Strange Drain Pipe Arrangement in my Pond

[ElmosBoy]

Thanks for all of the comments. It is possible that whatever was used to plug/cover the pond drain pipe was not an actual pvc-cap. I made an emergency repair by placing a make shift cover, (10" diameter aluminum pot w/roofing tar/sticky paper covering the inside of the pot), over the horizontal extension, packed with what may be some of the best clay I've ever seen, and adding some 550-cord leads that were zip-tied to the pipe (You gotta love those H/F heavy duty zip-ties!!). Again, my entire heating and cooling system depends on some water to exchange heat in...We completely stopped the flow of water & looks like I've already regained a little over a foot of depth.

Thanks for the kind words about losing my wife, she had Leukemia & battled it for several years. Was not unexpected, but still you kinda get used to having someone around after 34 years. I have four fantastic grown children & they are helping tremendously as we work thru it.

I think now that I know it is there, & will measure back to my actual vertical pipe before introducing any future "Dislodgement Devices", all should be fine. I also believe, after some reflection time that the vertical pipe is far more stable, mounted in a T connection, supported by horizontal pipe in both directions. Ignorance is bliss, until you drain your pond because of it... I called the previous owner's son, (Gentleman that had this drain pipe installed died several years back, interestingly enough from the same type of cancer as my wife), but the son had no clue as to the construction of the drain pipe. I like the trash-can idea as well, will need some turtle obstacles, at least, for certain. I've been here for almost 6-years & have never had a moments' trouble with this pond...Maybe my wife is "Helping" me stay busy from the other side....Anyway, thanks for all of the thoughts & I agree, we inadvertently used it as it was designed.

 

[Ford850]

I'd take off the new cap and add an elbow and short upright section of pipe, then the cap. That way you can extend that new pipe to the surface if some day you want the second overflow. The new elbow will also prevent anyone from popping off the cap like you did by accident.

 

[ovrszd]

Are your heat exchanger pipes simply laying on the pond floor?

Maybe it was designed as a method to drain the pond to access the exchanger pipes if needed?

As to the size of the pipe. In my country there are hundreds of large structures, many acres in size, that have an 8" or 10" steel drainage overflow pipe. Considerable freeboard built into the dam. An emergency earthen spillway for those hundred year rains. Much better erosion control with that design. After a big rain they may flow water for a couple weeks before the pond gets back to static level.

 

[TractorGuy]

Sounds like the vertical pipe may still be clogged. Most I've seen actually had a valve to drain the pond when desired.

 

[ElmosBoy]

Not a bad idea Ford850, I will seek to secure the required parts...

 

[ElmosBoy]

I installed the Geothermal system, the pipes are on the bottom of the pond, but they travel to & from a Copper Heat exchanger that really lakes the closed loop system work!!

 

[Industrial Toys]

I needed to drain our pond some years ago to install a new discharge pipe and gate valve, and tried running 4" pipe farther out into the pond to thwart the beavers from plugging it up, if it was close to the bank.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Last year we put a little holding pond in a spring here like drawing and used a PVC sweep tee, end capped off. Everything glued except the cap. To drain it once I used a long pole, 10ft sections joined, and a few whacks the cap came off.
Grandfather's lake he used cast iron pipe (lake put in 1954), and a threaded elbow. It's 18ft at the pipe. Lakes been drained a couple times, we just hit pipe with the boat, then pulled it down once started.
Probably the best but not least expensive would be a gate valve.