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One of the greatest frustrations I’ve had in the pond industry has been suppliers switching pump sources /manufacturers at their whim. How many of you are still buying the same pump from your supplier(s) that was offered 10 years ago? Five years ago, even two years? You just start to get confidence in a “new” series of pump from the old supplier and all of a sudden, next order you place, another “new” pump.

Where was the field testing done? How long has this pump been out there? Why did you change brands? What about warranty service? I don’t know how many times I’ve gone through the same old Q&A with my supplier when this happens. “Well, we’ve had a couple running in the field now for 3 months and they seem to be performing well”. WOW, why doesn’t that really make me feel all warm and fuzzy with confidence when there is a 2 or 3 year warranty on the thing? Has the manufacturer even been in business that long? Was this a one time close out special on someone else’s rejects?

It boils down to how much you trust your supplier to take care of you. Some suppliers do well, others not so swell in how they handle warranty issues. What’s your supplier’s track record? This has been and will more than likely continue to be the downfall of more than one supplier in the history of our industry. Why should we take the heat for a high percent of failures just because a supplier got a killer price break from some obscure new pump source in Pongo Pongo?

One of my greatest concerns in our customer service is how much hassle it is to get a warranty swap out on a pump. One of the most common practices is for the supplier to have you ship the failed pump back to them, usually on your dime. Then they have to get around to doing their own testing to determine if the pump really has failed and whether or not they’ll cover it under warranty. Then they might ship you out a pump. Now, while this 2 or 3 or 4 weeks has passed, your customer is sitting there screaming with a pond with no pump, possibly with fish stressing or even dying from lack of oxygen and proper circulation through the filtration system. The customers are rightfully rather impatient with this process.

I do very little or no business with companies that follow the aforementioned policy for the simple fact of the multiple frustration factors introduced in this scenario. I’m a professional. I know what to check to see if a pump has crapped out. We check the impeller for blockages, check the line voltage to the pump, check for locked up or wobbly impellers, you know the drill. It should be as simple as a phone call to the supplier, get me a replacement on the way with a RA and a shipping label. I’ll put the old pump in the new box, slap on the new label and ship it back. End of story. Simple right?

How many of you find it that simple? You might want to take that up with your supplier if the answer is what I suspect it will be. There are suppliers that do business this way but they’re regrettably not the norm. The norm is such a high hassle factor that often times the customer gets ticked off and ends up buying a replacement pump on their own, usually from someone else. Now, you not only lost the sale, you lost a customer and the repeat business that goes with them. The supplier just shrugs, they didn’t loose credibility with the customer. You did. You’re the guy who recommended that brand as a good product in the first place. It throws your judgment and professional opinion under the bus of consumer confidence and you’re left holding the empty bag with the tread marks on it. In today’s tough economy and market place, this carry’s an even bigger sting than in a robust, good times economy.

A quick note here. With the tough competition on the internet these days, I can’t get away with building in a warranty service charge percentage in my initial sale and expect to get the sale or have a happy customer. This is the way I’ve handled it; I don’t do warranty work for failed manufacturers products for free. If the customer wants me to handle the warranty work, I’m glad to do it. However, I charge a service call for my time and effort.

Now that I got that off my chest, let’s go on to something as professionals we should all do with pumps and their installation. Use some forethought and planning in the plumbing layout when installing. We KNOW that pumps die after a finite period of time. Hopefully well beyond the warranty period. Utilize unions, cam locks or at the least fernco type fittings with the idea that some day, inevitably, this pump will need to be replaced. There aren’t too many things more frustrating than having to cut out and throw away a hundred dollars worth of fittings because the original installer glued their way out with no thought of tomorrow. You’d swear some of these guys get paid by the fitting with some of the free-form plumbing sculptures I’ve seen.

There is another major mistake I see all the time in pump installation; the wrong size of pipe. Not all pumps come from the factory with the discharge opening being the size that the piping should be to get optimum flow and performance out of the pump. A pump rated at 4000 GPH with a 1 ¼” discharge opening will not give you 4000 GPH with 1 ¼” plumbing. Just over 2000. Give the same pump an upgrade to 2” pipe and bingo, you get the flow you expect. You need to get your hands on a flow and friction loss chart. Then use it when designing a system. At least familiarize yourself with the approximate flows with different diameter pipes and their fittings. That 3600 GPH submersible with the garden hose adapter is only going to move 10% of the water that it is capable of moving through 2” pipe if you stick a ½” garden hose on it.

