Bog troubleshooting.....do the bubbles indicate a problem?

[Mmathis]

Am doing some work on my small bog, that I call my "turtle bog," just because it's in the habitat for the box turtles -- it's their watering hole, so to speak. Right now I've pulled most of the plants and am using the Pondovac [what a life-saver it has been!!!!] to suck out all the accumulated crud in the gravel.

When I was running water in via the pond where I had pushed back a lot of the gravel, I noticed that there were bubbles coming up at both places where there is a clean-out pipe [basically, one on each end of the bog]. Sooooo......now.....does this mean that there is a break in my pipe? If so, that might explain why the bog hasn't been functioning very well. Now, when I uncap the clean-outs, the bubbles stop. I'm just confused. Oh, and this bubbling ONLY occurs here --- no where else, but is the same at both ends of the bog, at each clean-out.

@addy1, what do you think?


Shot of bubbles as water is entering the bog. When I un-cap the clean-out, bubbles stop. For reference, this clean-out pipe is the one on the left in the bottom picture.

This is a shot of the "turtle bog" when it was first constructed, about 3 years ago. It looks a lot different now, but the plumbing and size are the same. The plain white PVC pipe is where the water enters from the pond [it's plumbed now and isn't a plain pipe any more] and the square-ish brick just behind the "bloody docks" is covering the exit ["exit" PVC can't be seen in this shot]. The clean-out pipes are shorter now, as well.

 

[addy1]

I get bubbles when I do a start up, or shut the pump off for a bit. Some air gets in the line and bubbles out. Looks like you are sucking in some air somewhere, when you take the cap off the air goes out the pipe and is not seen by you.
Check your pump o ring, I have had a air leak due to that before.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

As @addy1 stated, you are entraining air at some point in your plumbing. Sometimes this is harder to find the source of than leaks!

 

[Mmathis]

Oh, that's wonderful news, @addy1 and @Meyer Jordan! Thank you! Yes, I do have another "open" spot, about, well actually, I have no idea the size, but I have another cap inline with the intake line that I drilled a hole in and placed a PEX tube -- that's to keep the bog from completely draining if the pump goes off. I want to enlarge the little bog, but now is just not the time for any major demo/build project, so very happy to know that this won't require any extra work....for the time being.

But one thing still puzzles me, and that's WHY does the air push through in these particular spots only?

 

[Angel]

But one thing still puzzles me, and that's WHY does the air push through in these particular spots only?

path of least resistance

 

[addy1]

But one thing still puzzles me, and that's WHY does the air push through in these particular spots only?

The water might be moving fast enough until that spot that the air is carried along, then it gathers up the strength and escapes.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

path of least resistance

Exactly, the 'bog' is clogged in certain areas that it even ';channels' the air. Pea gravel 'bogs' do clog.

 

[Mmathis]

Exactly, the 'bog' is clogged in certain areas that it even ';channels' the air. Pea gravel 'bogs' do clog.

Ah ha! Now that answer, combined with the other answers is making sense. Still in the process of clearing out the plants -- and there were a few spots with heavily matted roots. After I remove that last mat, and clear our more gravel, I'll be able to see just where the roots have clogged the piping. Thanks, @Meyer Jordan @addy1 and @Angel

Hopefully I'll get a chance to work on it some more this week -- as soon as I get that final bunch of plants out, scooping gravel will go quickly. We're getting just enough rain from Harvey.....