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    Thread: Help with Shutting Down Filters For Winter

    1. #1
      Jojoartie's Avatar
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      Help with Shutting Down Filters For Winter

      Hello All,
      I'm looking for some help with what type of valves and where placed in order to shut down my filters for the winter. I'm in the process of building so I would like to do this now if possible rather than retro-fit something later on. I live in an area that can have freezing temperatures that could last more than 24 hours. I'm afraid the s/g barrels, being exposed to the elements, will ice up or a least cool the water more so than if the water remained in the pond. My pond is 16x12x5 (oval). My set-up is as follows: aerated bottom drains to sieve to ext pump to 3 separate s/g barrels that are above ground which return to the pond via TPR's, a GPR and a small bog/fall.
      1. I'm guessing I could install valves in the lines so that the s/g barrel could be drained for the winter. I'm just not quite sure where. If I could have some suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.
      2. I was possibly thinking of trying to shut down only the fall and leaving the TPR's & GPR running through the winter but again, if the water runs thru the 2 S/G's, I would be worried the water would be cooled then sent back into the pond 4 feet down where it should warm for the Koi.

      I hate to have to shut down my filtration over the winter (shut down in Nov)because I hate to have to start it back up in April and have to start the bio all over again.
      Thanks for any thoughts/opinions. I greatly appreciate it.
      Jo

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    2. #2
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      Jo,
      I was just reading through some Post to see what I have missed and I noticed yours. I'm from NC so I never shut my pond or filtration down for the winter and unfortunatly I wont be of much help. But I do know that there is a lot of members here on Koiphen that prep there ponds and filters for long cold winters. Hopefully someone will chime in to get you headed in the right direction.

      Deb
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    3. #3
      icu2's Avatar
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      Good bump Deb! Thanks!

      The problem I always have with winter threads is that so much hangs on temps that the responder (like me)
      probably doesn't really know... so I always advise that you're best advice will come from a local koi club.

      So with that said, I'll toss what I would do in what I'm guessing your conditions are like;
      We also get temps that drop below freezing and might not get above for a couple of days at a time... but nothing
      like the extremes some get. I've never shut off my BD's and tpr's and I've never experienced what some warn about
      mixing warm and cold water after leaving BD's and underwater returns going all winter in my 5' deep pond.

      So if it were mine and all 3 s/g filters are fed from one manifold from the pump, I'd only shut down whatever feeds
      the bog/falls and leave the tpr/gpr's running. If a single s/g filter feeds the bog, then I'd shut that one down and drain it. The
      simplest way I found was just to put a 2" drain on the filter itself. I do the same to ones I shut off on my pond but not so much
      of fear of it freezing, because I've had them freeze but haven't had any of them damaged... but the media was a mess after sitting
      in water for several months. After I drained them and left them empty, I could fill them in spring, flush them good and they were
      ready to go.
      Good luck with however you decide to go!
      --Steve



      Koiphen 2021 Koi Person of the Year!

    4. #4
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      Thanks to both of you for your replies. I haven't made the decision yet, but after last year, I'm leaning towards shutting it down. We had such a brutal winter. Very cold and very snowy..We didn't know where to put all the snow. I was definitely thinking of shutting down the fall and perhaps leaving the two that supply the jets. I did have the concern of bringing up the water from deep in the pond where it is warmest and sending it through the S/Gs that are above ground. I though I might wrap them in some insulation and cover with tarps to help keep them insulated so that the water does not cool as much. We'll have to see what the winter brings. Our local members differ with what they do, some shut down, other don't. Most have smaller ponds than I though.

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