Yes, fittings cause friction and loss too. Every glue joint causes turbulence to some degree. Even doing a splice with a double slip coupler will affect flow. Don’t over due the glue (I’m guilty of this a lot). I’ve cut out sections of piping that were clogged, only to find that an excess amount of glue squeezed up into the pipe during installation allowed debris to catch, build up and eventually clog the pipe. This most commonly happens in gravity flow drain lines. Pressurized lines usually blow out the obstruction.

When in doubt, go up a size in pipe. Magnetic or Mag drive pumps are very sensitive to this issue. With Mags, I always go up one or two sizes of pipe to reduce all the friction head I can. Mag drive pumps are some of the most efficient submersible pumps on the market. Their down side is they can’t handle head restriction much above 3-5 feet without their flow rate dropping off like a rock.

If you’ve got 3 feet of elevation head but use undersized piping giving you another 7 feet of friction head, you’re going to be very disappointed in the pump’s performance. It won’t be the pump’s fault however, it will be designer and installer error. The same goes for high efficiency, low rpm external pumps. They are hands down one of the best choices to move a lot of water with low electrical consumption, IF the plumbing and design is correct.

The reason this article was written? To try to cut down on designer error and serve the customer and industry with professionalism second to none. I hope you got something useful out of it.

Dave Jones,
The Pond Professional

I am going to start my message this month with the high points of an article from the Omaha World Herald. It’s a blog post from Momaha.com written by Cat Koehler.

“We had an awards banquet at the end of the year where the coach handed out awards. Every girl received an award, so when my name ( the worst player on the team) was announced, I knew it was a “pity” award. What I also know is if I try something, I never give up trying, I may lose, but I’m OK with that…eventually.”

“The “we’re all winners” phenomenon is now permeating our culture. Turn on an episode of “American Idol” for clear evidence. A confident 20 something enters the room to announce she is the next American Idol. As she opens her mouth, it’s as if the gates of Hell have opened up to suck us all in. Cats run, babies cry. When the judges deliver the news of her failure, she promises, “Everyone tells me I’m a great singer!”

“Apparently our children’s self esteem is so dependent upon being good at everything they do that it is inappropriate to have winners and losers. Children who have grown up being told they are winners at everything are now becoming adults. They enter life as an adult with the attitude of “good enough.” Society’s efforts to cushion fragile egos has done nothing but lead a generation who think they can skate by and still be a winner.”

“What will happen to this “good enough” generation when the times get tough, economies fail and only hard workers remain? Will the older generation be supporting these over-grown children because they aren’t willing to do what it takes? I have no interest in working with a bunch of people who wear Velcro shoes and only eat salads. That’s just creepy.” Cat Koehler is married with two children and works full-time. Read her blog entries every Monday on momaha.com

Now I preface my article with that because with another season of ponding approaching, I have the dubious task of re-training seasonal people to do a job that should be something a three year old can handle in a matter of minutes. Pick up a rock and put it here, repeat, again, repeat, again…so on and so forth.

But that is really what this organization is a bout, doing it “right” with the best option available for the application that is presented. I used to be a sales rep and a trouble shooter with a small company. If there was a problem pond, they would send me. I would go out to the job sight to find a leak and if I knew the lead man of the project, I knew where to start looking. Seriously! In each case, this one particular “lead man” would build in a drop in the stream on the right side of the stream. When I would call this to his attention, the response was, “I don’t know why I do that. I got to figure out how to stop doing that.”

I couldn’t fire this guy, he wasn’t my employee. So my question to him was, how many 100’s of these things have you built? Understand this, you want a raise because you work hard but when you finish a job there are call backs to fix things. How does this company justify giving you a raise when it has to pay somebody to go back and fix what was not done right? If you want a raise, quit doing installations that require call backs.

It is an old axiom that they only make locks to keep honest people honest. I am dumb-founded by this up bringing of everything is alright. Everything is not alright! You have to ask yourself, like on American Idol, when the judges/customers tell you, “you can’t sing/that your work is sub-par” that they are really telling you the truth. Then you have to ask yourself, if I was hiring some one to do this job, would I hire me? Then would you be satisfied with how everything is, ok?

With IPPCA, it is not about product because product is only part of the equation. It’s about professional. The Bugatti Areo will do 257 miles per hour top speed. Ironically, 99.9 percent of the people that can afford it are not qualified to drive it that fast. If you are qualified at the IPPCA level, then you are in that .1 percent that can do what needs to be done. There are some detractors of this organization that claim that is an elitist attitude. To those I ask, and? The Marine Corps advertising says they are looking for a few good men. Can you qualify? Not can we make it ok to be a Marine.

