Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

[combatwombat]

The purpose of a cleanout in any plumbing system is to access the inside of the pipe to remove a clog. If you have 3 pipes on your manifold, you need 3 clean outs, otherwise, you will have no way to snake to a clog.

Some folks use the “clean outs” only as a way flush the lines. That’s okay, too, but you still need one for each leg of the manifold as a single one connected to all 3 will never flush out a partial clog/buildup because flow from the unclogged legs will not allow pressure to build where you need it to.

 

[Pablo]

The purpose of a cleanout in any plumbing system is to access the inside of the pipe to remove a clog. If you have 3 pipes on your manifold, you need 3 clean outs, otherwise, you will have no way to snake to a clog.

Some folks use the “clean outs” only as a way flush the lines. That’s okay, too, but you still need one for each leg of the manifold as a single one connected to all 3 will never flush out a partial clog/buildup because flow from the unclogged legs will not allow pressure to build where you need it to.

Great, thank you very much, that clears it up. I misunderstood a comment a page back to the one building a large bog and it was mentioned adding a pipe to balance the pressure. I will just figure out the orientation of the manifold, the site is a bit tight so I dont have a lot of options for where my spillway will be from the bog to a short stream and back to pond.
Btw, love all your advice and comments. See your comments popping up on the same youtube videos I watch, lol

 

[Beercan31]

The "clean out" cap does not have to be exposed as long as you know where they are. 1" of 3/8 pea gravel is just fine to hide the unsightly UNGLUED caps.

 

[GBBUDD]

The "clean out" cap does not have to be exposed as long as you know where they are. 1" of 3/8 pea gravel is just fine to hide the unsightly UNGLUED caps.

Myself i'd go with threaded or fernco end caps

 

[CountryEscape]

Myself i'd go with threaded or fernco end caps

I agree, although I’m not sure I’ve ever seen threaded pipe/caps. I’ve had end caps pop off in the past.
And just to confuse people further, when our pond was built 3 years ago, the builder built an 8x8 bog, but the depth part was only about 2.5x8. In other words, he dug the trench, laid underlayment and liner (after dry fitting it), crates to make a void, and then large 3-4” rocks followed by about 8” of river rock. The rest of the bog area also got the 8-10” of river rock. So the bog appears to be 8x8, but the fact there is this trench with the crates creating a void, I can shove a shop vac down in there to suck out any muck that may accumulate. So far, nothing down there to remove.
Dry fitting the crates and pipe. The black pipe is the clean out tube

Liner in place, putting crates back in. White pipe is water inlet, not trimmed off yet.

Liner and underlayment showing the trench for pipe and crates.

Adding river rock.

Here’s a photo from late spring.

And then one from late summer.

 

[GBBUDD]

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen threaded pipe/caps.

 

[CountryEscape]

Those pitcher plants are absolutely gorgeous!!! What is your trick? What are they growing in? I still have mine in their pots because the bog is a bit too deep for them, I can regulate the depth in the pots. I’m thinking thy prefer to be in peat moss, is that correct? I’ll be either repotting mine or creating an area for them off to the side of the pond. There is a guy that grows them near me, and some really fancy ones, so I really want to get a few other varieties, but only if I can keep them alive! My two pots survived our colder than normal winter, so far so good.

 

[addy1]

Looks like a good build, your bog. I was very basic, pea gravel, plants, no clean out pipes, no issues in 11 years now. Around 2.5 feet deep.

 

[GBBUDD]

Those pitcher plants are absolutely gorgeous!!! What is your trick? What are they growing in? I still have mine in their pots because the bog is a bit too deep for them, I can regulate the depth in the pots. I’m thinking thy prefer to be in peat moss, is that correct? I’ll be either repotting mine or creating an area for them off to the side of the pond. There is a guy that grows them near me, and some really fancy ones, so I really want to get a few other varieties, but only if I can keep them alive! My two pots survived our colder than normal winter, so far so good.

