Float valves can be big water wasters!

The water feature float valve automatically opens when the water-level drops

Backyard Ponds & Float Valves


Float valves can be big water wasters!

Many homeowners and institutions may not be aware that waterfeatures they've previously had installed, may contain float valves. These are now illegal as they can be huge water wasters! Waterfeatures that include a float valve as part of their installation automatically access mains water whenever the pond or stream water-level drops below the float line. The float drops and turns on the water supply, not unlike a toilet cistern's action.

If your waterfeature contains a float valve system, it was probably installed
when it was still legal to do so, before our current level of water restrictions came into force.
Disaster occurs when there is a leak in the watercourse or pond. Or there may be a fault in the watercourse design - sometimes the pump when turned on raises the water level over the edge of the stream (and this occurs frequently). In these two cases, the flow of water out of the system can be up to the rate of a hose turned on continually.

There's a simple way to check if your system has this problem - Look for a float valve located at the end of the watercourse, or in the pond. (The photos below show what they look like.) If you find one, trace the plumbing back to the tap and turn it off. Sometimes the float valve is 'hard-plumbed' into the house's plumbing system and doesn't have a separate tap. In this case the float valve needs to be jammed shut by lifting up the plastic float ball and wedging something underneath it to hold it there.

Once the 'automatic top-up system' is disabled, the problem of remedying the consequent water-loss from the waterfeature can be a harder job. Tracing leaks in a pond liner is the most difficult. However, remedying flaws in a faulty watercourse design is sometimes easier and can be worth doing. Most homeowners would certainly want to give it a try so their ponds don’t dry up and their fish suffer or die. Toprock can help if needed. There are also a number of new ways to keep your pond full, including increasing water storage near the pond, and increasing the water-catchment-area around the pond. You can read about these and
other novel/patented water-saving techniques on this website or call Peter Cole for assistance on:
Telephone (03) 9809 1667.

The waterfeature below has a float valve which automatically opens when the water-level drops, admitting more mains-water.


Note the continual mains-water inflow: above left of the float






Above: Same waterfeature. Water is also overflowing the pond’s banks. This overflow also generates demand for more water: which comes from the mains, supplied via the float valve system.





To set up a waterfeature which does NOT waste water, read about the water-saving techniques
on this website or call me, Peter Cole, for assistance on:
Telephone (03) 9809 1667.