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As some of you may know, my wife is an artist. As her spousel unit, I sometimes am required to accompany her to the craft store for supplies. This past weekend I did my required duty and was amazed the there was Christmas “stuff” already for the up coming season! My first thought was; “they have lost their minds, it’s “only” July!”

As I was leaving the craft store it hit me, INFO TANZA™ 2010 is “only” 90 days away! I haven’t figured out where time goes, but it goes away somewhere quickly. Ninety days! Wow! If you can’t get your brain around that don’t try to, just go to INFOTANZA.com or the IPPCA.com web site and confirm your seat for the best show in the industry at our 6th annual event.

But it’s only July! Do we have all the guest speakers and vendors posted? No! Do all the guest speakers and vendors know they will be there yet? No! IT’S ONLY JULY!!!

The point I am trying to make is that in two weeks or two months, it WILL be IMPORTANT! It will be important for you to know that you are going to be there and learn something you don’t know yet.

I can say first hand that just a small portion of what we learned at INFO TANZA™ ‘09 came in real handy at the night photo shoot for Ponditat for Humanity 2010! Check out the photos from Ponditat 2010 on the IPPCA Ponditat for Humanity link or PonditatForHumanity.com.

Did you miss the Photography seminar? I can say without reservation, you missed some of the best information on getting your product to the market place I’ve ever seen. Most pond builders, like grand parents, have a brag book; does yours look like it was shot on your cell phone? Does it make a difference? This pond builder thinks so! We sell lights for ponds, but how many night shots do we have in our brag book that show how to light ‘em up?! Would it make a difference to your clients? You bet your bippy it does!

The Firestone class on seaming was right there too! I have done a couple of these classes. 2009 was more inclusive of technical technique, hands on seaming, bulkheads, corners, the whole deal. Missed that too? Then there was the hands on demonstration by Demi’ Fortuna of Danner about pipe and pump sizing and compatibility. Missed that too? How about Floating Island technology on large ponds? Liners on large lake projects? Air diffuser technology? Internet Marketing? There were 15 seminars run consecutively, not simultaneously, at INFO TANZA ’09. Everyone enjoyed being able to attend all the seminars and not having to choose which seminars to attend and which seminars to miss. At INFO TANZA™ you never miss a seminar! There will be more than that this year. I KNOW, IT’S ONLY JULY!!! But in the blink of an eye it will be October.

In Atlanta on those four days you will gain the advantage of information you can use in 2011. Can’t justify the expense? You can’t justify NOT being there! Just ask the people and vendors that attended INFO TANZA™ ‘09, read the testimonials at INFOTANZA.com. The worst thing that could happen is that you spend time with some of the top pond builders, distributors and manufacturers in the country. The other thing that could happen is, you really learn something that could come in handy and be very profitable in 2011.

One of my clients summed up making the decision to put in his pond this way; “Eileen and I always wanted a pond and we had always put it off. We were going to wait another year but didn’t, and that was a good thing. I had a heart attack about three months after we put in the pond. It has been a joy ever since it was put in, and it really helped with my recovery, especially after physical therapy.”

If you have always put it off, make this the year that you make INFO TANZA™. It will give you another resource for whatever 2011 has to offer.

Topics for this year's event Visit InfoTanza™ for more information

GARDENPONDS & WATERFALL CO. HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 1999. WE DO COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PONDS. WE DO SERVICE, SPRING CLEANOUTS, TREAT GREEN WATER,& WINTERIZE PONDS. WE DO DESIGN WORK ALSO COMPLETE INSTALLATIONS. FOR THE DO IT YOURSELFER WE SELL PONDKITS-BACTERIA-ALGACIDE & BARLEY PRODUCTS. FOR THE PAST 5YEARS WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING AND INSTALLING PONDLESS WATERFALLS & WETLANDS FILTERS.

Entering our 20th year of expertise in the design and manufacturing of water feature products, the Atlantic name has become synonymous with innovation and value.

From Big Bahama Professional Series Skimmers and Filter Falls to a vast retail line of filters, pumps and lights, we invite you to discover the features and quality that set Atlantic products apart. We are proud to offer pond Skimmers, waterfall spillways, submersible water pumps, pond kits, pond liners, water treatments, color falls, echo chambers, waterfall foam, and much more. Please visit our website.

Alpine Koi & Homescapes is the place to go for water gardening supplies, yard accessories, wild bird supplies and unique home décor in the Rocky Mountain Region. The Water Garden Center opened in 2002, offering the widest selection of aquatic plants and pond fish in the region. Alpine Koi & Homescapes is known for providing quality products and expert advice. Customer Service is our priority! We can help you create a unique vacation destination in your own backyard, or even a small corner of comfort and relaxation at the office. At Alpine Koi & Homescapes you will also find the “Fun Stuff”! Unique yard accessories, wild bird supplies, home décor and, oh, my, lots and lots of aquatic plants and fish to add the finishing touches and truly ‘customize’ your paradise!

With fast rising electrical rates in various regions of our nation, many pond and water feature enthusiasts are becoming concerned with enormous electric bills. For some, this increase is so drastic they feel major changes in their system’s are warranted. I will use a comparison between using high or low rpm pumps to address their justified concerns.

