Buadhai Builds A Pond

[buad hai]

Originally Posted by attaboy

I forgot about the solar panel saga. Hope it works.

It's a bit of so-so. It works. If it's sunny all day the pump continues on for an hour or two after dusk (from the battery). If you let the battery run down completely, the pump doesn't start up until there have been a few hours of daylight.

Since we are usually in the garden for coffee in the morning and happy hour in the evening I'm going to need to remember to turn the pump off during the day so the battery will get charged up.

[corvettelover]

Originally Posted by buad hai

It's a bit of so-so. It works. If it's sunny all day the pump continues on for an hour or two after dusk (from the battery). If you let the battery run down completely, the pump doesn't start up until there have been a few hours of daylight.

Since we are usually in the garden for coffee in the morning and happy hour in the evening I'm going to need to remember to turn the pump off during the day so the battery will get charged up.

An inline timer switch should do the job powered by a 9 volt battery switches the pump off/on 24 hour clock at certain times of the day.
neat thread interesting to see how it turns out after it has all settled in

[buad hai]

The solar panel has a new, more permanent location:

[hillbilly]

While I am a fan and supporter of solar energy, I wish there was a better way of hiding the solar panel. I have been told that spray painting the solar panel to make a smiley face is not a good idea.

Any ideas?

[buad hai]

It would probably be less obtrusive if it were up on the roof. But then you've got meters and meters of cable to hide with concomitant voltage drop.

[sunderlandstephen]

use excavated soil to build a ryhl

[Jet Gorgon]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

While I am a fan and supporter of solar energy, I wish there was a better way of hiding the solar panel. I have been told that spray painting the solar panel to make a smiley face is not a good idea.

Any ideas?

There's alot of room for some potted plants around the base at BH's. Gues you'd have to ensure they don't grow and block out the panel's light source. Or put a wooden fence around the bottom area?

[buad hai]

The solar panel isn't so visible from our side of the fence now that the plumeria and palms have grown up a bit. Still ugly from the street side, though.









Overall, I'm pleased at the way the pond turned out. The water is always nice and clear, the fish seem content and we get some lovely lilies now and then.

[baldrick]

Originally Posted by buad hai

But, there is no electrical output from the panel. I measured with a meter. Zero

Originally Posted by buad hai

Yeah, I'd like to solve the puzzle, though.

maybe the digital meter does not give enough load - you might have needed to put a 12volt 10 watt car light bulb in circuit and measure across it - or use an analog meter

nice pond mate

[racefan]

Does anybody know of a pond specialist business in or near Khon Kaen.

I have just finished constructing (that is the guys who built my house have), what has turned out to be a very large concrete pond and waterfall in my garden and want to buy a combined UV and gravel/bio filter to run in conjunction with the powerful pump I intend to buy.

I know they can be bought in Pattaya where I am heading next week but I was hoping to get it installed before I leave.

I will be posting a thread about the pond plus all the recent additions to my teak house but probably not until the new year as I am about to do a bit of long overdue travelling around the north of Thailand.

[DrAndy]

are you going to buy Koi or Carp?

don't flounce, serious business, fish