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Thread: Pipes Clogged?

  1. #1

    Pipes Clogged?

    I’ve been trying to find out what is causing the restriction to flow through the bottom drain and skimmer line. The skimmer is only a metre and half of 3” pipe, yet I’m getting a significant drop in head. The same with the bottom drain 4” into the nexus. So I sent my underwater camera on a little journey, first to check the dome
    C3EB4FB5-F2C1-4C7B-8B3A-895FCE7C0156.jpeg
    No problem there.
    Then down the pipe
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I4JDWtRh14
    The sides of the pipe are covered in dead fly and larvae. Swaying in the current, it’s like a little forest. The skimmer is even worse, the 3” tube is packed with it.
    7A148FA0-4288-4D0E-8C50-CD18015A0C30.jpg
    The camera came out like this,
    B49CFABE-9BB4-4A4C-AC7B-D34973878560.jpg
    They seem to be stuck to the pipe with nature’s superglue, and the sheer quantity is causing a noticeable drag on the water flow. Now I know what the koi are eating when they graze a on the walls.
    How am I going to clean out these pipes? I’ve dropped a couple of mosquito dunks into the filter to try and and deal with any future ones, but I can’t find a big enough pipe brush to clean them out. I thought about a drain cleaning nozzle for the pressure washer, but I don’t know how effective the jets would be under water in a 4” pipe.
    Any suggestions?
    Mark


    19,000 litres
    Nexus 320 with Dracodrum and submersible UV
    Blue Eco 320
    Eazy Pod on skimmer
    Dura+ 10kW Heat Pump
    15 koi

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  5. #3
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
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    They're lavae and make up the bio film that appears inside pipes or anywhere where there is a good flow (I get them on the waterfall sometimes).

    Rodding is good as long as it gets through around the bends without snapping. Swept bends or 45 degrees work best.

    You almost want a UV bulb on the end of an extendable rod to give it all a dose at the same time.
    14000l, my mutts: Chargoi (2010), Doitsu (2022), Tancho (2022), Kujaku (2022), Hi Utusri (2022)

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  7. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by BACON View Post
    Hi
    I brought one of these works a treat

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flexible-...MAAOSwxORdlvqB

    Perfect, that’s exactly what I was looking for.. Thanks
    19,000 litres
    Nexus 320 with Dracodrum and submersible UV
    Blue Eco 320
    Eazy Pod on skimmer
    Dura+ 10kW Heat Pump
    15 koi

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