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  1. #121
    Quote Originally Posted by NickK-UK View Post
    Usually the waste is plumbed into the drain. The RDF can wash at any time it needs, so having it plumbed in is far better than a bucket.However if you have small diameter drains or drains that can't cope with waste matter well, such as soak aways, then an option is to use a settling tank on the waste. The only issue is that you then need to pump the solid waste out on a regular basis and it stinks!
    I would definitely like to plumb it into my drain but it's below ground level......what about my septic tank, now there's a thought, let me go and see if that's possible

    Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

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  3. #122
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ndwgolf View Post
    I would definitely like to plumb it into my drain but it's below ground level......what about my septic tank, now there's a thought, let me go and see if that's possible

    Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk
    Careful that the drum washes will be adding a good 2+ litres a flush (more for the 25 I suspect) so if your septic tank is a fixed volume it's adding a large amount. If the wash liquid could be settled without too much disruption of the upper layer you could make an overflow of non-solids to the soak away and then do a regular pump out of the solids to the septic tank.
    14000l, my mutts: Chargoi (2010), Doitsu (2022), Tancho (2022), Kujaku (2022), Hi Utusri (2022)

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  5. #123
    Here is my Solum 25 installed. A wee bitty fiddily getting the water level correct but it's all good now.
    https://youtu.be/0Izt9NgeAfs

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  7. #124
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ndwgolf View Post
    Here is my Solum 25 installed. A wee bitty fiddily getting the water level correct but it's all good now.
    https://youtu.be/0Izt9NgeAfs

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    Never thought of putting the solum into a sump! Neat idea. I see you've got a waste sump and sump pump into the drain when needed.

    Mesh sizing - moving from #100 to #400 Mesh goes smaller (500 Mesh is 25 micron), moving 100 to 400 micron goes larger.

    If you want to make the skimmer more effective one option is to use a pin wheel (just simply modify an old pump impeller), then inject the air into the pinwheel which then is fed to the protein skimmer.
    14000l, my mutts: Chargoi (2010), Doitsu (2022), Tancho (2022), Kujaku (2022), Hi Utusri (2022)

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  9. #125
    I'm really struggling to get the water levels correct. If I follow the recommendation of 347mm it starts to overflow before the wash cycle starts then it just keeps overflowing without starting a wash cycle

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  11. #126
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ndwgolf View Post
    I'm really struggling to get the water levels correct. If I follow the recommendation of 347mm it starts to overflow before the wash cycle starts then it just keeps overflowing without starting a wash cycle

    Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk
    There's a thread on drum water levels - specifically the "yo-yo" effect the drum can have on pond levels. Your system is gravity fed so you're likely to see the same yo-yo. The drum restricts flow so the pumps empty the water into the pond and to the dirty side of the mesh. The result is a water level increase and possible overflow. Then the wash occurs and the water returns to the normal flow rate through the drum and the water level drops. If you have a auto-top up this can cause it to refill and the cycle repeats.

    You need to understand how much water volume could be added to the pond in this scenario and how much the water level will rise - that rise should be set lower than your overflow.. so when the cycle is at normal flow rate you may see the water level lower than what you'd set it to.

    Curse of the gravity fed drum with a pump.

    I'm kind of hoping that the airlift will minimise difference in water level in this cycle.

    I'm still thinking it through a little to see if there's a way to reduce the yo-yo.
    14000l, my mutts: Chargoi (2010), Doitsu (2022), Tancho (2022), Kujaku (2022), Hi Utusri (2022)

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  13. #127
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Twhitenosugar's Avatar
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    Hate to say it Nick, but unfortunately I get the yo-yo effect running with an airlift.

    I found the best thing to do with the yo-yo effect was to allow the water to find its own level where, even with the mesh on the drum needing a clean, the water level is just at the lip of the waste chute in the drum, but without overflowing. If you do that Neil and the water level in the pond is too low, you probably need to raise the drum a smidge.

    Alternatively Neil, perhaps raise the float switch. This will mean it cleans more frequently but should reduce the yo yo effect.

