Prevent Pump Hose From Clogging

[Ratsima]

What size hose is this pump set for? I have never seen a pond pump designed to use garden hose.

This is the fitting that came with the current pump. I measured those and I'm a bit clumsy, but they're close.

This is the older pump that the new one replaced. It has a single 5/8" fitting

 

[Ratsima]

After only a week I gave up on the smooth-as-glass PVC hose. It clogged up as fast or faster than the old "garden" hose and is a lot more difficult to handle.

So, I'm no closer to solving this problem than I was when I started this thread seven years ago.

I suppose that may be because it seems no one else has experienced anything like it.

I'm still thinking of importing the 1" Flexible PVC. It will take me a few days to convince myself that it's worth doing.

 

[Ratsima]

Yesterday my wife showed my an online article describing how a Thai chicken farm (big business around here) solved its biofilm problem by switching from PVC to polyurethane hose.

I suppose it's worth a shot.

 

[GBBUDD]

from your pump step up with as few fittings as you can to get yourself to a 1 1/2 or a 2 inch hose doubtful you'll clog those

 

[Ratsima]

from your pump step up with as few fittings as you can to get yourself to a 1 1/2 or a 2 inch hose doubtful you'll clog those

I think 1" is the largest ID hose I can manage without rebuilding the fountain and PVC passage through which the pump AC wire and hose travel. If I increase the hose size from 5/8" (16mm) to 1" (25mm) I will more than double the cross-section area of the hose. from about 200 square millimeters to almost 500. (If I remember my geometry.)

The problem with this is that the increased volume of water will overwhelm the fountain.

 

[combatwombat]

The problem with this is that the increased volume of water will overwhelm the fountain.

That's easily solved with a valve.

 

[Ratsima]

That's easily solved with a valve.

The valve would go at the fountain end of the hose? If so, wouldn’t that reduce the velocity of the water in the hose somewhat negating the effect of the larger ID?

 

[combatwombat]

The valve would go at the fountain end of the hose?

Doesn't really matter. Wherever it's easiest to place.

If so, wouldn’t that reduce the velocity of the water in the hose somewhat negating the effect of the larger ID?

Mmm... I'm going to have to think about that for a moment. But if your concern is velocity, then increasing your pipe size from 5/8 to 1" while using the same pump is going to slow down your water velocity a lot.

 

[Ratsima]

This is the problem. I don't know enough about fluid dynamics or microbiology to ascertain the optimal hose size. Would a smaller hose increase velocity and make it harder for the biofilm to stick to the sides? Or, would the narrower hose clog up easier with a small amount of grunge? What effects do laminar flow and turbulence have on the biofilm? Would a much larger hose be less affected by biofilm because the biofilm can't possible build up enough thickness to significantly block the flow?

I have no idea on any of that.

 

[combatwombat]

I am one of the greatest over-thinkers on this forum, and you are clearly an order of magnitude greater than me. lol

In general, smaller pipes clog easier than larger.

In your feature, we're talking about less than 10' of tube, right? How hard would it be to test a 10' length of smaller tube? I don't know anything about buying building materials in Thailand, but that sounds like a 10 min. trip to the hardware store and another 10 minutes swapping out the tube.

But how much smaller can you go beyond 5/8? That's about as small a tube as I could imagine serving even the tiniest pump.

 

[Ratsima]

This pond has a long history of pumps and hoses. The first pump was solar powered, so went off with the sun. That had a tiny hose, but it never clogged up. I replaced that with a very small AC pump which I put on a timer. On from about sunrise until bed time in the evening. That didn't really push enough water through the fountain so I bought a bigger one and used a ½" hose. That's when I first noticed the clogging. So, I have already tried a smaller-than-5/8". That didn't work.

From there I moved up to a larger pump and a 5/8" hose. That was probably seven or eight years ago. Since then I have been through at least a dozen pumps. It's just not easy to buy quality pond/aquarium pumps here.

(When I lived on Saipan I was able to order a decent pump from the US. That pump and the EPDM liner lasted until I moved away -- about 15 years later.)

I guess at this point the only option I haven't tried is a larger hose. I'll make a stab at finding something locally, but it's harder than you might think. Or, I might just order this one:

Alpine 1" PVC Flexible Hose

In spite of: $90.60 Shipping & Import Fees Deposit to Thailand.

This is the hose section of the the large hardware store near my house. I was there earlier this month. Nothing larger than ¾" except for a couple of small lengths of 1" transparent hose. To see how big the place is, have a look here:

Thai Watsadu Korat - Google Maps

 

[GBBUDD]

I think 1" is the largest ID hose I can manage without rebuilding the fountain and PVC passage through which the pump AC wire and hose travel. If I increase the hose size from 5/8" (16mm) to 1" (25mm) I will more than double the cross-section area of the hose. from about 200 square millimeters to almost 500. (If I remember my geometry.)

The problem with this is that the increased volume of water will overwhelm the fountain.

Just because you increased the hose size does not mean you increase flow. If that was true I'd be running 6 inch everywhere. When I was in the aquarium hobby the smallest spray bar holes constantly clogged . I got tired of it and changed lots of little hole for slits cut in the pipe. Problem solved.
So increasing you pipe size will not increase flow like your thinking it is just going to make it harder for algea to block the size of the pipe . Hopefully where it is reduced won't be enough to allow it to gather and clog .

 

[Ratsima]

I will hit the hardware stores tomorrow to see if I can find some one inch hose. What are the disadvantages of using transparent hose? That might be all I can find locally.

 

[GBBUDD]

That's the worst thing for your situation that will let light in and promote algae growth. Have you thought about using pvc hard pipe

 

[Ratsima]

I could use PVC pipe for part of the run, but much of it snakes through vegetation and around trees, so it wouldn’t be very practical. I could have done it easily when I first built the pond and before everything grew so much.