Pond pump pre filter

[Defender01]

HI
I have a superfish eco 5000 pond pump which works great and pumps plenty of water to my outside filter and waterfall.
My problem is the pre filter the one that came with the pump blocks about five or more times a day.
The water is looking crystal clear but the small pieces that are obviously there soon block the foam filter.

I cant be the only one having this problem what if any is the answer as i am thinking of taking that filter out.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

Is it a foam filter? Those can clog very quickly. I can't help you, but I'm sure others on here can since most folks will remove the foam pre-filter and replace it with something else.

 

[Defender01]

Hello and welcome!

Is it a foam filter? Those can clog very quickly. I can't help you, but I'm sure others on here can since most folks will remove the foam pre-filter and replace it with something else.

HI yes its the foam filter which is quite course but as i say does clog very quick.
I am tempted to remove it.

 

[sissy]

I take the prefilter foam at of those pumps as long as the cage is on they are fine .

 

[Mmathis]

@Defender01 Before I totally removed it.....do you know if your pump will handle solids? If you take the pre-filter off without something there, you could clog your pump. What some members here do is put their pump inside a plastic milk crate and surround the pump with something like lava rocks, or sheets of filter media. If it's loose enough, it shouldn't block the water flow. I used to do that, but finally decided WTH! My pump is a "solids handling" pump, so I just put it in without any prefiltering. Mine goes to a Skippy filter.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

If you remove the pre-filter foam, the debris that it normally filters out will now accumulate in your external filter meaning that you will need to clean it more often. Any debris in a pond will be filtered out at some stage of circulation, pre-filter or bio-filter, unless you have no filtration at all. After all this is what a filter is supposed to do....it's purpose is to filter.

 

[Defender01]

If you remove the pre-filter foam, the debris that it normally filters out will now accumulate in your external filter meaning that you will need to clean it more often. Any debris in a pond will be filtered out at some stage of circulation, pre-filter or bio-filter, unless you have no filtration at all. After all this is what a filter is supposed to do....it's purpose is to filter.

HI yes the external filter is not the problem as it doesn't effect the water flow and i clean the filters in there when needed.
Its the pump pre filter that is the problem cleaning it so many times a day seems ridiculous.

 

[davidmeher]

i have a submerged pump for my 1,500 gal. pond.

i lined the inside of a milk crate with polyester ac/furnace filter (green) and put it down over top of pump. cut-out for pipe, a rock on top for weight, and strings to wine cork to lift up for cleaning.

is easy to lift, to clean, to replace.

 

[davidmeher]

thick strings from each corner, two corks at top, lift with broom handle. hose of muck. replace. 5-minutes, once a week. easy.

 

[Defender01]

Found this article.
MY PRE-PUMP FILTER NEEDS TO BE CLEANED DAILY . . . WHY?

The circulation will be greatly reduced if the pre-
pump filter material [foam etc.] is clogged.
The pump should have a screen that will protect the fish
from being sucked into the pump. (The healthy fish never get caught, as they are stronger and can swim
away from the suction.) The pump should be raised 6” off the bottom of the pond. Net up any leaf debris
that is on the bottom of your pond after the water clears. Now you can place your pump on the bottom
of your pond. After the pond is free of all debris on the bottom, you may reinstall the pre-filter for the
pump.
If the pond reverts back to green, it is due to poor circulation, remove the pump pre-filter
indefinitely
.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The point that I am attempting to make is that if the pre-filter is removed, the organic material that it was filtering out will now travel to the bio-filter to be trapped there. This will affect the water flow in the bio-filter and also its bio-conversion efficiency. Some form of mechanical filtration (pre-filter) is necessary in all ponds of any appreciable size.

 

[Defender01]

Why didn't i think of this before.
Got a piece of plastic stiff net cut it to shape inserted as photo pump has been running all day no problem.
Once this is in place i just fit the outer cage and the job is a good en.
I would have cleaned that pre filter foam out about 5 times today.

 

[sissy]

just watch it does not get sucked into the impeller it could break it

 

[Defender01]

just watch it does not get sucked into the impeller it could break it

Yes i had thought of that the impeller is actually behind the part that shows in the photo.
I tested it by actually pushing it toward the impeller but its o/k.

 

[Defender01]

Well after given the mesh filter i made a while to see how well it was doing am pleased to say its excellent.
The pre filter that came with the pump was about as much use as a cat flat on a submarine.
It was continually blocking and reducing water flow to a trickle which i imagine was not doing the pump and favors.