Waterfall Woes...

[DesertSloth]

The top level of our waterfall doesn't drain, so it collects water, bird poop, bugs, algae, etc when it's off- and then dumps all that into our pool when we turn it on. I thought about taking some mortar and filling it up to the top of the lip so there's no recessed area anymore... OR- drilling holes in the bottom/sides so that any leftover water would drain out down the steps of the waterfall (I'd probably need to smooth some mortar in the bottom to angle the water towards those holes).

Any ideas on how to improve this? Here's an image...

 

[atttech-2]

Does it usually drain to at least the bottom of the PVC elbows if so you could fill to just to the level of the bottom of the elbow or drill a couple small holes where the PVC exits the mortar. Another though I have (and I would check with with others think before taking action) is that the texture of the mortar at bottom, being extremely rough is likely not helping algae has lots of places to hide and hold onto plus to some degree motor will retain moisture. A rubberized paint on coating may mitigate that (out of sight of course)

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Are you running your waterfall daily? If so, how long?

I have a rock waterfall that has four small pools of water in it constantly. I run my waterfall 3 times per day for about 15-30mins each time. This ensures that water is exchanged often enough to keep the chlorine levels up as a small pool of water in direct sunlight will lose chlorine very quickly.

 

[DesertSloth]

No, we run it maybe 1-2x/wk at most- but- would probably run it much more often if this was resolved...

Paint texture/coating is a good idea. I also think I need some rock to cover the top of it completely- it's not a very pretty looking waterfall...

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You need to run it A LOT more than that. That is the reason why it is getting green and nasty. You need to scrub it out with bleach (and suck the cleaning water out with a shopvac) and then start running it daily. I would suggest you run it 3-4 times per day for only about 15-20 mins each time. The water in the upper bowl needs to be regularly exchanged or else the chlorine will dissipate.

I would caution against painting the interior. My waterfall bowl interiors are just as rough as your and I never get algae. There's no need to paint it unless you are seeing some form of leak or weeping on the outside of the waterfall. If you want, fill the top bowl with colored glass (like the kind used in fire pits) or decorative stones & rocks to give it a little more BLING.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, by the looks of those pictures, you have some form of flowering tree or mesquite nearby. Get a chainsaw and do away with the trees that are near the pool or prune them back hard and away from the pool. You will do yourself worlds of good by getting the trees and their leaf-litter away from the pool.

 

[Jimrahbe]

ds,

I would think about capping the top part with something, leaving about an inch or so to for the water to come out. This would help keep stuff like bird poop out.

If I remember correctly, you were planning on getting an EasyTouch.. If so, it will solve your flushing the water fall issue, as you can schedule it to run on a daily basis.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[atttech-2]

A cap is a great idea, I bet you can get a nice slab of complementary stone for no more than a couple hundred perhaps less.

 

[AftonJeeper]

You could also consider cutting the PVC flush with the bottom of the bowl. That should allow most of the water to drain back out.

 

[JayBauman]

Have you considered running the waterfall whenever your pool filter is running? As an analogy, your waterfall reservoir is similar to the spa in my pool. I get bird poo, plant debris, and a whole host of things in the spa over the course of any given summer day. However, a small amount of my filtration return pumps water into my spa, which causes the spa to constantly spill over into my pool. This continually replaces the spa water so that stagnation doesn't cause problems and serves to flush out any junk that ends up in the spa. Very frequent turnover of your waterfall reservoir will reduce some of the problems you have described.

Option 2: Can you drill holes from the waterfall that drain into your pool? I have a waterfall on my pool, but the pool builder drilled holes near the bottom of the various reservoirs so that all water drains out when the waterfall isn't running. The sun quickly dries the reservoirs up. The little bit of junk that may build up over time gets flushed away when we operate the waterfall.

 

[DesertSloth]

Awesome replies- THANK YOU.

Yes, I am getting the EasyTouch System- just was waiting a bit for finances to catch up. Possibly in a few weeks? That would automate turning it on/off more frequently.

Perhaps, in the meantime, I'll clean the top out, cover it with some flagstone/rocks, and turn the valve so that it flows the entire time that the pump is running. Maybe not full speed, but enough to keep it flowing and turning over.

I DO wonder if drilling holes in the bottom so that it drains down/towards the pool and other steps in the waterfall is also a good option?

Maybe the answer is: D - All the Above.

 

[DesertSloth]

Bleached and scrubbed it. She's definitely clean now . I covered the top with some flagstone, and it'll flow SOME water out the entire time the pump is on. This will work fine until I can get automation fully setup. I'll keep you guys posted!
Thanks!