Welcome to Koi Forum. Is this your first visit? Register
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 28
  1. #1

    Eazypod Cleaning issues

    Hi all, I have an Eazypod gravitiy fed set up on a 4,000 Litre Pond and just cleaned the Pod for the first time since introducing the 4 Koi to the new Pond 2 weeks ago.

    The process of cleaning I have followed is:

    1) Turn pump and UV unit off
    2) Insert black cleaning pipe insert
    3) Wait for water level to rise just above overflow section
    4) Close inlet from bottom drain
    5) Turn on Air pump to boil K1 micro media

    The problem is part 3 waiting for the water level top rise! The water level did not come up at all after 5 minutes or longer... I thought by inserting the black cleaning pipe it stops the water going out of Pod back to Pond, so in theory, the water should rise until I shut off the inlet pipe?

    So I continue without the water rising by turning on the air to agitate the K1 micro for few minutes and then open the waste inlet to release the dirty water out. Here I hit another problem, the water come out ok but not all the waste water at the bottom of the Pod, due to the pipe over hanging out of the filter box to higher ground and the bottom waste water in the Pod will not come out any more. I enclose some pics to show what I mean. How do I get all that waste water lying at the bottom of the pod to come out from the waste outlet through the pipe without go all the way digging a trench to collect the waste water? Help and comments much appreciated.

    IMG_20200521_143231.jpgIMG_20200521_143336.jpg



  2. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  3. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai Scamp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    1,087
    Thanks / Likes
    1192
    Hi if the water is not rising to top of the easy section with the pump off, it sounds that the pod is too high vs the water level in the pond. You can check that...when it rises and stops does it look level with your pond surface water? Solution is to lower pod if this is the case. Regards the waste, it drains via gravity so if your waste pipe is higher than the exit then it will not empty completely. Can you dig a hole and make a sump for the pod to drain into and then pump to garden or to a drain?

  4. Thanks Koikoiho, freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  5. #3
    The water level of the pod is in line with the surface of the pond, in fact I am hoping to add more water to the Pond to raise the water level in Pod by about 2 inches or so. But in theory, with the black pipe inserted, this stops any water going out to the return pipe, wont the Pod water level rises because the inlet pipe is still feeding water from the pond to the Pod, so will continue to do so until I shut it off?

    yes the waste outlet pipe is gravity fed out and in my case the pipe goes over the filter box bottom frame and onto slightly higer ground where I have the container to catch the water. Digging a sump is not an option I am afraid, so I can only release the waste water bit by bit and flushing the Pod with water from the inlet and use a small brush to push the waste bits towards the outlet pipe. No other way really. I think may be the EA should design the waste outlet slightly higher would help those with restricted spaces for releasing the waste water. I believe the Eazypod is initially designed for pump fed operation, where it will be sitting higher than the pond surface water? Anyway, plod on with flushing out the waste from the bottom of the Pod!

  6. #4
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Frimley Koi keeper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    13,544
    Thanks / Likes
    19237
    Quote Originally Posted by Koikoiho View Post
    The water level of the pod is in line with the surface of the pond, in fact I am hoping to add more water to the Pond to raise the water level in Pod by about 2 inches or so. But in theory, with the black pipe inserted, this stops any water going out to the return pipe, wont the Pod water level rises because the inlet pipe is still feeding water from the pond to the Pod, so will continue to do so until I shut it off?
    Not sure how it works on a gravity system but would guess that inserting the pipe into the centre section of your Eazy Pod without the pump running the water level would stay the same. On my pump fed version you leave the pump running, stick the cleaning tube in and wait for the water level to be pumped into the Eazy Pod to the desired level then you have to turn off the pump and shut the valve on the inlet of the Eazy Pod. It sounds like you have the water level or Eazy Pod at the wrong height or maybe you are following the wrong cleaning instructions?

  7. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  8. #5
    I have followed the instructions on the manual provided by EA, even though it misses one important step ie to turn off the UV unit!
    I am adding more water to the pond and see by raising the water level by a couple inches see if that helps. This time, I will wait a bit longer and see if the water level rises to the overflow sections and then boil.

