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Thread: Going to attempt an air lift
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25-05-2018, 01:05 PM #21
Well I could either use an imaginary air line, air pump and air stone etc. and then just imagine how well it works or I could stick a length of garden hose down the drive pipe and blow - just won't know how many lph I'll be producing
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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25-05-2018, 01:12 PM #22
Well the imaginary air pump etc. worked a treat I got 20K lph flow rate at a lift height of 10 feet from the pond surface - if only I'd have imagined a bigger air pump.
As for the hose pipe I hyperventilated before the water got past the first T and I was blowing that hard I nearly truned my trousers inside out
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freddyboy, bigcarpchaser Thanked / Liked this Post
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25-05-2018, 01:15 PM #23
You need to patent that.
Its far more effective than those airlifts that actually use reality!
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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25-05-2018, 01:19 PM #24
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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25-05-2018, 04:41 PM #25
The delivery's turned up so I may make a start on it later today.
Only thing is the air stones that have turned up are 30mm x 80mm but I've got 2 of them. I knew they were smaller than I had ordered as the 30mm x 130mm was out of stock so have ordered a 30mm x 130mm from somewhere else which should be turning up next week hopefully. I may try it with a single 30mm x 80mm and see how it goes or may wait until the bigger one turns up. I am thinking that if I have to use both of the 30mm x 80mm stones will I get too much of a restriction with 2 air lines in the drive tube? I was thinking about having 2 stones on top of each other with the inlets at opposite ends to each other so the top stone is fed with an air line running down the drive tube and the bottom stone fed with an air line coming through the end cap on the bottom of the drive tube?
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25-05-2018, 04:45 PM #26
Just thinking - a hole in the end cap in the bottom of the drive tube may not be a good idea as it will need to be sealed which could make replacing it a problem in the future?
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25-05-2018, 05:11 PM #27
2 stones with airlines fed by the top?
Hmm well, by definition the airlines feeding the stones are full of air so will be lower density than the water they displace so you'll get a slightly greater up thrust from the water pressure below the stones with two lines rather than one.. On the other hand you are reducign the bore of the tube a little so will have a slightly lower flow.
My bet would be that until you are blocking a significant portion of the lift tube you wont see much practical difference.
A 12mm airline is about one 11th the cross sectional area of the 40mm pipe.
I'd avoid the bottom entry (insert your own joke here) as its just something else that can be a problem.
Time to stop thinking and just give it a go ... one stone then two from the top.
If you take plenty of measurements of flow rate at various heights for both one and two stones then you'll have a way of making some predictions about what might happen at other heights.
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Frimley Koi keeper, Trace Thanked / Liked this Post
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25-05-2018, 05:22 PM #28
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25-05-2018, 05:28 PM #29
I had already thought the bottom entry was a bit of a non starter as it would make it difficult to seal the end cap properly then make removing the lower stone almost impossible without removing the entire air lift.
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25-05-2018, 08:38 PM #30
I've just found out why Trace questioned my choice of 40mm pipe
A 30mm wide air stone even with the square plastic ends rounded off is a very tight fit in the pipe and probably won't allow enough air past it
I think I'll just alter the size of the pipe from the T on the bottom of the drive pipe to 2" with a rubber boot reducer and then rebuilt the bottom section in 2" waste and see if that works OK.
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25-05-2018, 09:19 PM #31
Yes better off with 2" pipe.
Pipe sizes de-mystified: https://www.koiforum.uk/pond-diy-tip...ion-chart.html
There are no fixed guidelines for air stone size, I just happen to think 30 x 130mm is a good size ... my airstone is still the same one I put in 3+ years ago and the flow has never measureably dropped ... all details of air stone mods are in my air lift tip
Some more interesting air stuff here too:https://www.koiforum.uk/pond-diy-tip...-pressure.html
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Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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26-05-2018, 09:22 AM #32
Thanks Trace,
As I have got the air lift built in 40mm pipe already I think I will just alter the bottom section and make it 2" using a 50mm to 40mm reducer and a 50mm stop end and a short bit of 50mm waste pipe of course. See how it goes and take it from there.
I've read your various threads on air lifts etc. and found them all very informative and very useful too.
What with cleaning the easy pod every couple of days or so and trying out the air lift I think there is going to be a drout order in place in Surrey very soon
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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26-05-2018, 07:58 PM #33
Measurements so far are -
1m drive tube with a 40mm push fit T on each end.
200mm pipe from the bottom T to a push fit coupler with an end cap in. This is going to be changed from 40mm to 50mm as soon as the parts turn up.
100mm pipe from the top T to a push fit coupler for the air line to enter and stop water splashing out the top so may need to fit the second end cap into it and drill a hole for the air line to go through.
80mm pipe from the horizontal outlet of the top T to the T on the horizontal section of pipe.
Annoyingly after filling down the edges of the 30mm x 80mm air stone last night and then finding out it wouldn't go in to the 40mm pipe very well the 30mm x 130mm air stone turned up this morning - wasn't expecting it till middle of next week or I'd have waited and not cut and filed the smaller one
Just need to trim and drill out the spout ? for the air stone to 8mm and stick an air line on it ready for when the 50mm bits turn up.
