Re: Gravity fed versus pump fed filters

[Phyllis and Jim Hurley]

Can't speak to comparison.

We have pump fed.
Pump in the bottom of the pond.
Three feeds up to barrels
Which then gravity feed the VF ponds.
Return gravity to pond
Total head about 4'

Works fine.

P--
____________________________________________
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"Iain Miller" > wrote in message
...
> Anybody have an opinion on which is better & why? Anybody tried both &
found
> one to be much better than the other?
>
> I would think the pump fed is easier to set up & is not sensitive to water
> levels in the pond but the gravity fed seems to have the advantage of
being
> able to catch a lot of the cack in a settlement chamber and less pump
> maintenance.
>
> I'm trying to decide on which way to go - what's the preference of the
> assembled company? All thoughts gratefully recieved.
>
> rgds
>
> I.
>
>

[Phyllis and Jim Hurley]

We have NEVER gone to the bottom of the pond to clean the pump.

It is now at the end of its 6th year. It lives at the bottom of our 'deep
well' (think old septic tank) in a 5 gal bucket with a vast # of 1/2" holes
in the sides, no holes in the bottom and a light grid (egg crate) over the
top. The bucket is supported by 2 bricks to lift it. The only things that
can get to it are less than 1/2" and the pump grinds them up.

There are no filter pads around the pump to clean! The only reason we would
go there would be if the pump broke or something got through the holes that
could jam it. Hasn't happened yet. May it not break in the winter.

We drain our barrels annually. Also our ponds.

I was thinking about Jan's preference for gravity fed filters. In a way, we
have both. The pump pushes up through the barrels and the water then flows
down through the VF ponds and over the falls.

J
____________________________________________

--
____________________________________________
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
www.jogathon.net
See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
"Iain Miller" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Phyllis and Jim Hurley" > wrote in
> message .. .
> > Can't speak to comparison.
> >
> > We have pump fed.
> > Pump in the bottom of the pond.
> > Three feeds up to barrels
> > Which then gravity feed the VF ponds.
> > Return gravity to pond
> > Total head about 4'
> >
> > Works fine.
>
> Thanks for that, but how often do you have to get in to clean the pump?
>
> rgds
>
> I
>
>

[Kevin Carbis]

In my previous home, I had a small pond of about 1,000 gallons. In
that pond I had started with a pump in the pond feeding a filter
outside the pond. Water returned through a veggie filter via gravity.
I'd say it worked OK but cleaning the pump of debris was a PITA so I
swapped it for a tetra retrofit bottom drain and an external pump. I
liked this much better.

In the new pond, about 5,000 gallons, I have an external self-priming
pump drawing water from a skimmer and two bottom drains and pushing it
through a bead filter before returning the water to a veggie filter
and two jacuzzi style jets.

I like the currnet set up very much. I like having an external pump
for maintenance, replacement, seeing whats going on etc. I like being
able to simply backflush the bead filter, I clean the filter and
change out the water in one fell swoop.

BUT, if I could do it over I would probably build the gravity style
filtration I see in the "Koi Kichi" book and other sources. There,
additional excavation is done adjacent to the pond and filled with
filter media. This additional chamber is fed by at least one bottom
drain and one skimmer. A pump then returns the water to the pond.
These seem like very clean installations, although it does mean more
work.

Good luck.

[Iain Miller]

>
> >I would think the pump fed is easier to set up

Thanks to all who have responded to this - I like the look of Gravity fed -
now I just have tro figure out if I can do it with the way the site is.

rgds

I.

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>I was thinking about Jan's preference for gravity fed filters. In a way, we
>have both. The pump pushes up through the barrels and the water then flows
>down through the VF ponds and over the falls.
>J

Well gravity does play a part in your set up obviously, but you don't have
a gravity fed filter, wherein gravity moves the water to fill the filter
because the pump is removing water from the filter. (But you knew that. ;o)
~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>> >I would think the pump fed is easier to set up

Yes it is, it is how most of us start out, then we get.... smarter? ;o)
Gravity fed filters usually perform better and therefore are easier to
maintain... course that could also be because the ponder is wiser due to
experience. :o) ~ jan


See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website