A professional group like the AMA does not have neon signs to announce membership, nor does the ATA, but each know their craft and perfect it. There are some professional groups like NASCAR that do do neon, noise, and do it well and it is the venue for it.

Nuff said.

Rocke Huntington
President IPPCA

IPPCA would like to welcome all our new members.

In 2000 I took my first “Ponding” class, in 2001, I learned everything I didn’t know about water, fish and plants. Also I learned why I should have attended all those classes I cut in High School. However, I am a quick study and the learning curve went through the roof, just to catch up and understand that ponding is the most deceptively simple thing you can ever be involved with. Before getting into this field I was in printing, in 1991 I left the printing industry after 30 years inside and all fingers attached, I felt it would be good to spend the next twenty years out side. In 1991 I got into construction, first light industrial, then into laying tile, ceramic, both commercial and residential, from there into excavation work, which in turn lead to ponds. My educational back ground, my mother was a teacher, my grandmother was a teacher, and my sister had a teaching degree. Me? Journalism and Radio/advertising, a double major. That was in the era of “Wolfman Jack”, and I soon found out you could starve to death being a well known radio personality and so I got into printing to pay the rent. Beside the fact that I was raised by a coven of teachers, I was a “military kid”. When people ask if I was in the service I tell them, yes, 22 years. Twenty because my dad was Navy and two myself because I got a letter from “Uncle Sam”, that said we want you. Seriously, by the time I was fourteen I had traveled most of Europe, the Middle East with 2 years in Turkey, North Africa, the Caribbean and most of the places in the States from the Mississippi east. Before I settled on the plains, I spent thirteen years printing and politicking around Washington D.C., (just my own thought but D.C. really stands for dysfunctional chaos). What you really need to know is, yes, ponds are my passion! My resume’ in “water gardening” ponds reads like this: 2000 I took a pond build class 2001 My first build a pond class held in Lincoln, NE. That pond takes Honorable Mention in a National photo contest and is featured in a manufacturer’s catalog, Aquascape. I hold the first Waterscape Walk in Lincoln, NE 2003 Founded The Pond Center L.L.C in partnership with son, Bryan, also a pond builder. Became Certified Aquascape Contractor. 2004 Founding Board of Advisor for IPPCA Became Certified Professional Pond Contractor (CPPC) IPPCA Founding Chapter of NAWGS Rated 27th in country as Aquascape dealer out 44,000 in North America Win Best Waterfall Sound and Best Landscaping along with two seconds and an Honorable Mention at Aquascape first North American Waterfall Competition at Aqua-Terra, The Midwest Team lead by CAC Rocke’ Huntington. The Midwest Team took 5 out 15 awards. 2005 Water Garden Excellence member Garner two International Waterfall Competition Awards at IPPCA’s Info-Tanza 2005 2006 Attend “Ponditat for Humanity” pond rebuild in Myrtle Beach, SC Picked as a “Best Ponds of Midwest” winter edition Ponds magazine Student from 2003 build a pond class also picked as “Best Ponds of the Midwest”. See associate member IPPCA bio Danny Keelen. This pond is also in a manufacturer’s catalog, Little Giant. Honorable Mention Waterfall Competition IPPCA 2007 President International Professional Pond Contractors Association 2007 article contributor to trade publications WaterGardenNews, Irrigation News. 2007 article contributor to Ponds magazine 2007 Water Conservation Study (June thru Oct 2007) 2007 Cross Contamination of Study Toxic Blue Green Algea (Recreational water area to private ponds) 2008-2010 President IPPCA That is a brief bio of Rocke’ Huntington, pond builder. And 2010 has just started and the adventure begins a/k/a The Pond Dragon

REAMS is the complete resource for irrigation and landscaping professionals! For more than thirty years, we have met our customers every need, providing them with products, services, design, advice, and—above all—a dedicated team eager to help in any way we can.

We know you work hard to complete projects efficiently and effectively, and we want to make that process as easy for you as possible. We keep our warehouses fully stocked with every piece of equipment you could ever need, including: drainage, landscape lighting, ponds, edging, weed mat, and tools; and irrigation supplies for residential, commercial, sports fields, drip irrigation, vineyards and more. And if we don’t have what you’re looking for, we’ll do everything we can to make sure we can get it to you as quickly as possible.

