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DIY Water Feature Freeze Protection Tips You Can Use

Depending on where you live in the country, be it in sunny Sarasota, Florida, or up north, you’ll experience freezing temperature during the winter months. In places like the Sunshine State, although infrequent, cold snaps cause temperatures to fall to at or below freezing, which typically happens in the months of January and February. What’s more, in places like Sarasota, said freezing temperatures generally last no more than a day or two and the mercury rises steeply in some instances with wild swings.

Of course, in the northeast and midwest, freezing temperatures are present during most of the winter, and, are not at all unusual. This means nearly regardless of your location, your landscape will have to survive through freezing temperatures.

During the winter, we often here about ways to keep plants, pets, and pools safe through freezes. However, not much attention is paid to water features. And, the absence of reminders can easily lead to an unpleasant and expensive reality of having to make repairs. These can range from quick fixes to all-out replacement, depending on the severity of the weather.

Types of Damage Water Features Experience During a Freeze

As the nearby quote states, damages sustained from freezing conditions to a water feature can range from minor to major. Depending on the severity of the temperatures, exposure level, and length of exposure, pumps can freeze, causing them to seize up, and, pools or ponds containing fish can freeze over, trapping noxious gases, causing fish to die.

Even in the warmest locales in the United States, nighttime temperatures may occasionally dip into the thirties. When they do, your outdoor water features are in danger of freezing over. A frozen feature may lead to broken seals and a faulty pump, so a little cold weather preparation will certainly pay off. Because each water feature is different, there is no standard set of rules for cold weather protection. However, arming yourself with a few nearly universal tips and tricks will help keep your water feature pumping for years to come. —San Francisco Chronicle

Other types of damages caused by freezing conditions can be a break in the integrity of a structural water feature, such as cement or ceramic wall. When this happens, it might lead to small leaks, which eventually grow larger and larger. The ensuing compromise can even lead to outright collapse or breaking apart, and can be a very costly situation to fix.

DIY Water Feature Freeze Protection Tips You can Use

With temperatures falling steadily, water features, such as fountains, pools, ponds, and waterfalls will be at-risk for damage from freezes. The best way to protect such hardscaping is to be proactive, not waiting until sustained cold grips. Here are some ways to protect water features from freezing conditions:

• Remove any plants. If there are any plants on or near your outdoor water feature, it’s best to move them to a warm place where you can water and feed them as needed. If possible, this makes for a better choice than trying to cover them before the real cold hits.
• Allow the water to run. If you’re in a location such as Sarasota or Manatee County, freezes will likely only occur for a few hours. Let the water continue to run and the motion will prevent hard freezing, which, in prolonged periods of freezing temperatures, could harm the pump.
• Install a de-icer. For water features with fish or ones that have running water, a de-icer will do the trick. Running water that’s warm enough will continue to swirl and that will provide shelter for fish. A de-icer will also keep the water from freezing over solid, which can cause a lot of damage. Choose a machine that fits your size water feature for the best results.
• Drain, flush, and cover. If a de-icer is not a viable option or you don’t want to exercise that alternative, then it’s best to drain the water completely. Flush out the system by pumping out any remaining water, disconnect the pump and water supply, and cover the entire feature. You can also stuff insulation over the pump before covering it with a tarp. Or, store the pump in a warm, slightly damp location to keep seals from drying out.
• Check the water feature periodically. On occasion, lift the cover to see if any snow or ice has melted and run back into the water feature. If it has, drain it out because if it fills and then freezes, it will probably expand enough to crack the feature.

While these steps will help to protect your water hardscape during the winter, other methods should be completely avoided, like adding chemicals to the water. This is not a good idea because you don’t know how the water or the feature itself will react. In addition, chemicals could wreak havoc with the filter and pump system.

How to Choose a Fire Pit

With the weather changing there’s no better time than to enjoy the outdoors, day or night. It’s a great time to entertain guests, taking in the delight of the wonderful breeze coming off the Gulf of Mexico, winding its way through the shores to inland Sarasota.

Now is the time to get your backyard ready and looking its best. Aesthetics and function will be the center focus of creating an outdoor oasis, complete with one of the most versatile features of any home, the fire pit. It can serve more than one function, from a heat source, to an aesthetic, to a cooking appliance, to a place to gather around and roast marshmallows.

Fortunately, fire pits come in all shapes and sizes, which presents a predicament in choosing the right one. They come in portable models, made of copper and cast iron, as well as stone fire pits, which are often built in a particular spot. Generally, those hardscape features are surrounded by seating, which too, can be portable or fixed in position.

Where You should Put Your Fire Pit

When deciding what type of fire pit you’d like to add to your outdoor living space, you definitely ought to factor location into the equation. It must be a level location and one that’s at least seven feet away from combustibles, such as wood, plants, and even structures like your home, your pergola, or pool house. Other factors you must consider is prevailing wind direction and the local fire codes as to where it can be placed, how large it can be, and what you are allowed and not allowed to burn inside it.

[Fall] is here and that means backyard parties, get-togethers, bbq’s and relaxing evenings outside. Only one thing can make any of these events even better and that is a fire pit. Outdoor fire pits can be used as a gathering spot for socializing with guests at a party or a place to simply de-stress after a long day at work. Very few patio adornments are as multi-dimensional as fire pits. —Garden.com

In addition to these factors, you’ll also need to take into account how it will most be used and seating arrangement. Some of your guests will opt to sit closer to enjoy the heat while other will choose to sit a bit further away to avoid smoke. Be sure to leave plenty of space for people to walk, because too little space presents a safety hazard. Spacing between seats is likewise important, giving people elbow room so not to be too cramped, seated too close to one another.

How to Choose a Fire Pit

The type of fire pit you choose will ultimately come down to your budget, for a simple solution, chimineas are a nice, inexpensive choice. Free-standing fire pits are typically larger and a bit more expensive than chimineas, but come in a great variety of sizes and constructed material, from aluminum, to stainless steel, to copper, to stone and metal. They also vary in shape, usually circular or square, while a few will be other shapes. These are the most popular choices available:

• Electric fire pits are no-fuss models, generally costing more than chimineas and free-standing models, and are ideal for people who like to flip a switch to turn the flames on or off. These are a great choice for homeowners who don’t want to deal with lingering coals and cleaning-up ashes. These are made with weather resistant materials, like other models, and have a long lifespan.
• Gas fire pits cost about as much as electric models and also come in a wide variety of materials, shapes, and sizes. The shapes and aesthetics are quite diverse, square, round, octangular, rectangular, and so on. Some are fitted with stone or brick, while others made to look more modern.
• Outdoor fireplaces are at the top of the luxury list, offering stunning aesthetics with plenty of function. These can be pre-made or built from the ground up and are the most costly of models. Akin to these models are fire pit tables, which are great for entertaining because they are specifically designed to accommodate plates and glasses.

Choosing the Right Fire Pit

As stated, this will come down to budget, as well as how much time and effort you’re willing to put into the project. You can choose a portable model, one that’s free-standing, or build one in a particular place. You should choose one that fits your outdoor theme and fits your desired use. In addition, consider size and space requirements, as well as seating arrangement and capacity.

When you have your fire pit set up, always keep a garden hose and a fire extinguisher nearby. Clean it regularly to avoid any unpleasant surprises, you might accidentally cook something unexpected.