![]() |
|||||
|
Bottom drains are often intimidating to the beginner due to a fear of leaks. T his is often enough to overshadow the realization of how integral and important they are to both water quality and reducing maintenance. It's a huge "should have" to face down the road when just a afternoon of work could have made your pond so much better |
What Are They Exactly ? The term "bottom drain" is really a misnomer. They should be more aptly referred to as a "bottom filter feed or return ". While a pump in the pond is aesthetically unattractive and can't remove large debris, a 4 inch bottom drain will remove everything, including large leaves, as it continually vacuums your pond Parts of a Drain Bottom drains are comprised of 3 parts. The sump or body, the flange and the Dome. The flange is used to affix the liner to the sump to create a water tight seal The dome forces the drain to draw water from the pond's bottom thereby pulling debris with it. Always install the dome. The draw radius of a drain is about 2 feet so it is important to bowl the bottom towards your drain(s) Attached to the drains body is a 4 inch neck which will connect to pipe and/or flex hose. This is the conduit to carry debris to your settlement tank |
Installation The greatest fear people have in regards to bottom drains is that their pond will leak. When properly installed, the chances are very slim that there will be any problems. Ultimately, I hear more news of people pumping their ponds dry with submersibles then I ever do about bottom drains leaking As for the actually 1-2-3 of getting the drain installed, it's straight forward for even the average Do It Yourselfer See a video of a drain install
TIP - remember, your drain will likely have "airlock" when you first fill up your pond. Flow rate will be very poor. Close the gate valve, drain the vortex completely and then open the gate valve. Water with air will rush in. Repeat until you don't see any air pockets within the intake water (3-5 times) |
||||||||||
| Immeasurable Benefits In most cases, people building their first pond do not install a bottom drain and they soon grow to regret it Without a proper bottom drain you will probably fight with a clogging pump and struggle to hide the power cord and tubing from sight. Additionally, submersible pumps consume more power and do not last as long as external pumps Aesthetics aside, you will shocked at the amount of debris that has built up when you perform your first pond clean out. As the fish get larger, the pond clean out becomes quite an ordeal and stressful for both yourself and the fish A bottom drain will promote maximum re-circulation and water quality as it vacuums the pond floor. Without it, accumulated debris often makes its way back up into the water column creating turbidity issues In short, a bottom drain needs to be considered as an essential component of any pond |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Flange Installation Try to get he drain as level as possible being cageful to make it fit with the surrounding soil. A couple bags of concrete to hold the drain in place is a good idea. Install the membranes and then perform an "X" cut - not too large. Clean the rim of the bottom drain and the underside of the liner. Make sure it is spotless, dry and that no geosynthetic will interfere with the seal Apply the glue to the drain, underneath the liner, then press the liner into place on the drain body and even it out so there are no wrinkles. Align the flange and screw in your first screw. Finding the first hole can be a bit of a challenge, depending on the type of drain you can mark the drains body to make this easier . After the first screw is in, do the hole next to it. After that, alternate the holes much like you would with a car tire Trim the excess liner away. Apply another bead of glue around the drain body, liner and flange connection Remember, take your time, this is not a 5 minute job ! If you are too nervous to install your drain, we do provide that service and if your well prepared it won't take more than 2 hours
|
||||||||||||
Home | About Us | Contact Info | Store | Services | Koi for Sale | Email | Download Catalogue | Site Map | Return Policy Last Modified : September 28, 2008 Optimized for 1280x1024+ with |