Will the frost benefit or damage the Liberec fountains?

Liberec - The classicist Neptune Fountain from 1823, which will return to Benešovo Square in Liberec this summer after repairs, will become one of the most significant monuments restored this year in the Liberec region. In the past, it fell into a state of almost total disrepair, but the town hall had it restored. The restoration cost 2.5 million crowns. The fountain will have water in it even in winter, but no one knows what this will do to it, Jiří Křížek from the National Heritage Institute told reporters today.
    "It's hard to predict what will happen to the sandstone fountain with heated water in severe frost. In our climatic conditions, fountains are usually drained for the winter," Křížek added.
    Heritage officials are working with two scenarios - either the year-round operation will benefit the fountain, or it will damage it. According to Křížek, it could be endangered by so-called thermal bridges and freezing water. "Caution is essential. The fountain needs to be carefully monitored in winter. It has survived as the only one out of several dozen old fountains in Liberec," declared Křížek.
    The Neptune Fountain was moved in 1925 from the current Benešovo Square to the nearby Nerudovo Square. By 2005, it was in very poor condition and after being dismantled, ended up in the North Bohemian Museum. Its deterioration was due not only to adverse weather conditions but also to vandalism.
    The original statue of Neptune will remain in the North Bohemian Museum, and its replica will adorn the fountain at Benešovo Square. The reconstructed fountain will be located in the southern part of the square, opposite the neo-Renaissance town hall. Craftsmen will place it on a high pedestal for better visibility. A unique system will handle the heating and aeration of the water.
    The costs of restoring the monument are equally shared between the Liberec city hall and the Ministry of Culture. The town hall will invest around seven million crowns into the modifications of Benešovo Square, which include the fountain.