Here at Country Gardens we specialize in water gardens. Established in 1978, we started as a greenhouse and nursery growing our own annual, perennials and holiday crops. Later we expanded into a florist shop. In the early 1990's we developed a passion for water gardens. Again we expanded the business to include this passion for ponds. Through our associations with national and international groups we have become the North Shore's largest water garden center dedicated to helping other's find their passion and create a backyard paradise of their own.

Yards To Paradise

“Combining Landscaping & Sound Therapy”

There exists quite an array of sounds that are thought of as therapeutic; and topping the list are the sounds of water—be it ocean waves crashing on the shoreline or a waterfall that trickles or roars or a babbling water brook—and the sounds coming from songbirds. Other sounds people find uplifting and soothing include wind chimes, wind in the tree tops, even wind whistling in the winter.

A crackling campfire or a flickering flame in a fireplace, firepit or chimenea produces a “warm cozy” feel, is mesmerizing to look upon, and many find the sounds very soothing.

Leaving sights and smell for another time, let's discuss ways to incorporate therapeutic sounds into our lives, homes and landscapes.

There are, of course, tapes, CD's, computer software of everything from “white noise” to tropical waterfalls with songbirds singing to Eastern healing music such as available at New Earth Records. Relaxation and relief of tensions from overly busy, stressed daily lives is truly healthful in a society that seems completely insane sometimes. Classical, Celtic, Irish and Calypso music are found by many to be relaxing sounds also. Even AC units and fans can mask disturbing nosies and be considered relaxing.

Landscaping to incorporate soothing sounds of various types is the main point I want us to focus on at the moment.

Some folks are blessed to live by the ocean where they can open a window to the roar of ocean waves. Some can hear a charming mountain stream with waterfalls from their cabin. For some, just a fire in a fireplace is enough to unwind by at the end of a long workday.

The sounds of running water, followed by bird songs and the crackle of a fire are considered universally to be sounds for therapeutic regeneration.

If you don't live in the perfect setting and recorded music doesn't quite “cut it”, what options might you have in order to obtain these comforting sounds?

Perhaps you will want to invest in a quality man made waterfall for some spot in your yard (or even indoors). Sounds from nature can be attracted to the yard by waterfeatures. Perhaps owls, larks, robins, frogs, crickets, katydids, to name a few.

Maybe you have a fireplace, but if not, perhaps a firepit outside or a chimenea will suffice. Or consider adding a fireplace.

Seeing playful flames and hearing the pop and crackle, smelling the wood smoke, getting that “snuggly feeling” to cuddle with a loved one—these certainly can be relaxing moments.

Wind produces therapeutic sounds. It rustles in the leaves, sings through the boughs of pine and other evergreen trees,and plays tunes on the wind chimes. Adding some evergreen trees or acquiring a carefully selected wind chime can enhance the wind-powered soothing sounds at your place.

As a child, I recall nothing sounded nicer to go to sleep by than rain on the tin roof. Again, water can be so soothing.

Bring more songbirds to your yard by putting out bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths or running streams. Trees such as holly and dogwoods and crabapples hold lunch for a feathered friend. Milkweed, coneflowers and thistles may entice a goldfinch. Pine cones may attract a number of birds in addition to giving them a secure resting spot in the pine tree.

So, whether you find waterfalls, crackling embers, blowing breezes, or the music of cute songbirds gives you relief from stress—you can make fairly easy alterations to your yard and home to provide them. My take is it is a good investment and adds tranquility to one's life.

Recorded music or chantings can do much good as well when it comes to unwinding and letting go.

Truly, it is possible to create a soothing sanctuary at your place to escape the exhausting hustle and bustle and nerve-fraying daily noises of modern lifestyles. Try some of these concepts. Search out others. I encourage you to take some action towards obtaining a less stressed life by adding sound therapy to your home and yard.

The author is a landscaper. Contact max@rockcastles.com or visit www.rockcastles.com

*Notice: This is not part of the story. Permission is granted to your publication to print this article without cost provided the above tagline is included, or a small ad given to author. Or, we can negotiate a price if you want to claim credit for the material. Thank you!

Notice: I invite you to take a look at my website www.rockcastles.com For that lovely waterfall, stream, pond, or stonework you've been dreaming about, give me a call!
Thank you!
Max Phelps
Rock Castle Landscaping

MinnFinn Max


AquaFinn LLC
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