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fountain cleaning equipment

25 9:52:04

Question
We have a 1,500 sq. foot fountain which contains pipes that spray water upward and also has decorative columns. The fountain is under a canopy of trees which drop a large quantity of leaves and debris into the water. Is there heavy duty equipment that can be installed or handled by 1 person that can keep the fountain reasonably clean? We cannot use a hose with a remote water source.     Thank you

Answer
Dear Richard,
Thank you for your question to me.
Also please accept my seasonal greetings to you and your family.
The question is one that we see many times. pumps and filters getting stuck with debris because of the trees.
Best answer is to remove the trees, however mostly not the ideal idea because of nature and garden settings that will be disturbed.
Best second thing is also not so esthetic, the nets over the pond when the trees are letting there leafs fall.
Third and very common is a skimmer. This is placed on the side of the pond to skim away the surface debris like leaves. The skimmer contains a bucket where the leafs come in to and from the skimmer there is a pump (according to skimmer and pondvolume)that pumps the water back in to the pond or to a filterline.
So you can place one ore more skimmers (available in different sizes) and in the right place the can keep the entire surface clear from the floating debris.
If there are some debris on the bottom you need to install a  bottomdrain, this will suck the water from the bottom to another filter with settling chamber where the debris can be removed.
Hope this helps out.
Best thing is to check out the net for pondskimmers, they are available in lots of types, sizes and prices.

Good luck and happy pondkeeping!

Raf