As I've already trimmed the 30mm x 80mm air stone I may as well start with that ans see what happens.
I'll see if I can add either some photos or drawings of the build in progress tomorrow.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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27-05-2018, 06:08 AM #34
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Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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27-05-2018, 08:54 AM #35
Hi Fred,
Nice one thanks
To be honest it took longer to cut down and file the air stone than it did to make the rest of the air lift its self as it is push fit not solvent weld.
Measure, cut, file, push, repeat lol
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27-05-2018, 11:20 PM #36
Well I have been using TRACE design now for a few months and it works a dream and as she says it so easy to make, I haven’t been able to get on here very much due to other circumstances and finish off my build and build photos its running but it’s not a finished article lol, I will do a quick YouTube video to show the airlift in action.
RayLast edited by Jubblyray; 27-05-2018 at 11:27 PM.
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28-05-2018, 07:35 AM #37
Nice one Ray, be good to see someone else with a similar design to mine and how well it works.
Shows how good Trace's hard work and attention to detail really pays off, thanks Trace
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28-05-2018, 04:38 PM #38
Oops!!!!!!!!
Had a air stone FUBAR earlier
Yesterday I did a spot on job of cutting off and filing down the corners of the square end caps on the 30mm x 80mm air stone in preparation for the additional parts turning up later this week, then I tried it in the 40mm waste pipe and it was a snug fit which would have restricted the air flow past the top of the air stone. Not knowing how they are constructed I didn't know how much of the plastic I could remove from each end so today I thought as I have a spare 30mm x 80mm stone I would file a bit more off so the stone would drop down through the top of the air lift to the bottom. Result - the stone would now drop in at the top and fall right to the bottom just wouldn't fall back out when I tipped the air lift upside down so had to keep taking the end cap off the bottom. I filed a bit more off until it was a loose fit in the pipe work so thought with the air line on connected to the stone it would just pull back out if I need to remove it at any time. I thought I'd check it one last time and it fell to the bottom but when I tipped the air lift upside down only the top section of the stone fell out and left the rest rattling about at the bottom. Obviously I didn't realise how delicate these stones are and as it was dropping down in side the air lift the plastic sections either end of the air stone were catching on the joints and ends of the pipe etc. on the inside of the air lift and weakening the stone until it finally snapped the top off. I can't write on here my exact thoughts but it was something like - 'oh bother!!!' and 'that's messed it up now!!!!' Annoyingly it had taken longer to sort the end caps on the air stone than to make the rest of the air lift itself!!! At least I know now that I can cut and file the end caps almost down to the same width as the stone itself just leaving it 1mm or 2mm wider plus being more careful with the stone by not dropping it straight down the inside of the air lift. Could have been worse it could have been the 30mm x 130mm stone - I've only got one of those.
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28-05-2018, 10:52 PM #39
Thanks Jubbly and others for the kind words ...
Stones should be a bit tougher than that ... probably just a bad one ... I bought two of the 30 x 130mm and one arrived broken ... but I just glued it back together .. I'm lucky in that hubby's got a big belt sander here so it only takes seconds to shape the square plastic ends ...
Tips:
Use 50mm pipe or 110mm if your pond is larger.
Use 50mm or 110mm Tee shaped rubber boots if you want to test with different lengths of pipe (these are always handy and a great investment).
Yes if you make it like I have said I guarantee you it will work as I said it would (as do all of my designs and tips) ... love to see the vid and I'll help you to optimize it for your pond... I get a lot of satisfaction seeing people saving money and getting use out of the designs that I have used here ...
On another note entirely, to the others who were promised and waiting for the plans for the optimized AntyPod filter (which is a scaled up version of what I use very successfully here) it would seem that the other member involved in drawing them up has run off with them for the time being so I've no idea what his intentions are or what the point is in doing whatever he's up to. I was led to believe that they were getting drawn up for release to the public in PDF form from this forum ... but at the point where they were very nearly finished he has now broken contact with me so loads of wasted time and no idea what he intends to do with them ..... maybe I'll have to download a copy of my own filter design from here if he releases them ... no idea why they're being held to ransom at the moment ... (it's not me that's losing out I already use the design) ... why not just release them like was initially agreed ...
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freddyboy, Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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29-05-2018, 08:40 AM #40
Thanks Trace,
I was thinking of glueing it back together but didn't know what to use to do it. I have got some CT1 which is a cross between a silicon sealant and a glue but not sure if it is totally fish friendly. Also though of super glue but the same issues there.
My air stone has broken off just below the top section of plastic so it's the stone that has actually broken not just come away from the plastic.
Belt sander - nice one Trace, I did it old school with a junior hack saw, rasp and a file. Thought about a bit of wet n dry but didn't have any lol.
It is a rasp isn't it and not a wrasp? it's a very course file usually used for wood.
Best plants to remove Nitrate
pug has a very impressive veg filter on his pond, have a look at some of his his youtube videos....