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The winter months can be more than just cold. They can be deadly to your fish and plants if you own a water garden. Pond De-icers (Not Heaters) are the answer to protecting your investment. By allowing your pond to completely freeze-over during the winter, harmful gases put off by fish waste and plant decay cannot escape the ice, and become deadly to your costly fish and plant collection. You must keep a hole in the ice to vent these gases. A Pond De-icer is the best vehicle to accomplish this.

A Floating Pond De-icer is your best option. As opposed to a Submergible De-icer, a Floating De-icer generates its heat at the top of the pond where the venting hole is being maintained. A Submergible De-icer tends to allow its heat to dissipate throughout the water too much to ensure a venting hole. A Floating De-icer is, however, susceptible to the effects of wind chill. Wind chill actually steals the heat away from the De-icer. When using a Floating Pond De-icer, remember to place it not in the middle of the pond, but at the edge. The West edge is preferred as this will help shield the De-icer from prevailing westerly winds and the heat stealing wind chill.

De-icers in general, are very simple devices. They turn on only when necessary and shut down after they have ran their cycle, thus reducing your electric bill. Commonly, De-icers cycle on when the temperature falls to 35 degrees and cycle off after it has warmed the water to 45 degrees. Then cycles again when the water temperature drops down to 35 degrees. (These numbers can vary depending on the winter conditions the De-icer is exposed too). The De-icer is trying to heat the entire pond to 45 degrees to keep a hole open in the ice. As you may imagine, in very large ponds (600 gallons or more) the De-icer may operate continuously to try and reach its 45-degree turn off point. Therefore, the use of a Thermo Cube, thermostatically controlled outlet, manufactured by Thermo Cube, Inc. is an excellent supplement to saving electricity. You can find out more about Thermo Cube at their web site; www.ThermoCube.com.

Preventative maintenance of a De-icer will greatly extend its life. Simple cleaning of the De-icer with White Vinegar or a brand name cleanser such as "Lime Away" will keep minerals from building-up on the heating element and causing failures. Lime build-up (a white, powder looking substance) is the leading cause of de-icer failure and will most likely void your warranty.
Avoid using extension cords with De-icers. Extension cords are dangerous in outdoor applications. The connection may be exposed to a water puddle and become susceptible to electric shock. The use of an extension cord also decreases the flow of wattage from the unit. If you must use an extension cord, make sure it's safe from water exposure and large enough to allow the de-icer to function properly.

There are numerous Pond De-icers on the market today. Like anything else, some De-icers are better than others. Some are safer, more durable and more efficient than others. Farm Innovators, Inc. has perfected the art of the De-icer. Farm Innovators manufactures and markets a De-icer like no other in the industry, the Model P-418 Pond De-Icer. It is the safest, most durable and most efficient De-icer available. It is inherently safe in plastic and rubber (Does not require the use of a metal guard to make it safe for today's pond liners). It is durable because the heating element is encased in Cast Aluminum for protection (The industries ONLY 3 year warranty can attest to this). The Cast Aluminum Design allows the P-418 to work more efficiently than the old-style, exposed element de-icer (A 1250 Watt Cast Aluminum Unit out-performs a 1500 Watt exposed element unit). This adds up to money in your pocket at the end of the Winter Season. You can find out more about Farm Innovator's P-418 Pond De-icer at their web site, FarmInnovators.com.

Tips for successful Pond De-icer use�

� Do ground the Pond De-icer as per the manufacturer's directions.
� Don't us an extension cord if at all possible.
� Do protect the De-icer from wind chill.
� Don't operate the De-icer out of water.
� Do clean your De-icer regularly.
� Don't use a single De-icer in a pond larger than 600 gallons.
� Do utilize a professionally installed Ground Fault Interrupter.
� Don't expect your De-icer to act as a "Heater".

Protect your investment in expensive fish and plants.
Utilize a Pond De-icer this winter.

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