Mmathis
TurtleMommy
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 13,986
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- Location
- NW Louisiana -- zone 8b
- Hardiness Zone
- 8b
- Country
It's getting to be that slow time of year, so thought I would post about how I made the weir-thingy, or water return for the turtle bog. I think I posted about that a few months ago, and this is what I came up with. Believe it or not, it works!
First of all, and I didn't take pictures, I used a pipe-boot method of attaching the liner to the PVC pipe: cut a small hole in the liner, then pushed the pipe [4"] through. Made 2 "gaskets" also [from scrap EPDM], one went directly over the pushed out part of the liner surrounding the pipe, then a pipe clamp [those screw-down ones] over that, followed by another "gasket." The gaskets are supposed to protect the liner from the clamp. Screwed the clamp down really tight with a socket wrench.
Now, on to the weir......
....a 4" "T" connector, a 12" plastic grate, and a 4" atrium grate [I got 2, but once cut, only needed 1].
Glued a small section of 4" drainage pipe on each end of the "T" then once the glue set, used my saw tool to slice out a section where the grate would fit.
Then had to cut the grate down to 12" which is the length of the weir. The ends were open, so I cut down the atrium grates to fit as needed, then screwed everything together.
And here's what the return system looks like, with only a little bit of landscaping done. Eventually, the pipe that you see here will be covered with dirt and anything that shows will be disguised as a rock or piece of wood. The circled area is where the weir is located -- you can see a tad bid of the white PVC in the picture.
And last, but not least, the final touch....a turtle stepping "stone" to sit attop the location of the weir. But I actually use the turtle stepping "stones" to indicate places in the habitat where your'e NOT suppose to walk.
First of all, and I didn't take pictures, I used a pipe-boot method of attaching the liner to the PVC pipe: cut a small hole in the liner, then pushed the pipe [4"] through. Made 2 "gaskets" also [from scrap EPDM], one went directly over the pushed out part of the liner surrounding the pipe, then a pipe clamp [those screw-down ones] over that, followed by another "gasket." The gaskets are supposed to protect the liner from the clamp. Screwed the clamp down really tight with a socket wrench.
Now, on to the weir......
....a 4" "T" connector, a 12" plastic grate, and a 4" atrium grate [I got 2, but once cut, only needed 1].
Glued a small section of 4" drainage pipe on each end of the "T" then once the glue set, used my saw tool to slice out a section where the grate would fit.
Then had to cut the grate down to 12" which is the length of the weir. The ends were open, so I cut down the atrium grates to fit as needed, then screwed everything together.
And here's what the return system looks like, with only a little bit of landscaping done. Eventually, the pipe that you see here will be covered with dirt and anything that shows will be disguised as a rock or piece of wood. The circled area is where the weir is located -- you can see a tad bid of the white PVC in the picture.
And last, but not least, the final touch....a turtle stepping "stone" to sit attop the location of the weir. But I actually use the turtle stepping "stones" to indicate places in the habitat where your'e NOT suppose to walk.
I'm not going to worry about it now [too much work went into it], but if I have a leak show up at any time in the future, this will be the first place I'll look, and I'll keep it in mind for future jobs.
