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Thread: BD Vs Skimmer plumbing
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18-11-2019, 11:10 PM #1
BD Vs Skimmer plumbing
Hello, I am planning my new pond build.
It will be roughly 6m x 3m with two bottom drains and a skimmer.
My current pond (10k Litres) is running a QK35 drum which has 3x110mm inlets and is fed by a single BD and a skimmer.
I have found it is difficult to get a decent pull through the skimmer without part closing the valve to the BD, enen though I have a 20k Litres/Hr superfish pump.
So, with that in mind, for the new pond, I was thinking of getting a second drum (one of the cheaper Filtreau ones) to run the skimmer and letting the QK35 have both the bottom drains. My dilema is that I may struggle getting enough pull through the BD's and I don't want three drums! (well I do, but space and budget won't allow for that!).
I will purge the BD's anyway as I have found it to be very effective. But I have a nagging in the back of my mind of one BD to one pump, which I have seen suggested several times.
What would you guys do?
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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18-11-2019, 11:16 PM #2
What’s the pipe size on the skimmer plumbing?
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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18-11-2019, 11:42 PM #3
Hello, currently I have 50mm, but for the new build I was going to run 110mm.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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18-11-2019, 11:48 PM #4
That should sort your issue then. The gravity flow rate of 2” vs 4” is significantly different which is why you aren’t getting enough pull on your skimmer. Putting it on its own drum won’t help, the drum will merely be starved of water by the pumped return (unless you slow it down). So your answer is to increase the skimmer to 4” as you have planned.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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19-11-2019, 09:33 AM #5
Thanks GadgetBazza.
I would get an additional pump for the new drum aswell to run it as a separate circuit, but I get what you mean.
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GadgetBazza, freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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25-11-2019, 07:50 PM #6
Just a little tip.
I have a 4" skimmer line and it works so well I got a bit carried away. I took out the leaf basket and this was a mistake and during the leaf drop we are currently having a huge wad of leaves has totally blocked it......bugger
All summer its been great but leaf basket for autumn will be my new way forward...…………..when I get the bugger unblocked.
Andy
Aquaforte Dm vario 20000 pumps
Still for sale. Postage available for cost Sent from my SM-S901B using Tapatalk