A typical koi pond could be arranged as follows: 6000 gallon pond; 5’ high waterfall; bead filter and uv light. This configuration requires a flow rate of 100 gpm to maintain a once per hour turnover rate. For brevity’s sake, we will size this system as follows: the friction loss through the pipe, valves, elbows, and fittings is equal to 10’ of friction head. A 5’ waterfall has 5’ of static head. The combined bead filter and uv light in series has 15’ of pressure head for a combined total of 30’ total dynamic head (tdh). This means, I need a pump(s) capable of moving 100 gpm to a height of 30’. This height is considered a medium head and in most cases would require a high rpm pump.

Performance specifications vary between pump manufacturers so I will use PerformancePro Pump data for this illustration. The Artesian model (A1) true self-priming, 1 horsepower, high rpm pump (3450 rpm), will provide approximately 113 gpm @ 30’ head. This pump requires 14.8 (a) amps at 115 (v) volts or 7.4 amps at 230 volts. The following formula will provide a very close average for monthly electric cost.

(V x A = Watts / 1000 x kilowatt rate x 24 hours x 30.4 days)

Now we will consider the same system originally built or redesigned to operate with two low rpm pumps running in parallel. The Artesian model (A1/3-56) true self-priming 1/3 horsepower low rpm pump will provide 73 gpm @ 15’ of head on 3.7 amps at 115 volts or 1.85 amps at 230 volts. Together these two pumps will deliver 146 gpm @ 15’ head.

Operating cost savings of this magnitude justify serious consideration toward original design or reconstruction with a goal toward increasing your recirculation flow, while lowering the head requirement of each pump, thus obtaining short and long-term electric cost saving.

Since system designs and requirements are so variable, I can only provide general options that may be available to reduce the head requirements of your system: increase the diameter of the pipe wherever possible; use flex hose to reduce the number of elbows; redirect your flow to reduce the friction loss per run; redirect your flow to reduce your pressure head, plumb a second pump on an independent system. Engineering assistance is available at PerformancePro Pumps 503-356-5888 at no charge.

Finally, let’s examine the benefits beyond cost savings from building a system with two low rpm pumps instead of one high rpm. First, pump noise will be significantly reduced. Second, it guarantees a backup pump for koi safety. Third, you will gain the option of running only one pump at various times. Fourth, once the initial expense of adding a second pump has been realized, your total electrical savings will continue to increase month after month.

If you consider a 21% increase in your flow rate per minute while gaining a 50% reduction in your pump operating cost a good thing you also may decide it is time for a change.

Lee Breidenbach
Sales Manger
PerformancePro Pumps
Email
Website

by Max Phelps

Relaxing Outdoors: Special Spots, Special Seating for Enhanced Pleasure

Relaxation always sounds so welcome in our busy world. Having a lovely location to relax in one's own yard is a truly desirable thing. Add some comfortable seating in a cozy spot for some of the best experiences in the world.

If yours is a newer home, maybe you can dream and plan the perfect yard just to have your own paradise the way you want it.

Your dream place could include decks, patios, sun rooms, gardens, gazebos, firepits, fountains, outdoor rooms, complete kitchens, dining tables, that goldfish pond with a musical waterfall, but especially a soft seat or recliner from which to take it all in and bathe the senses with all that a backyard oasis can provide.

Maybe you already have a lovely yard. You still need to have special places to enjoy it. Would a stone bench, an Adirondack chair, a love-seat with all-weather coverings, or a hammock among the trees not make it a lot more inviting?

Making spur-of-the-moment decisions like during a furniture sale or a flea-market visit is not the way I would recommend you pick your outdoor furniture. Instead, try lots with a “sitting” test. Pick a really comfortable seat for your special spot. You'll be using it often if you make a wise choice!

If you have a wonderful spot, with a pretty tree, fragrant flowers, relaxing sounds like birds or wind in the pine boughs or the sound of falling water—the sorts of places where a person could spend hours and loose track of time—then that's the spot for the comfy seat.

Whether cooking, sunbathing, birdwatching or just escaping the television or other distraction for some quiet time, selecting the right outdoor furnishings can enhance the experience significantly.

Entertaining outdoors can be among life's most fun experiences. I suppose in bygone days before air conditioning eating and playing outdoors was more nearly a necessary thing. Today with outdoor kitchens, family rooms, screened gazebos, decks and patios with comfortable chairs, it is a way of life for many. The indoors and outdoors mesh together for a larger home and lifestyle experience.

Your outdoor amenities should blend well with your home and compliment it. (Else it should be nearly inconspicuous.)

Function and style may be important in making your yard into what you want it to become.

The right seating in the right spot will yield the relaxation your need and deserve.

Take the time to get outdoors. Find a relazing spot...or begin to create one if you need to.

Time spent getting some R-n-R is not time wasted, but refreshes the spirit and renews tired bodies.

Watching a thunderstorm, observing birds take a bath, or viewing butterflies sipping nectar from a blossom can be moments to remember and cherish. To truly enhance your experience outdoors, give attention to that special resting spot, and consider adding at least one comfortable sitting space to your yard this week.

I invite you to take a look at my website for that lovely waterfall, stream, pond, or stonework you've been dreaming about, give me a call! Thank you!

Max Phelps