HI TO ALL
I HAVE 2 BOTTOM DRAINS AND 1 SKIMMER ALL 110MM PIPE MY CHAMMBERS ARE THE ROUND BLACK PVC TYPE WITH CONE DRAIN OUTLET AT THE BOTTOM AND INLET /OUTLETS ON THE SIDES AND HAS ONLY 1 INLET IS IT OK TO GO 3 INTO 1 WITH ALL 3 HAVING BALL VALVES TO ADJUST FLOW RATE OF WATER. ANY COMMENTS

More info please;
Type and size pump
What is in chambers
Any other filters
Size of pipes between chambers
Volume of chamber and pond etc
a Sketch will help

Hi David
Nice pond. Looking forward to see pictures of it when in full swing!
If I interpret the setup incorrectly please pardon. From what I can see a few questions and comments;
1. Are the filters at water level and gravity fed? Seems so from your drawing and previous posts.
2. Is the pump after the filter chambers and before the sand filter with the sand filter feeding the returns through the UV and the second return line? If so your sand filter will primarily be a final polishing stage in your filter system.
3. Why the many ball valves on the return lines? I guess it is to isolate the UV, pump, pond and sand filter.
4. Can you flush any filter chamber independently?
5. Do the 110 pipes from the bottom drains and the surface skimmer join into a single 110 pipe feeding the filters? If my interpretation is correct you effectively reduce the flow rate to that of a single 110 line which I have read is roughly 10000 l/h depending on the pump. Considering your pond volume and pump, this might not be a major train smash.
6. What filter media do you use? From what I see the first chamber will be the mechanically filter for large solids, the second both a mechanical and biological filter with the last the primary biological filter (consider a constant air feed to this one). Be careful that the media used do not restrict the water flow to such an extent that your pump will suck the filter chambers dry.
Let us see what the others have to say.
PS. What did you use to make the drawing?

HI JAN
THANKS FOR THE REPLY
1, YES FILTERS ARE AT WATER LEVEL GRAVITY FED. I FITTED A TEMPARY PUMP TO THE CHAMBERS AND RAN IT WITH WATER BEFORE BACK FILLING THE HOLE TO GET THE LEVELS RIGHT.
2,YES
3,YES
4,NO ONLY ALL 3 AT THE SAME TIME.
5,YES
6, CHAMBER 1 EMPTY
CHAMBER 2 BRUSHES
CHAMBER 3 NYLON SHAVINGS IN ONION BAGS
DRAWING IN EXCEL

David
Two observations;
As you are gravity feeding from you pond directly to you filters you will need to periodically force flush the bottom drains to clear the muck that accumulate in the bottom of your pond. It is not clear to me how this will be achieved. Suggest you look at some way to configure your pump so as to, when need be, pump direct from the bottom drains to waste.
I personally have no experience of the filter media you use but from other postings on the forum I gather that the brushes will need regular cleaning which apparently is a pain in the butt. Suggest considering more potent filter media especially in the biological chamber. Reminder; consider to continuously aerate the biological filter to the benefit of the bacteria.
What is the filter chamber inlet and outlet configuration; will the water circulate through the chamber in such a way as to produce the desired result with respect to solid removal and contact time?

HI JAN
I THINK WITH REGULAR FLUSHING OF CHAMBERS THE MUCK WILL BE AT A MINIMUM IN ALL AREAS. BUT I CAN INSTALL A LINE TO CLOSE OF THE CHAMBERS AND PUMP STRAIGHT FROM THE BOTTOM DRAINS TO WASTE OUTLET.IT IS THE FIRST TIME I AM USEING THE BRUSHES THAY SAY PUTTING THEM IN THE SECOND CHAMBER HELPS BRACK DOWN THE SOLIDS, WHAT OTHER MEDIA DO YOU SURGEST I CAN USE. I HAVE MADE ANOTHER DRAWING OF THE FILTER SET UP. A NOTHER IDEA WOULD BE TO BUILD A SETTELMENT CHAMBER WHER THE 2 BOTTOM DRAIN PIPES COME INTO THE FILLTER HOUSE THE SKIMMER PIPE IS ALLSO RIGHT THER. THEN DRAIN FROM THAT CHAMBER TO THE FILTER SECTION.