Full Sun 50% peat moss 50% COURSE Sand and it must be course sand if the place your buying sand from doesn't know the difference then don't buy it, it must be course sand. Beach sand is too fine and will choke out the roots they can actually grow floating in water but they get scraggly . the bottom of the area is 3/4 round rock for an 1 1/2, water fills up the area to the top , where the mix of course sand and peat sit on that the peat will pull up the moisture keeping the roots constantly wet. In the fall they say cut them back to an inch from the soil . but i usually wait till spring as they still provide some color in winter.

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks so much, GBBUDD! I’d love to make a small marsh for just pitcher plants. I think I have a couple large pieces of rubber pond liner to create it with.

 

[addy1]

I mixed peat moss with sand, the plants loved it. Got behind in weed control, now trying to make them happier.

 

[Pati O’Pond]

I agree, although I’m not sure I’ve ever seen threaded pipe/caps. I’ve had end caps pop off in the past.
And just to confuse people further, when our pond was built 3 years ago, the builder built an 8x8 bog, but the depth part was only about 2.5x8. In other words, he dug the trench, laid underlayment and liner (after dry fitting it), crates to make a void, and then large 3-4” rocks followed by about 8” of river rock. The rest of the bog area also got the 8-10” of river rock. So the bog appears to be 8x8, but the fact there is this trench with the crates creating a void, I can shove a shop vac down in there to suck out any muck that may accumulate. So far, nothing down there to remove.
Dry fitting the crates and pipe. The black pipe is the clean out tube View attachment 156693
Liner in place, putting crates back in. White pipe is water inlet, not trimmed off yet.
View attachment 156694
Liner and underlayment showing the trench for pipe and crates.
View attachment 156696
Adding river rock.
View attachment 156695
Here’s a photo from late spring.
View attachment 156701
And then one from late summer.
View attachment 156700

Unbelievable! What beautiful work!

 

[CHY]

Guys

I got a bunch of milk crates to create a void at the bottom of my 4'X8' bog. My thinking was that this would be better than doing all the PVC manifold stuff and would create a very even flow of water as it pushes up through the gravel.

Anyway, I am a little bit confused about the design of this thing. I am not excited about the caterpillar thing or the snorkel thing. My simple mind was just thinking of an inlet to the void where the pump would push the water in. and then on the other side of the void I would have an outlet where I could occasionally discharge any debris that may build up in the void, should that occur.

Am I completely going in the wrong direction here?

 

[combatwombat]

Guys

I got a bunch of milk crates to create a void at the bottom of my 4'X8' bog. My thinking was that this would be better than doing all the PVC manifold stuff and would create a very even flow of water as it pushes up through the gravel.

Anyway, I am a little bit confused about the design of this thing. I am not excited about the caterpillar thing or the snorkel thing. My simple mind was just thinking of an inlet to the void where the pump would push the water in. and then on the other side of the void I would have an outlet where I could occasionally discharge any debris that may build up in the void, should that occur.

Am I completely going in the wrong direction here?

There's lots of marketing around the centipede unit, and it does serve several purposes, but the primary one, in my opinion, is that it is below the blocks and sloped to the snorkel so that junk actually makes it somewhere that you can remove it. Most milk crates have a lot of solid area around the top. Most of mine had about 3". So, your void will eventually fill up and you'll never get what settles in those bottom 3 inches out. Maybe not the end of the world (don't know...), but a permanently smaller void.

Tell us more about your discharge plan. How are you discharging? Is your bog totally above ground so that your can drain it from the bottom with some sort of valve you access outside the liner?

 

[CHY]

There's lots of marketing around the centipede unit, and it does serve several purposes, but the primary one, in my opinion, is that it is below the blocks and sloped to the snorkel so that junk actually makes it somewhere that you can remove it. Most milk crates have a lot of solid area around the top. Most of mine had about 3". So, your void will eventually fill up and you'll never get what settles in those bottom 3 inches out. Maybe not the end of the world (don't know...), but a permanently smaller void.

Tell us more about your discharge plan. How are you discharging? Is your bog totally above ground so that your can drain it from the bottom with some sort of valve you access outside the liner?

Yes that is exactly my plan for discharge. The bog will all be above ground. The milk crates that serve as the void will be above ground, with a foot of gravel on top of them. So I thought of simply having the outlet be a valve at the bottom of the void that protrudes out the side. I open that valve and let the pump push out sludge buildup, when that becomes necessary.