Laguna pump in skimmer

[Dosry5]

Ok, so this probably really is a dumb question (no such thing as a dumb question, but sometimes dumb people ask questions!)....I have a Laguna maxflo pump and a Laguna skimmer. How do I place it in the skimmer box? If I lay it flat, the coupling coming out for the tubing is too close to the side of the skimmer. Do I just lean it upright all unbalanced in the skimmer? That makes the pump intake sit on the high side of the pump....will that be a problem?

Second question—do I need a bulkhead fitting coming out of the skimmer? I would think not since the exit hole is at the top of the skimmer box. But I guess I’d need some kind of quick release or connect fitting to make getting the pump out easier.....just thinking out loud there i guess....

 

[EricV]

If I recall, you can remove the circular shell from these pumps to access the actual pump inside. Inside a skimmer with a basket and brushes or pads to filter out reasonably sized debris, this is what you'd want to do.

 

[Jhn]

No you don’t need a bulkhead in the upper hole in the skimmer. Use a pvc union connector these just screw together, so can remove pump easily.

 

[Dosry5]

Thanks guys. Now just have to figure out the tubing. Was thinking vinyl braided tubing, but trying to figure out how to get get everything to fit together from the pump to the check valve to the union connector to the bulkhead on the biofalls....ugh.

 

[Jhn]

Thanks guys. Now just have to figure out the tubing. Was thinking vinyl braided tubing, but trying to figure out how to get get everything to fit together from the pump to the check valve to the union connector to the bulkhead on the biofalls....ugh.

Flex pvc for tubing/pipe then you can use pvc glue to put it all together.

 

[Dosry5]

Flex pvc for tubing/pipe then you can use pvc glue to put it all together.

Looks like the quick connect for the pump will take 1 1/4 or 1 1/2” tubing at the largest. I assume bigger is better, but if I’m concerned that my pump may be too powerful for the size of my pond, would a smaller diameter hose help alleviate the concern of the pump pushing water out faster than the skimmer can fill?

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Smaller diameter hose will just increase the pressure in the pipes and the force required for the pump to move the water.

 

[EricV]

Can you give us the model #'s of your pump and skimmer?

 

[Dosry5]

Can you give us the model #'s of your pump and skimmer?

Pump— Laguna Next Generation Max-Flo 4280 Waterfall & Filter Pump (MPN PT-8256)

Skimmer is the Laguna Skimmer Filter, not sure of the model #.

 

[EricV]

The skimmer says it's good for water flows to 4200 gallons. The pump is 4200 gallons. No problem there.

The pump comes out of the circular cage. I'd suggest doing that. The skimmer filter will filter the water before it gets to the pump.

Here is a thread on converting the pump to PVC fittings. http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?152387-Laguna-max-flo-4289-to-pvc But I'm not sure I'd bother. If you did want to (for instance, the Flex PVC is going to be outside the pond). I think I'd do with with fittings convert the PVC to the 1 1/2" flexible tubing and use a short piece of that. That will help you get the pump in the skimmer with the more flexible version and then convert to the more durable stuff for your longer run to wherever the water is going to come out.

 

[Dosry5]

The skimmer says it's good for water flows to 4200 gallons. The pump is 4200 gallons. No problem there.

The pump comes out of the circular cage. I'd suggest doing that. The skimmer filter will filter the water before it gets to the pump.

Here is a thread on converting the pump to PVC fittings. http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?152387-Laguna-max-flo-4289-to-pvc But I'm not sure I'd bother. If you did want to (for instance, the Flex PVC is going to be outside the pond). I think I'd do with with fittings convert the PVC to the 1 1/2" flexible tubing and use a short piece of that. That will help you get the pump in the skimmer with the more flexible version and then convert to the more durable stuff for your longer run to wherever the water is going to come out.

Sorry, I’m a slow learner—the last paragraph—are you talking about the fittings conversion they do on the link you provided?

Also—when you say ‘convert to more durable’, what material do you mean? I wanted to used flex pvc as I thought it’d be easier than straight runs of regular schedule 40 pvc.

 

[EricV]

Sorry to not have been more clear.

FlexPVC is what I mean by more durable. That's a moderately flexible PVC that uses the same fittings and glue as regular, hard PVC. It's the best thing to use in a pond, IMO.

The Laguna pumps are not set up for FlexPVC but for Flexi-hose or something like that. The corrugated stuff. It's a LOT more flexible, probably less durable, and doesn't come in larger sizes. So at your big-box store they will have "barbed" fittings to connect corrugated hose to PVC. I would do that using a short piece of corrugated hose between the pump and your PVC rather than try to modify the Laguna fitting to accept PVC (as in that article). Does that make more sense?

Hopefully you can find somewhere that will sell you two feet of the corrugated hose since that's all you need. Or you could plumb the whole thing with corrugated hose.

 

[Dosry5]

Sorry to not have been more clear.

FlexPVC is what I mean by more durable. That's a moderately flexible PVC that uses the same fittings and glue as regular, hard PVC. It's the best thing to use in a pond, IMO.

The Laguna pumps are not set up for FlexPVC but for Flexi-hose or something like that. The corrugated stuff. It's a LOT more flexible, probably less durable, and doesn't come in larger sizes. So at your big-box store they will have "barbed" fittings to connect corrugated hose to PVC. I would do that using a short piece of corrugated hose between the pump and your PVC rather than try to modify the Laguna fitting to accept PVC (as in that article). Does that make more sense?

Hopefully you can find somewhere that will sell you two feet of the corrugated hose since that's all you need. Or you could plumb the whole thing with corrugated hose.

Thanks, that helps a lot! I’m assuming on the tubing that connects to the pump I use a hose clamp to seal the tubing to the quick connect feature?

 

[EricV]

Thanks, that helps a lot! I’m assuming on the tubing that connects to the pump I use a hose clamp to seal the tubing to the quick connect feature?

Yes. I don’t bother with the decorative pumps I have that use that system, but on a 4000 Gph pump, I sure would.