David

Fit a valve on each chamber to drain chambers one at a time. If you connect all the chambers with a single pipe you will end up having chamber one’s dirty water running into chamber 2 and 3 at the same time(via the drain pipes) and the filter system won’t work.

THANKS MARIUS
MAKES SENS I WILL INSTALL SEPARATE
OUTLETS FOR EACH CHAMBER
HERE IS A DRAWING OF THE SETTLELMENT CHAMBER I AM GOING TO MAKE BEFORE THE FILTER CHAMBERS

Hi David
Very nice sketches.
I see you have been designing the settlement chamber while I was writing this but I post nevertheless.
I second Marius’ statement.
Thanks, now I see how the filter chambers work.
As for the bottom drain topic and my point of flushing the bottom drains in gravity fed systems. The majority of the waste in the pond will sink to the bottom. A portion of this waste will flow through your bottom drains and will receive the necessary sewerage treatment from your filter system; no problem. The remaining waste will accumulate in the bottom of your pond and being too heavy to flow through to the filter system will accumulate on the bottom of your pond, and even worse in the drain pipes. Over time, if not dealt with, a massive festering rotting amount of rubbish cover the bottom of the pond (trust me I was there). Furthermore being gravity fed the pump will normally not have a significant suction to the bottom drains. Hence my suggestion to pump from the bottom drains.
Your idea to build a settlement chamber is sound. Following some observations;
1. Configure the chamber in such a way that the skimmer enters the chamber at the top while the bottom drain pipes enter the chamber individually as stand pipes reaching to about 40 cm below water level. The exit from the chamber to the filter in turn just below water level. This will give you the advantage that you won’t reduce the flow to a single 110 pipe to the settlement chamber although you will still have that to the filters. The settlement chamber should have a pronounced slope towards a bottom waste outlet with valve. Periodically fit a standpipe to the top of the bottom drain outlets using a coupling to isolate the pond, open the waste valve and drain. Once drained remove the stand pipes and stand in awe admiring the man made flood and be amazed at the s@@t rushing from the pond accumulating in the settlement chamber. Repeat the process as necessary. Try to get the settlement chamber to be of sufficient volume (3 to 5% of pond volume has been suggested).
2. Furthermore you can then consider connecting your sand filter directly to your settlement chamber giving you a second filter line. The first through the filters and second through the sand filter. In this case the pond returns will need to be rerouted (maybe too much effort).
3. In this setup the heavy, big solids should settle in the settlement chamber with only smaller solids entering your filter system. You can then consider moving the brushes to the first chamber to filter the remaining solids which should be less than with your current configuration. This will leave chamber two and three free to be used as biological chambers; highly desirable not so?
As for filter media: I use the local derivative of Kaldnes in both the mechanical and biological stages. Air lines to both, constant to biological while only for cleaning of the mechanical stage. A number of filter media products is available, amongst others bio balls, hair curlers etc. My personal opinion is that plastic shavings will in time stick together and not give sufficient surface area for the bacteria to prosper and may even restrict water flow.
What do the other forum members say they have been very quiet on this post, wonder why?

THANKS JAN
WILL MAKE SOME CHANGES OVER THE WEEKEND AND GET BACK TO YOU ON MONDAY.

GOOD DAY ALL
DID SOME CHANGES
1, REPLACED WASTE PIPES FROM THE BOTTOM OF CHAMBERS 1 TO 3 WITH EACH ONE HAVING IT'S SEPARATE OUTLET WITH VALVE.
2, STARTED WITH THE SETTLEMENT CHAMBER. BUILDING WITH BRICKS AND PLASTER TAKES A BIT LONGER.


HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE ?

Hi David
Looks good.
What happens at the point you marked "PUMP SAND FILTER VALVE"?

HI JAN

What happens at the point you marked "PUMP SAND FILTER VALVE"?
ANOTHER DRAWING
THIS IS WHERE ALL THE PIPE'S MEET AND GO THER WAYS.



HOPE THIS EXPLAINS IT.