Unbunging my fountain

Using just a filter box I manage to keep the water clear (except when it is very sunny) but the fountain has to be cleaned again and again with the almost certain risk of me falling in.

Any ideas - could I perhaps wrap the pump in an old pair of tights loosly, then I could just change the tights which would be simpler than dismantling the fountain.

Anyone tried this. Just realised through I never waer tights so any other solution would be good

Regards to all

B

 

Sounds like you need a pre-filter for your pump. Prices start at about �£20.

Wrapping your pump in a stocking (or tights if you have two) will probably result in you having to clean out the pump more frequently, and no, I've not tried it.

 

I'll go and look in the pond things shop for a pre-filter.

Thanks

B

 

Hey B, l got a piece of wire mesh quite fine and made into a ball about the size of a tennis ball this will keep out various bits of weed etc which should be attached to the inlet of the pump if you have in the bottom surgest you raise it with perhaps a house brick in order that the inlet is above the silt

 

Hi B,
You could get creative with a 2 gal bucket and a round stainless steel frying pan splash guard from wilko`s (total cost less than �£5)

The basic plan is to put the pump in the bucket and fix the splash guard over the top to form a fine mesh prefilter.

Make a hole in the side of the bucket, or alternatively, in the mesh cover for the outlet hose and power cable (don`t forget to use a grommit or plastic cable gland).

The water must pass through the mesh to get to the pump and being stainless steel it won`t rust.

When you need to clean it.. simply lift the entire bucket out of the pond.
No wading required..

You may still get some blockages due to bacteria colonising the pipework..a prefilter won`t prevent that as food and oxygen for the bacteria are flowing in the pipe along with the water

 

Oooo......... how clever. I will give the matter some thought but I do see what you mean.

ta
v
m

B

 

Done the tights thing (no I don't wear them - and my clients found it amusing my asking them for their cast-offs) and sad to report its more trouble than its worth. The tights need to be constructed around a frame to increase the surface area for water to flow through or else they just block up, and the whole thing quickly starts to become Heath-Robinsonesque.

I have succesfully used stiff plastic netting with a approx 5mm hole size that I picked from a garden centre where they were selling it for windbreak, or peas, or some other unlikely use on a long roll. Bought it by the metre. Netlon, or Nortene or some other company I think. You can make a cage out of that, and if the problem is filamentous algae, or pondweed it seems to work. Wouldn't work for pond sludge though, but Hex's solution sounds on track if that's your problem.

 

A bit late responding to this but that is because our computer blew up.Anyway a while ago I posted a query on here much like this one in that I have a pump and a large filterbox but the water never seemed to clear properly and I was forever hauling the pump out to clean it.I have been down the tights road and it is as much hard work as cleaning the pump out.However one of the more knowledgable experts on this site suggested I got a basket type container (I bought a large plastic aquatic plant pot from B&Q about �£3)and put the pump in it and then covered the pump with washed gravel - fairly large sized pieces (about �£2 from B&Q) result a virtually maintenance free pump and crystal clear water. I thought the water was clear before but the difference is really amazing and that is with some pretty hefty orfe and tench stirring the bottom of the pond up.Give it a go,for a fiver its worth it and I am pretty sure it will solve your problems

 

I am even later (just joined)

a well known pump maker has detachable "filter wings" on their fountain pumps.
The idea is you can remove these wings connect them to an extension hose and connect the hose to the inlet of the pump. not only does it give a bigger surface area, you can put the wings near the edge of the pond so you can just remove and clean as and when required.

In my opinion, there never will be a true 100% non blocking pump / filter set up.

yes you can get pumps that will pass solids of up to 10mm, but string alage is not a solid and this too can block the holes, and if the pump is able to pass any solids, where do they go? the filter, which means instead of cleaning the pump you clean the filter.

Yes it is easier to clean the filters than any pump, and yes the frequency for cleaning is getting less, but you will never get a 100% non blocking filter / pump combination. (Unless its only a fountain)

[ 14. January 2007, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: watergarden ]