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  1. #1

    Adding new inlet to drum filter

    I'd like to add a 2" inlet to my drum filter (Filtreau HF30). I've ordered a 2" pressure pipe tank connector, pretty much like the one below, but I'm not really sure where best to fit it to the drum...



    1446641917_3582.jpg

    I imagine the easiest position would be the front of the drum, above one of the other inlets, but I could also add it to the side. If anyone else has done a similar thing and has recommendations (or encountered problems) it would be great to know. I've found a few threads where adding an inlet has been mentioned, but nothing in any detail...

    Thanks




    filtreau.png

    I'd also like to give a quick thumbs up to Boddington Koi... ordered some bits from them yesterday (including the tank connectors) and it was all delivered today. The connector was the wrong size but Matt sorted it out immediately... really pleased with the way he dealt with the issue and would certainly recommend.



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  3. #2
    It doesnt really matter does it, so id just put it where it will be most convenient, can your drum flow enough for another inlet?

  4. #3
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai TinyTony's Avatar
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    inlet or outlet ?

  5. #4
    TinyTony... it's an inlet I'm planning to add.

    The drum is supposedly OK for up to 30k litres an hour and the pond is not much more than half that. I have two variable speed 15k pumps on the outlets running at around 50%, although the drum is fine when they're both running at full speed. I'll probably use an old 10k pump between the skimmer and drum (might replace it with another variable speed if I need to tweak the flow) so I imagine the drum will cope... I guess we'll see

    The skimmers won't need to be running all the time. They'll be on a timer and I'll also add a timer for the air pump, so there's a period in the day when the BDs go off and the skimmers come on. There's a decent current in the pond which should take any surface debris past one or other of the skimmers within a pretty short time.

  6. #5
    best on end with the other 2 inlets for cosmetic reasons.

    what size are the 2 inlets already fitted as standard? bit surprized you need to add an inlet if its designed for 30k as is.

  7. #6
    As standard it has 2 x 110mm inlets & 2 x 110mm outlets. I'm using both inlets as I have two bottom drains. I'd originally planned to tee the 2" from the skimmers into one of the 110mm BD pipes, but it's actually going to be easier (and almost certainly better) to add an extra inlet.

  8. #7
    should work fine, as you be shutting down bottom drains ?

    personally I would install the 2" in the pipe rather than putting holes in the drum. but that's me.

  9. #8
    I'd only be shutting down the air to the bottom drains, not shutting off the flow from them to the drum. I'm relatively happy cutting a hole in the drum on the basis that if it all goes pear shaped it should be fairly easy to blank it off again... Hopefully not famous last words Adding new inlet to drum filter


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  10. #9
    im not sure it will work, you wont get much flow from a 2 inch pipe, especially as you will have 2 x 4 inch pipes already supplying the drum.

  11. #10
    I'll be using a pump (rated 10k l/h) between the skimmers and the drum, so it's not a gravity feed. The two skimmers are connected together into a single vertical pipe to which the pump will be attached. The distance from each skimmer to that pipe is virtually identical so hopefully they'll be no need to worry about balancing. I'm going to test it out today before drilling a hole in the drum, so we'll see how it goes... what's the worst that can happen?

  12. #11
    aaah yes you will be ok with It pumped, my bad.

  13. #12
    No worries! Must admit I wasn't 100% sure it would work, but I connected it all up and just stuffed the 2" pipe (the heavy duty flexible type) into the dirty side of the drum and it seems to be working OK. The two skimmers aren't perfectly balanced, but both are drawing plenty of surface debris...


    IMG_20181207_101029.jpg

    I'll turn it all off until Monday when the tank connector should hopefully arrive, then connect it permanently to the drum.

    I'm thinking that I'll have the BD air on most of the day and then have two periods (maybe an hour or so during early morning and early evening) when they're off and the skimmers come on. Easy enough to turn the skimmers off when I'm feeding the fish (not that there's much of that going on at the moment).

  14. #13
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Hassai davec's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatgus View Post
    I'll be using a pump (rated 10k l/h) between the skimmers and the drum, so it's not a gravity feed. The two skimmers are connected together into a single vertical pipe to which the pump will be attached. The distance from each skimmer to that pipe is virtually identical so hopefully they'll be no need to worry about balancing. I'm going to test it out today before drilling a hole in the drum, so we'll see how it goes... what's the worst that can happen?
    So you’re pumping direct from skimmer into drum inlet what if for some reason your pump fails on the drum outlets and the skimmer pump keeps running you’ll flood filter house I was going to do that with my skimmer and Darren at absolute advised against it for this reason I’m converting my skimmer to 3 inch gravity fed when lad who’s doing it comes


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  15. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by davec View Post
    So you’re pumping direct from skimmer into drum inlet what if for some reason your pump fails on the drum outlets and the skimmer pump keeps running you’ll flood filter house I was going to do that with my skimmer and Darren at absolute advised against it for this reason I’m converting my skimmer to 3 inch gravity fed when lad who’s doing it comes
    A very fair point that I hadn't considered.

    There are two pumps drawing from the outlets. Just to restore my confidence, I just switched one off while the skimmer pump was on and the water level remained pretty static.... I guess that provided each outlet pump is individually drawing more water than the skimmer pump is pushing in, then all that will happen is the draw from the bottom drains will drop. On that basis, I would imagine both outlet pumps would need to fail at the same time in order to cause a flood. Also, if the electrics tripped then all three pumps would go off.

    The skimmers are 'no-niche' type and are on a timer so they only operate for one twenty minute period per day... that's more than enough to clear the surface at the moment, although it will need a lot longer in the autumn.

    The base of the 'filter house' is simply a hole in the ground with 6 inches of gravel and then fairly free draining soil... given the flow rate from the skimmers, the hole would fill very swiftly, but I managed to flood it when I dropped the level of the drum and it drained reasonably quickly.

    All things considered, and without wishing to tempt fate(!), I think I'm happy to leave it as it is... I appreciate the advice though and will maybe look at some kind of fail-safe.

  16. #15
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Hassai davec's Avatar
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    Maybe there’s something you could get that if your pump from filter goes off it would turn off the skimmer at same time also is the skimmer pump on drum control sockets as if drum fails it would do the same flood everywhere if drum stopped cleaning due to fault and pumps on a socket elsewhere


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  17. #16
    Been thinking about this a little more... If I built up the dirty side of the drum so it's maybe a couple of inches higher than the waste chute, then if the drum was to over-fill the excess water would mostly disappear down the chute into the drain. The lowest position of the skimmers will dicate the maximum amount of water that could be drawn (no more than a couple of thousand litres) then the skimmer pump would run dry and after a short period switch itself off.

    I guess it's a case of weighing up the risk and likely repercussions of a flood with the cost/effort of mitigating the risk... these may be 'famous last words' but I'm not too worried about it (although a little more worried/aware than prior to your post!).

  18. #17
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Hassai davec's Avatar
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    Or you could just put the return from the skimmer straight back to pond rather than into drum blank your skimmer inlet off with a rubber fitting on drum if you ever get a problem

  19. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    or you could wire a float valve into skimmer pump so it knocks off if water in drum drops,andi

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  21. #19
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    I think if the new inlet is going to be pump fed then it really doesn't matter where on the inlet end chamber you put it. I would put it far enough away from the other 2 inlets to avoid weakening the plastic in one place.

    In terms of flow patterns in the drum though it might be best to put this new one in the middle so it doesn't interrupt the flow of one 4" feed more than the other (so centrally under the waste chute). As you say, you could always blank it off if you had any issues and changes your mind later.

 

 

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