Pond Problem

[valkyrie]

I spent the weekend digging a bloody great hole in my garden. Last night I fitted a polythene liner and filled my new pond to the brim with water. This morning the pond seemed to have a lot less in it - I think the level had dropped by about 2". Assuming that I've got a p***ture, does anyone have any idea how I find the damn thing? And does an inner tube patch work on what I think is a heavy duty PE sheet?

[mike]

been there, done that.

1 - blame it on a heron. 
2 - the only way to find it is to spend ages looking for it.
3 - yes, a puncture repair kit will fix it.  Patch the inside (wet side) before refilling, it works fine.   Allegedly.

[Becky]

It may alternatively be settlement of the ground underneath the liner.  We built a pond at work last year, and the size of it plus the tendency of the soil to squish under the weight meant it took three days to fill.

[rafletcher]

Did you line the hole with sand before you filled it? Could just be general settlement as said above. Keep an eye on it for a couple of days.

[TimO]

If it is a hole, leave it until it stops emptying, then at least you'll know that the hole is somewhere close to the line of the water level.  I guess with a small hole, it may close up when the water level drops enough to reduce the pressure, but the hole wll always be at the water level or lower, so it should minimise the area to search.

[nutkin]

Pond liners stretch, so you should really fill the pond in over a number of days. That might be why the level appears to have dropped, as it moulds to the contours of your hole.

Or it could be a puncture...!

[valkyrie]

Thanks for all the responses. I topped it up on Thursday and the level has stayed constant, so it looks like it was just settlement.

If only that could be used to explain flat bike tyres.