  9. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  10. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai RudeDogg1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    316
    Thanks / Likes
    301
    Could always stick a pump on the end of ur drain pipe if u really can’t get over the problem

  11. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  12. #7
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Frimley Koi keeper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    13,544
    Thanks / Likes
    19237
    Quote Originally Posted by Koikoiho View Post
    I have followed the instructions on the manual provided by EA, even though it misses one important step ie to turn off the UV unit!
    I am adding more water to the pond and see by raising the water level by a couple inches see if that helps. This time, I will wait a bit longer and see if the water level rises to the overflow sections and then boil.
    The way I understand the gravity cleaning process of the Eazy Pod is the water level should settle fairly quickly once you turn the pump off etc.

    As you mentioned earlier, leaving the pump running after insert the cleaning pipe might be a way to get it to fill up a bit more?

    Hopefully once you raise the water level in your pond on a gravity system everything else should start to level out as well and hopefully your problem will be sorted?

  13. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  14. #8
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Frimley Koi keeper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    13,544
    Thanks / Likes
    19237
    The waste water outlet is just as bad on a pump fed Eazy Pod as the outlet is too high and should have been coming out of the bottom of the outer chamber.

    With mine if there is still muck in the bottom of the outer chamber after 2 boils and a flush I just do another flush and if that doesn't work I just use a wet and dry Hoover to get rid of any dirty water left behind.

    As for how you are trying to run your waste pipe work I agree that a pump is probably the best option, just make sure you get something with a flow rate of 5000 lph or more. I drain mine into a 90 litre tub and that has a puddle pump in it which then pumps to a water butt which either goes onto the garden or down the drain.

  15. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  16. #9
    A wet and dry hoover or a dedicated pond vac is an option to get rid of the waste at the bottom of the Pod, an external pump will work too, but I am already tight for space inside the filter area so need to think where to mount it. All these options are feasible.

    I am more concerned about the water level of the Pod not rising up to the over flow section for boiling when I insert the black cleaning pipe. All the dirt when boiling are not being pushed through the overflow section and into the outer chamber, instead, larger waste are still getting trapped in the K1 micro and not fully flushed out.

  17. #10
    It really sounds that the easypod is not at the correct level, if you are planning to add a couple of inches to your water level, you have answered it.

    When you turn the pump off where is the water level in the pod?

  18. Thanks freddyboy, Koikoiho Thanked / Liked this Post
  19. #11
    Tried again with the cleaning, really struggling to get the inside of the Pod to flush out all the dirts collected at the bottom. And again, the water level did not rise up to the overflow section even when I have added a couple inches of water to the pond level. Only way to raise the water to the overflow section is to shut off the inlet pipe from the pond after closing the inlet to the return pipe and then adding buckets of water from the pond to fill up. This is a hasle but I can handle that, but flushing out the water out is a real pain.

    Frustrated with this Eazypod, whole point for it is the 'easy' maintainace!!

    IMG_20200530_121155.jpg
    Last edited by Koikoiho; 30-05-2020 at 01:38 PM.

  20. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Doitsusanke View Post
    It really sounds that the easypod is not at the correct level, if you are planning to add a couple of inches to your water level, you have answered it.

    When you turn the pump off where is the water level in the pod?
    When I turn the pump off and close the return outlet and leaving the inlet open from the pond, the water level stays the same as before, when I add buckets of water taken from the pond, the water level also stay the same, BUT when I close the inlet from the pond bottom drain, the water level rises when I add buckets of water. I would have thought once the outlet is shut off, regardless of what level the pond water is, the Eazypod just behave like a giant container and when water coming from the inlet will raise the water level since the inlet is shut off and in theory, nowhere to escape? Or am I wrong in my thinking, since gravitiy is still in play here?

  21. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Sim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Berkshire
    Posts
    912
    Thanks / Likes
    1437
    No if the bottom drain is open and you put a bucket of water in the filter it will back flow into the pond and be the same level.

  22. Thanks Koikoiho, freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  23. #14
    Senior Member Rank = Nanasai algarth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Wigan
    Posts
    544
    Thanks / Likes
    602
    Think of your gravity fed easy as a big U tube with the pod on one side of the U and the pond on the other side of the U. No matter how much water you put in either side it will always be the same level on both sides with the bottom drain open.
    Your pump should only push water back to the pond in a gravity fed system
    Last edited by algarth; 30-05-2020 at 03:04 PM.

