How to Keep Water Feature Skimmers From Freezing
- 1). Walk to the water feature skimmer. Ideally, the skimmer should be in an easily accessible location on the side of the water feature. If not, you may want to put on tall rubber boots before entering the cold water.
- 2). Lift the grate on the part of the skimmer that faces the water upward and gently pull the plastic tabs out of the notches on the skimmer housing. Refer to your skimmer instructions for specific grate removal steps.
- 3). Insert a pond heater as close to the skimmer as possible and plug the electrical cord into an outdoor outlet or run it to an outlet inside the home or garage. Set the heater to the lowest temperature possible and run it for two to three hours per day, just long enough to keep the water from freezing around the skimmer.
