The coming of winter brings thoughts of open fires, crunching through frosted leaves, magical mists and the silence of snowfall. Though we may feel like staying indoors, our water features remain outside all year.
As the feature runs in colder weather the water will freeze on the surface, creating a beautiful display of icicles which slowly melt throughout the day. The ice will not damage Foras features, but you must top up the reservoir to account for the water held in the ice.
Many may be tempted to turn the feature off, however our quality natural stone, acrylic and glass features are designed to run all year round in usual English weather. So, when the weather cools, we have a few tips for looking after your feature:
- We would recommend cleaning the feature prior to winter – remove any debris from inside the feature and the reservoir paying special attention to the pump inlet to make sure that it is clear. This will ensure the water is circulating at the optimum rate.
- Ideally vacuum out the reservoir via the access hatch to remove debris and grit which may have built up over the season using a suitable pond vacuum.
- Top up the reservoir with fresh water.
Watch the weather forecast, the odd night frost will not affect the water feature as long as the daytime temperature is above freezing. However, if the forecast is for a long spell of extremely cold weather, we would advise keeping the feature running but making sure the water is as high as possible in the reservoir and kept topped up. The pump must be in the deepest water possible so that it does not freeze.
Our natural stone has been created through millennia and is consequently resistant to the elements meaning each piece will last a lifetime (or several!). Acrylic is UV resistant and will not be weakened by ice, in fact our Fusion features are renowned for creating the most spectacular of winder displays.
Our features aren’t just for summer, they are beautiful all year round, whatever the weather may bring!