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    Last edited by Twhitenosugar; 07-08-2020 at 03:50 PM.
    13,000L fibreglassed raised pond with window

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  15. #128
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcwatson1974 View Post
    Hi, I've just installed a Solum 16 and Bio Chamber but I'll do a post on it in the coming days. In the meantime, I note you've ordered a cut off if the water level drops and I'm trying to find one as I'm pump fed and need to ensure I don't drain the pond if something goes wrong. Is it possible to put a link up of what you've gone for as I've done a search but can't find anything that is plug and play rather than switches that you then need to be all electrical with. Thanks
    I've not installed it yet (my spare time taken with the DIY bathroom Reno and the pond 2.0 dig). but... I just caught the filter blocked with the same issue again - the water level had dropped an inch. In my case the garden hose pops off the connectors (Gardena connectors) as it's at full pressure 24/7 and hot weather causes it to deform and pull away from the connector. Once the drum can't clean - it overflows..

    The one I went for is a Triton Controls 15A 250V floating switch (Clarke sell them) but also here (seems more expensive): here at farewell I can't remember but I bought it through a different site.

    The only issue is that there are lots of people with cables that the copper has fatigued, broken and then caused arcing - that burns through the plastic and so you have 230V AC to the pond.. which is a serious safety issue. So I am considering wiring it up temporarily with 230VAC until I get a relay sorted (although I wanted a low power 12V relay that is latching so the circuit doesn't consume power). Just not enough time at the moment.

    I will put it on my pump AC - so that it breaks the circuit if the pond level drops. Only issue is that that filter water empties back into the pond and you get a cycle of start/stop for the pump until the water drops so much that it can't restart the pump (so it still protects).

    It sounds like you want a sensor switching module - I've seen some that can power 12 or 24V sensors and then perform the switching of the mains power too all neatly - not sure of the cost though but I suspect it's rather expensive. Also half the cheaper units don't have circuit isolation gaps between the AC 230V and the switching lower power side..
    14000l, my mutts: Chargoi (2010), Doitsu (2022), Tancho (2022), Kujaku (2022), Hi Utusri (2022)

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  17. #129
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ndwgolf View Post
    Here is my Solum 25 installed. A wee bitty fiddily getting the water level correct but it's all good now.
    https://youtu.be/0Izt9NgeAfs

    Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk
    I just had a second look at the pumping..

    Just to confirm the plumbing..
    1. the skimmer comes into the sump at water level.
    2. the solum outputs into the sump directly - therefore your clean side water level is the level of the pond water.
    3. the input into the RDF is pumped in?
    4. the level switch you have is for a gravity setup where the input is gravity fed and the output is pumped.
    5. the output of the sump is pumped out?

    What I think you may find happening is that the dirty side doesn't drop an trigger the RDF because the water into that side is then kept level by the gravity feed from the skimmer through the skimmer sock.

    It will not detect the drum is clogged.
    14000l, my mutts: Chargoi (2010), Doitsu (2022), Tancho (2022), Kujaku (2022), Hi Utusri (2022)

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  19. #130
    Quote Originally Posted by NickK-UK View Post
    I just had a second look at the pumping..

    Just to confirm the plumbing..
    1. the skimmer comes into the sump at water level.
    2. the solum outputs into the sump directly - therefore your clean side water level is the level of the pond water.
    3. the input into the RDF is pumped in?
    4. the level switch you have is for a gravity setup where the input is gravity fed and the output is pumped.
    5. the output of the sump is pumped out?

    What I think you may find happening is that the dirty side doesn't drop an trigger the RDF because the water into that side is then kept level by the gravity feed from the skimmer through the skimmer sock.

    It will not detect the drum is clogged.
    Nick
    1/. Skimmer sock is at the pond level and overflows into the suction tank.
    2/. The water level in the suction tank is about 6 to 8 inches lower than the main pond with both pumps running.
    3/. The RDF is sitting in the suction tank and is being GRAVITY fed directly from the bottom drain and discharging back into the suction tank.
    4/. The RDF water level is just on top of the RDF waist pipe
    5/. I have moved the auto pond fill into the main pond.

