X2!!No apology necessary. You need to spend your energies where they help you get better. But it is really nice to "see" you when we can.
Do you happen to know the pump model and brand name that you went with? Maybe this is still available on Amazon or some other online retailer, even if Lowe's no longer carries it. I would love to see any other pictures you might have. I recently bought a 350 gallon stock tank that is 6' round and 2' deep for my two Welsh Harlequins. I dug down about a foot and built a dirt ramp for them to get in. It has a drain on one side about two inches from the bottom. I did dig a little spot so I could access the drain, but I fear it will back fill in time. Also, attaching a hose to it in order to drain it has not been working well since the water has to run uphill for the first 10" of hose length. I have been looking at many threads to see what the best solution for keeping my pond clean would be. Since this is such a great volume of water, I have no interest in draining it on even a weekly basis, and would prefer to just filter it and top it off as necessary with maybe a seasonal complete draining. From what I have seen I think your idea looks the most promising. Thank you for sharing it!UPDATE:
Okay, after about a year I found that my original design had some shortcomings. The first and most troubling was the pump itself. After about 3-4 months the insulation would break down and energize the water. Fortunately, I discovered this problem before anyone, avian or human was injured. I attributed this issue to the fact that the pump was not designed for continuous use. I replaced it with one from Lowe's that had a motor advertised as being capable of running continuously. It cost about 3 times as much as the one I originally recommended, but felt it was worth it. Unfortunately, they don't sell the model that I bought any longer because it's working well so far. Since the outlet of the pump was a different size than the original (1 1/2" vs, 1 1/14") I decided that it would be a good time to fix some of the other troublesome things about my first design, The first thing I did was replace the flexible vinyl tubing with all 1 1/2" plastic pipe and fittings. That eliminated many of the clogging issues that I had with the original plan.Click images for larger versions Since the valves had a problem with clogging I used screw fittings on them to insure they could be easily removed for cleaning To reduce the flow I added a screw-on 1 1/2" to 1/2" reducer at the very end of the outlet pipe.
I also replace the plastic bucket with a galvanized one because the handle kept pulling out. The original pump wasn't a total loss. I now use it to clean and empty the tank. One length of 1 1/4" pipe and an elbow threaded on one side makes it easy. The pipe just remains where it is and screws in when needed.
I have more detailed pictures if anyone would like to see them.
Sorry it took so long to respond, but things have been a bit hectic here. No, I don't have the info on the pump any longer, and even though it was listed as being designed for 'continuous use' it only lasted about a year (right after the warranty ran out) so I really can't recommend it. My current solution, which I'm still testing is to add a timer set to 1/2 hour on, 1/2 hour off. So far, so good, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Hi Oldguy! Wondering if you are still around???? I'm very interested in trying your setup here. Wondering if it still works? Anything you would change after using it for a while?Here it is! The long awaited instructions on how to make a filter and shower for your quackers. Sorry it took so long, but I wanted to work out all of the bugs before posting.
The first thing you'll need is something to support the filter/shower head. I was lucky enough to find one of the posts that realtors use to put up for sale signs.
I had to cut it off and than coated the bottom end with that asphalt based pruning paint and set it in Speedcrete.
Next came the pond itself. I used the middle sized one from WalMart that is about 5' across. I buried it almost down to grade level so that I didn't have to fool with a ramp.
Next came selecting the pump. This was a real problem and I tried several. The one that worked best was a Pacific Hydrostar 3/5 H.P. submersible dirty water pump that I found at Harbor Freight for $50 on sale. (Item 69298 http://www.harborfreight.com/35-horsepower-dirty-water-pump-with-float-switch-69298.html ) These go on sale every two or three months so do not pay the full price. (I think it's almost $100) I recommend buying the extended warranty. The quality control is not the greatest and I went through 4 before finding one that worked reliably.
Next came plumbing the pump. The outlet is 1-1/4" and comes with a NPT adapter. I tried several variations and ended up with this.
There are two valves on there and, yes you will need both of them. If I had it to do over I'd probably reduce the 1-1/4" outlet right at the pump and use smaller valves and piping.to reduce costs. The smaller piece of PVC pipe at the top is 3/4" with a 1" i.d. piece of vinyl tubing forced on. I made it tall to facilitate picking up the pump.
Next comes the combination filter and shower head. That's just a 5 gallon bucket with holes in the bottom and an elbow on the side about 1/3 to 1/2 way up. Again, trust me. You want the elbow otherwise you can pump all the water out of the pond. Just buy a threaded fitting and drill a hole a little undersized and twist it in. As for the holes in the bottom I tried lots of different sizes and found that 1/2" works the best.
I tried lots of stuff for a filter medium and finally found that a single layer of aluminum screen wire works best.
Just cut it over-sized (I just turned the bucket over and used it as a quide cutting about 2" around.) than push it into the bottom of the bucket and form it into the edges with your hand.
Next take the lid and drill an oversized hole in the center to put your vinyl tubing in.
One more thing and your filter is done. Slide the plastic handle off to the side and put a slight bend in the wire handle of the bucket right in the center of the top to keep the bucket hanging level.
Now you'll need something to keep the tubing from kinking when it goes over the top. I used 2, 4" elbows and a J hook pipe hanger to keep it in place like this.
You'll want the elbows way oversized, otherwise it's really hard to push the tubing through.
Now a couple of safety suggestions. Not absolutely necessary, but why take the chance? First, install a GFI plug for your pump. Second, get a piece of the plastic stuff that they use in cars to protect the wire from chafing. Install it where it passes over the hook. Last, put a dab of silicone grease on the plug if it's outdoors just to give it a little extra waterproofing.
We're almost done. Cut the vinyl tubing on a bias so that it almost reaches the bottom of the filter bucket and feed it in. Plug in the pump and adjust the valves.
Now you should have something that looks like this.
I end up cleaning the filter most days, but that only takes about 5 minutes as opposed to changing out the pool twice a day. When I need to clean the pool (every 3-5 days) this setup makes that easier and faster too. Just pull the tubing out and point it outside the run. Close the valve for the side that goes into the pool and open the top valve all the way. Turn on the pump. Use a garden house to stir the muck off the bottom and Presto!
Questions, comments and observations welcome.
