Pump Water Pressure Question

[pecan]

I installed a couple homemade skippy filters behind my pond today. But had an issue with one.

The one with this issue has I think a 5500 GPH pump hooked to it. It is a 100 gallon stock tank. The pump is in the pond with a 2" hose that runs to the skippy. Knowing it would be too much water pressure, I split it into 2, 1 1/2" hoses and ran one directly to the falls and the other to the skippy. There are 2, 2" outlets on the skippy. But the 2750 GPH water pressure is a little two much for the skippy. It does not drain fast enough and would overflow. The water raises above the 2 drains very slowly, but still raises above the drains.

My idea is since I have extra 2" hose. I can redo the split and have the main 2" hose split into 1, 2" and 1, 1 1/2" hose. Run the 2"hose directly to the falls and the 1 1/2" into the skippy.

Do you think by increasing the size of the hose to the falls to a 2" it would relieve enough pressure on the 1 1/2" hose as to not overflow the stock tank?

Note: I have a second 75 gallon stock tank skippy running just fine with a 1 1/2" hose from a 1500 GPH pump and 2, 2" outlets.

The other option (which I don't want to do because I will have to buy more hose) is to do a 3 way split off the 2" hose into 3, 1 1/2" inch hoses, run 2 of them directly to the falls and 1 to the skippy.

 

[koiguy1969]

you can either put a ballvalve in the line feeding the filter so you can adjust the flow or make the filters outlet(s) big enough to handle the flow... 2 outlets @2" each isnt likely going to handle much over 2500 gph. if your using shower drains as outlets they will get better flow with the little drain cover grills removed.... can you install a 3rd oulet?

 

[pecan]

you can either put a ballvalve in the line feeding the filter so you can adjust the flow or make the filters outlet(s) big enough to handle the flow... 2 outlets @2" each isnt likely going to handle much over 2500 gph. if your using shower drains as outlets they will get better flow with the little drain cover grills removed.... can you install a 3rd oulet?

It probably cannot. I used black 2" hard pvc for the outlets, drilled the holes, cut the liner, used these black screw on thingy's, used silicone... they are two close together to put one in between and If I tried to put one a little further away it would be hard since I would have to do it in place. I think less flow would be better anyway to give the water more time to hang out in the skippy.

Do you think adding the 2" hose as the hose to falls would relieve any pressure from the remaining 1 1/2"? This is my preferable method since I have all the parts.

 

[koiguy1969]

thats weird ,...i was just gonna suggest that that might be a good idea. giving the longer hang time in the filter. had to stop to keep my neice from falling off the back of the couch and you'd posted. not just the hangtime tho..the slower flow allows debris to settle in the sump area of the filter faster and easier. the higher the flow the longer the debris (mainly fines) stay suspended in the water and are more likely to sneak thru the filter and back to the pond.

 

[viggen]

Going with a 2in pipe would help but how much it's hard to say. I would think your best bet is to what someone mentioned above, put a ball valve on the one that's going to the filter so you can easily adjust the flow to what you need. Going with a 2in + a 1.5in might help but it might not help enough to fix your problem

 

[DrCase]

I just slow the water down with ball valves

 

[pecan]

Thanks guys! A ball valve it is

I think I am going to re-do the T any way but keep both 1 1/2" hoses. The direction it is split (split it last year) makes it hard to hook the hose to the skippy. I had them split to both run straight to the pools at the top and those hoses aren't very flexible. A couple more pieces of PVC fittings and a ball valve and I should good to go.

Yay for spring!

 

[Waterbug]

As others have already said, valve on the pipe going to the Skippy. Assuming the Skippy line's output is lower or near the same elevation has the falls line output. However, I would make the line to the falls 2" because as you shutoff the water to the Skippy that extra water has to go some place and no point restricting flow to the falls.

The pressure level in the 2 lines has little to do with the diameter of the 2 pipes. You could put a 6" line to the falls and the pressure going to the Skippy may not change. Pressure in the lines depends on the elevation of the outputs. If the falls is higher, which I assume, there will always be more pressure in the lower line. For example, if you raised the falls line to whatever the pump's maximum head is, maybe 30', there would be 0 pressure coming out of that line and all water would come out the Skippy line.

Adding another drain in the Skippy would probably have little effect. You already have two 2" drains. Media is probably the pinch point.

The Skippy could still over flow in the future if it clogs. I would put as much flow through it as possible to reduce clogging. It is a myth that water has to stay in a filter for a long period to convert ammonia. Just one of many unfortunate myths in water gardening. Years ago when submerged media filters were the leading edge I always installed an overflow pipe so when the media clogged the pond didn't get emptied.

 

[Waterbug]

I just read your other thread and saw the pictures of your Skippy. Didn't realize it was an up flow...so adding more drains could fix the problem. Normally for up flows we cut a chunk off the top of the tank to make a wier.

 

[pecan]

I put a grate over the media so it can't clog the outlets and have the skippies tilted at a very slight angle toward the pool so if the water goes over the top it should drain into the pool. This is the 75 gallon skippy running off a 1500 GPH pump with not issues.

On the 100 gallon skippy, the hose running to the falls is just slightly lower than the hose running to the skippy.

 

[koiguy1969]

pecan.... you kind of used the wrong term by saying pressure...should have said flow rate...
the fiter and media are new and perfectly clean...so theres little or no restriction in flow there. in fact if the media was restricting water flow, the outputs would have an easier time handling the lesser flow....since the problem is too much flow for the outputs an additional output could in fact solve the issue...but since theres not room for one its not an option. longer hangtime is from having a slower flow ..the slower flow is the real benefit...it allows the debris to settle easier in the sump area of the filter so they can more readily be flushed out, instead of rising up into and possibly clogging the media. all skippy filters are upflow....but not all upflows are skippy style....the downpipe and swirl bars are what make the skippy a skippy. not the container or the media. the internal plumbing does.

 

[pecan]

I fixed the problem with the second filter. I re-did the split. So now I have a the main 2" hose running from the pump, split into a 2" hose into the falls and a 1 1/2" hose into the skippy. I made sure the 2" hose is much shorter and lower than the 1 1/2" to encourage more water flow. It worked! Good thing is I had the extra hose. I also was able to use the other piece of 1 1/2" hose I removed from the old split to lengthen the hose on the other pump.

 

[j.w]

You did it and way to go!

 

[brandonsdad02]

Can you explain with the up flow??? Aren't all skippy filters up flow? Mine is set up the same as all of the other ones that I have seen.