    For the last 2 hours it has function the way it's meant to, when the screen gets dirty the clean side drops and triggers the switch to start the was cycle, the clean side water level comes back up again then slowly drops off and starts another wash cycle.
    I've been sat beside the frigging suction pit all day pulling my hair out, but fingers crossed it looks like it's found its levels.
    I'm heading out for dinner in a little while, if I come back and find the suction pit empty again the RDF is going in the bin.
    Later
    Neil

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  21. #131
    17 hours now without missing a beat. I moved the pond mains float switch back into the suction tank, that way if it decides to go tits up at least it won't empty the pond out.
    I've never seen such crystal clear water.........nitrates are still a little hi but everything else is in spec, main thing is the fish look happy
    https://youtu.be/rUWJZstGvLo

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  23. #132
    Well. After several weeks of back pain and bad weather,my solum 16 and midi gravity fed units are in and working after a bit of fiddling. Will try and post some pics later

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  25. #133
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Twhitenosugar's Avatar
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    Great news Blondie. Hope it makes pond keeping easier for you.

    Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk
    13,000L fibreglassed raised pond with window

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  27. #134
    Here is my old filter system, the Nitritech 5000 prior to removal:

    IMG_20200614_132552_resized_20200810_080020124.jpg

    Draining down the filter prior to removal from the filter bay:
    IMG_20200801_112505_resized_20200810_080020715.jpg

    Disconecting the old pipe work

    IMG_20200801_112509_resized_20200810_080021117.jpg

    The solum 16 and midi unit off the pallet and ready to be unpacked.Will post more tomorow ,as my daughter helped me download the pictures.
    IMG_20200614_132524_resized_20200810_075613842.jpg

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  29. #135
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion dbs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blondie View Post
    Here is my old filter system, the Nitritech 5000 prior to removal:..........

    The solum 16 and midi unit off the pallet and ready to be unpacked.Will post more tomorow ,as my daughter helped me download the pictures.
    IMG_20200614_132524_resized_20200810_075613842.jpg
    Well that fits in a treat, looking forward to seeing the rest of the photos !!

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  31. #136
    Hopefully i can do this picture buisness.I cleaned out the filter bay,then moved the drum and midi into position.I had worked out the water line would be 860mm.I put the units up on blocks and leveled up.Hoping this was the correct height.So far so good.

    .
    IMG_20200806_170017_resized_20200810_075615068.jpg
    IMG_20200808_195224_resized_20200810_075614887.jpg
    bottom drain, skimmer line and waste plumbed in.
    IMG_20200808_195038_resized_20200810_075614056.jpg
    now for the 2" pipe work returns
    IMG_20200806_170021_resized_20200810_080018875.jpg
    pump connected up.lower return and top return with valves.will sort out some more pics later.Its rather guesswork whilst my daughters not about

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  33. #137
    IMG_20200808_195033_resized_20200810_080020321.jpg electrics all in ready to start.Sorry for delay of pics by the way
    IMG_20200808_195224_resized_20200810_075614887.jpg

    water plumbed in
    IMG_20200808_195036_resized_20200810_075615670.jpgsystem filled up from bottom drain.Few little weeps on the rubber connectors.So far so good.IMG_20200809_110830_resized_20200810_075615265.jpg pond up and running.
    Its been running now for 5 days.Only been running at 50% on the E.A 20000 vari pump and its worked fine at that speed.have ramped it up to 75 and 100% but not for long
    i have an hailia 60 ltre air pump which is quite loud to be fair and when this was connected to the pipe on the midi,it did seem to make the noise worse.it seems to be like a sound box.i have used 3 airstones for now and its done the trick(i have no covers over the filter chamber at the momment.)
    Water quality has deffinately improved.The running water line is about perfect(half way up the waste shute) with the sensor down to just above the bottom of its limit.Have a measured 3 bar of pressure which is great.Cant believe how much algae thats going to waste too.Its certainly doing a great job at the moment.will have a little play over the weekend,inreasing pump flow ect.Will report back.Steve.

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  35. #138
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Twhitenosugar's Avatar
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    Glad to hear it's going well.

    Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk
    13,000L fibreglassed raised pond with window

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  37. #139
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
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    @blondie you may want to use MPDE water pipe and connectors rather than copper pipe and garden hose connectors for two reasons:
    1. Copper pipes may leach into the water and it’s toxic to koi.
    2. The garden hose used kept deforming and pulling away from the connectors. I’ve had several instances where to hose pipe has popped off and let the drum without the capability to flush, causing the pump fed system to empty the pond through the waste chute..

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  39. #140
    Many thanks Nick.Can you recomend a supplier.Its very vague in the Draco instructions connecting the water and air supply.What components to use
    Should of e-mailed Draco really .cheers.Steve

 

 
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