The leaves have fallen and you’ve had the last of your backdoor barbecues. As much as you would like the summer to linger, it is time for the winter to bring its snowy delights.
Yet, there is no time to relax. You need to take care of your outdoor space so that things don’t get ruined over the winter. That means that your outdoor water fixture needs to be winterized.
If you just leave it to its own devices over the winter, then come spring, you’ll find yourself doing repairs to get it working again.
In this article, I will go over exactly what you need to do to winterize your water fountains for outdoor areas.
Photo credit: 5th and state
Clear it out
You probably have a lot of debris in your fountain or other water feature if you are doing this in the autumn. Leaves falling, branches blown into it and algae growing are all likely.
After you’ve removed the leaves and debris, evaluate how much algae you have there. If it looks light, then using an algaecide is probably going to be enough to take care of it. If it looks like the plumbing, pump and filters are all stained by the algae, then you may need to drain it and scrub everything clean.
After you’ve scrubbed everything, don’t refill it again until the spring when the weather has warmed up.
Check for growing plants
If you have emptied all the water out of the feature, then this is a good time to check for any roots from plants growing in there. Some plants growing around the perimeter may have gotten their roots all the way into the feature and can destroy the foundation and also the pump and other plumbing.
Make sure to tear out any roots or any sign of plants growing in it.
Photo credit: Trend Decor
Remove the pump
There is no reason to leave the pump out in the elements since it won’t be turned on for the duration of the winter anyway.
Remove the pump so it doesn’t freeze or get cracked from the fluctuating temperatures. Make sure to clean it out, check for any worn parts that may need to be replaced, and frayed electrical wiring.
If it looks all set, then box it up and store it indoors where it will stay dry and not get frozen.
For fish ponds
Fish ponds obviously can’t be drained and you may need to keep your pump running over the winter. This poses a problem potentially.
If you have to take the pump in because it will get ruined in the deep freeze of the winter, then fish waste can build up and cause a toxic situation in the water. The fish may not survive the winter even if the cold doesn’t kill them.
In this case you’ll need to add some cold water beneficial bacteria to the water to break down that waste which will keep the water clearer and healthy for the fish.