  24. Thanks Koikoiho, freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  25. #15
    In the picture you’ve shown the water is to low? The Pod needs to be a couple of inches without the lid on above your water level of the pond.

    https://youtu.be/xsStz3gJQts

    https://evolutionaqua.com/pub/media/...Pod-Manual.pdf

  26. Thanks Koikoiho, Frimley Koi keeper, freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  27. #16
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Frimley Koi keeper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    13,544
    Thanks / Likes
    19237
    I was under the impression that with a gravity fed system unless you are pumping up to a shower or something then when you turn the pump off and have the inlet and outlet valves both open then the water should equalise throughout the system once the water stops circulating a few seconds after the pump is turned off? I'm currently only running a pump fed system with an Eazy Pod and if I turn the pump off unless I close the inlet valve and fit the cleaning tube into the Eazy Pod my Eazy Pod will drain down to the top of the inlet of the Eazy Pod.

    Just a thought here but if it is slowly draining down and you have both the inlet and outlet valves closed it could be your waste valve is slightly open or possibly leaking.

    The design fault on every Eazy Pod is the inability to drain the outer chamber 100% due to the waste outlet being on the side and not the bottom of the chamber. So your options are, do an extra part flush or get a wet and dry Hoover and use that to empty the outer chamber.

    I have a long handle bottle brush and a short handle bottle brush which I use to give the various parts of the Eazy Pod a brush as the thing is boiling and then again just before opening the waste valve to try to keep the muck suspended in the water as it drains. Sometimes it works better than others but if not I get the wet and dry Hoover out.

  28. Thanks Koikoiho Thanked / Liked this Post
  29. #17
    Its gravitiy fed so the water levels in the Eazypod and Pond are the same. Thanks I have seen the video and his water level rises when he shut off the inlet valve and tyrned off pump and then he turn off the inlet from the pond to start cleaning. In my situation, I have to close the inlet and add water from the pond bucket loads to fill the Eazypod to raise the levels

  30. #18
    There's no leak in the waste valve, otherwise it will be flooding the chamber. As I mentioned earlier, I don't mind adding water to the pod from the pond to raise the water level above the overflow section for cleaning, it is the flushing out the waste water and thoroughly clearing the muck that settle at the bottom rim of the pod I am struggling with. The Pod sits below ground level, so when the water drops to about quarter , it no longer flushes out. I guess a wet and dry hoover is the best solution to suck out the waste water and sludge from inside the Pod. I dont even need to open the waste gate too. So any wet and dry hoover for home use ok for this job or do I need to buy the more expensive Pond vac for the job? Wife already moaning , whole point investing in a Eazypod was the easy maintenance and no dirty hands cleaning filter media and sponges etc....

  31. #19
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Frimley Koi keeper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    13,544
    Thanks / Likes
    19237
    Surely you mean, he turns off the outlet, then the pump and then inlet or the other way around as you say he turns off the inlet twice?

    If he turns off the outlet and then the pump, then as the water stops circulating and any water above the pond surface drains into the pond then in theory the water level in the Eazy Pod should rise up to the same level as the pond won't it?

  32. #20
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Frimley Koi keeper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    13,544
    Thanks / Likes
    19237
    Quote Originally Posted by Koikoiho View Post
    There's no leak in the waste valve, otherwise it will be flooding the chamber. As I mentioned earlier, I don't mind adding water to the pod from the pond to raise the water level above the overflow section for cleaning, it is the flushing out the waste water and thoroughly clearing the muck that settle at the bottom rim of the pod I am struggling with. The Pod sits below ground level, so when the water drops to about quarter , it no longer flushes out. I guess a wet and dry hoover is the best solution to suck out the waste water and sludge from inside the Pod. I dont even need to open the waste gate too. So any wet and dry hoover for home use ok for this job or do I need to buy the more expensive Pond vac for the job? Wife already moaning , whole point investing in a Eazypod was the easy maintenance and no dirty hands cleaning filter media and sponges etc....
    Another option to get it to at least drain down the the waste valve is fit a pump to a flexi pipe and fit that to the waste valve. Just make sure you get at least a 6000 lph pump as I found with mine that was at least as fast as the waste was draining out at. A medium sized puddle pump in a 90 litre sump is what I ended up with as they are designed to run and stop multi times where as a pond pump is designed to run 24 hours a day 7 days a week and they don't like being stopped and started as often as a sump pump or puddle pump.

 

 
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:14 PM. Online Koi Mag Forum
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3
Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

vBulletin Improved By vBFoster® (Lite Version), © UltimateScheme, Ltd.