Pond Heaters

Pond heaters are one of the most popular methods for providing a balanced temperature to ponds, particularly during winter. If you have a pond or planning on building one and would like some help deciding which pond heater might be best for you, you’ve come to the right place.

In the following article we will look at pond heaters in greater detail, discussing some of the different types available and their important benefits. We will also provide you with what we feel are four of the best pond heaters on the market right now.

Our Choice Of The Four Best Pond Heaters On The Market

Hozelock Pond Heater, 3539 1240

Hozelock are a very popular and reputable brand with a lot of year’s experience in the industry producing pond accessories. The Hozelock 3539 1240 Pond Heater is an in-line heater and a very reasonably priced one.

This heater creates a zone that is free from ice and toxic gas development. It features an 100 watt heating element.

Bermuda 150 Watt Pond Heater

The Bermuda 150 Watt Pond Heater has 5 metres of cabling and is perfect for ensuring your fish stay perfectly safe during wintertime. This is another in-line heater, so not suitable if you are looking to moderate the temperature of the entire pond.  It comes with a full 1 year’s manufacturer’s warranty, so if you come across any issues or need repairs, you are covered.

Another well priced pond accessory, it is reasonable choice for your pond, particularly if it has a surface area of a maximum of 2.3 sq. meters.

Blagdon Affinity Ice Vent Pond Heater

The next pond heater we want to draw your attention to is by another incredibly reputable brand, Blagdon. Blagdon also have a number of decade’s experience designing and producing highly effective and impressively designed pond accessories.

This is another floating pond heater, so it can not be used to heat an entire pond and stop it from freezing over.

Hozelock 3540 Floating Ice Preventer

The last item we want to talk about briefly is another Hozelock floating de-icer/heater, referred to as a floating ice preventer. You simply place the polystyrene ring onto the pond and then attach to a line coming out of your air pump and this will keep a select area on the surface of your pond ice-free during the cold winter months.

Ideally, this can be paired with any suitable air pump, but it may make sense to use a Hozelock pump.

Do I Need A Pond Heater?

Although there are various kinds of pond heaters available, they all have the same function – enabling oxygen to permeate into your pond and enable a gas exchange to occur.

Winter is when the oxygen levels will be at their lowest and without an adequate opening for air, oxygen can reach a critically low level that is unhealthy for fish.

If you have fish, therefore, or your pond freezes over during winter, you need to invest in a good quality pond heater. However, if your pond does not freeze completely or you do not keep fish, it may not be necessary to purchase a pond heater.

Remember, if you have fish, that during winter your fish will hibernate down at your pond’s deepest point where it is warmest. If they can still get enough oxygen even down that deep in the water, then they will be healthy and happy.

When A Heater Is Not Necessary

There are certain circumstances when a heater is ill-advised. In particular, if your pond is especially small, with less than 100 gallons of water in it. Even using a small floating heater you could cook your fish. The best solution then, is to bring your fish indoors during winter.

What Are The Different Types Of Pond Heaters Available?

There are two main types of pond heaters available:

• In-Line Electric Pond Heaters
• Floating Electric Pond De-icer/Heater

In-Line Electric Heater

This is a special component you can add to the plumbing circuitry of your pond and it heats the whole pond gradually as the water flows through it. An in-line heater normally connects to an external pump, which directs the water through the heating chamber. Compared to the type below, an in-line heater is designed to heat the whole pond.

Not only are they more expensive, they also require a lot more effort and skills to install them because of the pipework involved.

Floating Electric De-icer/Heater

The floating heater is the most common type used. As the name suggests, it floats on top of the surface and is not made with heating the whole pool, but rather ensures that the surface is open to allow gas exchange to occur.

In comparison to the above, they are actually a more reasonably priced option and do not require too much skill or work to install.

Benefits Of Pond Heaters

As you have probably gathered already, there are many benefits to investing in a pond heater for your fish and body of water during winter. To highlight these though, the benefits include:

• Providing oxygenation for your pond during winter
• Increasing the flow of water
• Speeding up thawing when Spring comes along