pondmanimal I want to grow the tiny west african dwarfs . Much too small for a pond. Pads max out at two inches. , I just happen to like aquariums as much if not more than ponds . Most WL are far too large and need very intense light. I'd always blamed past failures on light levels. Weathersby Have kept tropical lilies since 1982 . They have experienced down to 26 which is hard freeze Sure it wasn't your water depth. WL are very light demanding ,that's why the floating pads. This year all my fish were wiped out (Swordtails ) for the first time. ever . Not sure why ,only thing I see different is the duration of the cold . Set several record as it stayed below 42 for almost 4 days . 28 was the lowest I recorded but there were several back to back frosts. All the lilies were severly set back but all are recovering even the aquarium plants are recovering.except for those grown in the bog situation . They were above the water line. What kind of lilies did you have ?? Most would be hard pressed in water that deep. gary

you can remove chlorine from water no matter what it's source by adding vitamin c put some in a pan or bucket and run the water through it no more chlorine also left in the open in barrels or buckets chlorine gases out of the water. most water systems maintain very low levels of chlorine to begin with (less than l mg/ liter or 1ppm) typically around .5ppm in relatively clean systems. surface water systems may use higher levels of chlorine so ask you purveyor what kind of source or sources they use.

"I realize that the HPWH's draw heat from the basement which will be heated by in floor heat but is it significant?" I have a heat pump hot water heater in my basement here in Maryland. The heat pump has no measurable effect on basement temperature, however it does serve to reduce the basement relative humidity 3-5%. The walls of your basement serve as a massive heat sink and changing the room temperature of your basement by operating a relatively small "air conditioner" isn't going to happen. (If your hot water heat pump were installed in an upstairs utility closet, the cooling might be an issue.) In the limiting case of you actually not using any hot water, for example, any heat energy extracted from the basement air mass would be transferred to the heated water sitting in the tank. In the steady state, there would be as much heat being transferred back into the air mass as would be extracted from it. A heat imbalance is created when you use hot water and the heat is lost from the basement system via the heated water going to the sinks and the cold water entering the tank to replace it. My family of two saves about $50 per month compared to my old electric hot water heater. Also, there are frequently tax credits or rebates available.

Please forgive me for not making myself clear. I am looking for a way to measure the water used as it enters the house i.e as it is pumped up from the cistern. I know how many gallons the cistern holds, I want to count the gallons as I use them. I now have a lead on a water meter that I am hoping will resolve my problem.