and i just take out the pump, and cover the structure with polythene, and i never had any problems, but seen this one is made of resin, or that type of material, it was easy to shift around. Yea this year with the D.I.Y repair job, that cannot be done. I will take on board what you said, and many thanks for the tips.

Geranimojess · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 7:59 pm Post subject:

Your welcome.