The Benefits

By monitoring the three key elements (temperature, water level, and mains power supply), it is possible to spot a large number of potential problems as shown in the table below:

Problem What are the consequences? How will Koi Watch alert me so I can make plans to fix the problem?

 

Leak in pond, filter system or pipework. Water will be lost from the pond.  Eventually the filter will stop working as it gets starved of water and the water pump burns out.  If the leak is in the bottom drain pipework or close to the pond base, you could end up with no water left for the Koi. Any leak in the pond, filter system, or pipework will result in the Koi Watch float switch installed in the filter system dropping.  Koi Watch will detect this alarm condition and send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.
Bottom drain blocked. We’ve all been there!  The filter system will be starved of water, and the flow rate will decrease. Water quality will suffer from less filtration and a drain blocked full of waste!  Eventually the pump will burn out and the Koi will begin to suffer. The Koi Watch float switch installed in the filter system e.g primary vortex will drop due to the filter system being starved of water.  Koi Watch will detect this alarm condition and send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.
Mechanical filter blocked The biological stages will become starved of water. Water quality will suffer from less filtration.  Eventually the pump will burn out and the Koi will begin to suffer. A second Koi Watch float switch installed in the filter system after the mechanical filter e.g in the last biological stage will drop due to the biological stages of the filter system being starved of water.  Koi Watch will detect this alarm condition and send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.
Water pump blockage (pump fed system) The filter system will be starved of water, and the flow rate will decrease. Water quality will suffer from less filtration and a pump blocked full of waste!  Eventually the pump will burn out, the Koi will begin to suffer. The Koi Watch float switch installed in the filter system will drop due to the filter system being starved of water.  Koi Watch will detect this alarm condition and send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.
Heating system failure - left permanently OFF e.g thermocouple failure on boiler, or electric heater blocked with blanketweed. Water temperature could rapidly plummet stressing the Koi.  If during Winter, water temperature could fall to dangerous levels possibly freezing your Koi. If Koi Watch reads a temperature that falls outside of the preset min and max temperatures, it will send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.
Heating system failure - left permanently ON e.g thermostat failure, probe failure, or probe detachment Water temperature could rapidly increase stressing the Koi.  If left for long enough and the heating system is ‘big’ enough, the water temperature could rise to dangerous levels possibly frying your Koi. If Koi Watch reads a temperature that falls outside of the preset min and max temperatures, it will send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.
Dangerously low Winter temperatures in an unheated pond Can be fatal if water temperature falls below 4 degrees Celsius. If Koi Watch reads a temperature that falls outside of the preset min and max temperatures, it will send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.
Water Pump failure

The water pump is the ‘heart’ of any filter system.  If this stops, the water ceases to be filtered.  Any auxiliary equipment you are pumping through will also cease to function e.g heating system.  There’s no need to explain the consequences of this any further!

1.  Since the water is no longer being passed through the heating system, the water temperature will begin to drop.  Obviously the rate at which it drops depends on environmental conditions and the difference between pond and air temperature.  If Koi Watch reads a temperature that falls outside of the preset min and max temperatures, it will send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.

2.  On a gravity fed system, due to hydraulic loading, the water in the filter system will rise when the water pump is switched off/fails.  It is possible to reverse the logic on a Koi Watch float switch.  This will signal an alarm when the float switch rises rather than falls.  This is a good utilisation of the second Koi Watch float switch.  Koi Watch will detect this alarm condition and send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.

3.  On a pump fed system, the Koi Watch float switch installed in the filter system will drop due to the filter system being starved of water.  Koi Watch will detect this alarm condition and send a text message and/or call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list.

Mains power failure

The entire filter system is powered by electricity.  A power failure will result in water pump, air pump, and heating system failure.  Not to mention all the other bits of ‘kit’ we install nowadays.  In this situation, oxygen levels could plummet rapidly on a thundery summers day!  Water quality will begin to suffer due to the lack of filtration.  Pond temperatures could plummet due to heating system failure.  In short loss of power is bad news and could easily result in dead Koi.

Koi Watch includes a battery back up facility.  Should a power failure occur (no power to Koi Watch), Koi Watch will continue to run from its battery back up, send a text message and call your mobile phone leaving a ‘virtual’ message on the missed calls list, alerting you to the power failure.