noob in need.

[vertigo72]

AFAIK the difference in efficiency between 110v and 220v for appliances is something like 5%? Its more for the grid, but I could be wrong. Why are you people still on 110v anyway, the rest of the world has moved on since the 19th century.

Either way, my point was simply that a few watts less consumption make more difference than a lot of dollars in purchase in the long run. Even on 110v, what you bought doesnt seem particularly efficient to me. But since you bought it, its water under the bridge I suppose .

 

[forgottenalarm]

lol. we are old fashoned i guess. got any pics of your pond?

 

[forgottenalarm]

purchased 2 of these (i like the screened tops)

http://www.lowes.com/pd_304422-50741-RB502PK_?PL=1&productId=3056257



Also bought all the plumbing with the exeption of maybe needing 1 more length of 1.5 in pvc,
Been getting together my bio filter material and im pretty sure i am just going to fill up the mechanical filter with polyester batting and see how it does.

The liner and under layment will be here by end of next week and that gives me time to get the electric back in, yard marked and ready to start digging. by end of next weekend ill be breaking ground. i just hope the 2- 50 gallon rain collectors will be enough.

 

[fishin4cars]

How much were those, I tried looking online and it isn't available in our area. I know someone at lowes that may can order me one but I don't see a inside detail of it and no price. Intresting though. I could do something with that for my 300 gallon pond and make it work in very nicely.

 

[vertigo72]

purchased 2 of these (i like the screened tops)

http://www.lowes.com/pd_304422-50741-RB502PK_?PL=1&productId=3056257

I also made the mistake of buying tapered barrels. Doesnt make it easier to get the plumbing right. Can be done of course, but unless you put in some flexible, you may have have to make 2 90 degree turns to get rid of the taper. Here is how I did it:
http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/705/sdc10512.jpg

You can also go "over the edge", but with pipes as wide as I used (110mm), thats not the best solution.

The taper is also annoying to get the "skimmer" or whatever you want to call it that sucks water from the top in each barrel right. If you are using bulkheads, the pipe that goes from it to the barrel center will be angled up. Keep that in mind when you position the bulkheads, dont put them too high.

As for pictures, here my pond one before I drained it and started work on the filters:
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4017/sdc10511l.jpg

and here is work in progress:
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1069/sdc10584j.jpg

Been getting together my bio filter material and im pretty sure i am just going to fill up the mechanical filter with polyester batting and see how it does.

It will clog in no time. I would use only brushes in your first barrel. Vortex + brushes will get rid of most solids.

 

[vertigo72]

oh, and I hope you are not planning on using the hoses that come with that barrel? They will be far too small for anything. Your pump is too big to feed it through such a tiny hose even under pressure (you will lose capacity) and to connect the barrels its far and far too small. Even as bottom drain you should install something way bigger so the drain is much more powerful and sucks out the dirt. Im using 50mm and consider that a minimum.

 

[forgottenalarm]

oh, and I hope you are not planning on using the hoses that come with that barrel? They will be far too small for anything. Your pump is too big to feed it through such a tiny hose even under pressure (you will lose capacity) and to connect the barrels its far and far too small. Even as bottom drain you should install something way bigger so the drain is much more powerful and sucks out the dirt. Im using 50mm and consider that a minimum.

1.5 inch pvc is the biggest i can go and i am planning on using it. that little hose isnt good for moving much water.

That pond is pretty sweet.

How much were those, I tried looking online and it isn't available in our area. I know someone at lowes that may can order me one but I don't see a inside detail of it and no price. Intresting though. I could do something with that for my 300 gallon pond and make it work in very nicely.

they where around 70 dollars each, if you would like, tonight when i get home i will take some pics so you can see it better. the walls are alot thicker then the trash cans they had.

 

[vertigo72]

1.5 inch pvc is the biggest i can go and i am planning on using it. that little hose isnt good for moving much water.

Hmm.. 1.5 inch that is 38 cm. Thats enough to feed it from the pump under pressure, but I hope that is not for the gravity return or to connect your barrels, because your 3600 gallon/h pump will make your barrels overflow completely. Even if you put the barrels in parallel, feeding each with 1800 gallon/h, 1.5 inch likely wont do it, at least not without the return pipes being under a fair amount of water (forget the name for that).

 

[forgottenalarm]

Hmm.. 1.5 inch that is 38 cm. Thats enough to feed it from the pump under pressure, but I hope that is not for the gravity return or to connect your barrels, because your 3600 gallon/h pump will make your barrels overflow completely. Even if you put the barrels in parallel, feeding each with 1800 gallon/h, 1.5 inch likely wont do it, at least not without the return pipes being under a fair amount of water (forget the name for that).

I already planed for that :surfing:


I cant spoil all my surprises yet

 

[shakaho]

Good luck with those rain barrels. I have one used as a rain barrel. My husband broke the lid setting it up.

 

[forgottenalarm]

Good luck with those rain barrels. I have one used as a rain barrel. My husband broke the lid setting it up.

Yeh im not the biggest fan of how they snap on, but overall im liking it.




my liner and underlayment came in already. weighs well over 70 lbs

 

[fishin4cars]

they where around 70 dollars each, if you would like, tonight when i get home i will take some pics so you can see it better. the walls are alot thicker then the trash cans they had.[/QUOTE]

No, at $70 by the time I got them shipped in and did modifications I could buy something that would work, or build a DOC filter. Thanks though,

 

[fishin4cars]

I also made the mistake of buying tapered barrels. Doesnt make it easier to get the plumbing right. Can be done of course, but unless you put in some flexible, you may have have to make 2 90 degree turns to get rid of the taper. Here is how I did it:
http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/705/sdc10512.jpg

Question, on the three filter chambers do you have bottom drains for each one, Is it necassary?

 

[forgottenalarm]

Finally all 7 different utl companies checked off of the missutility ticket and i can start digging tommorow.

That being said, i have to return the pump i bought back to lowes. I opened up the case to the pump because i didnt see a pre filter. There isnt one. Just a plastic box with slits covering a 1.5 inch female inlet that goes into the pump. wtf kinda design is that.......
So im going to get a "real" pump from a pond store tomorrow.

 

[vertigo72]

Question, on the three filter chambers do you have bottom drains for each one, Is it necassary?

I do. My filters havent been working for very long though, nor fed enough junk to be sure, but I think its a pretty damn good idea. On each of them I do get one or two seconds of dark brown waste when I pull the drain after a week or so. Not much, but enough that Id rather not send it back to the pond. It will also make cleaning so much easier.