Help wanted: Pump CONSTANTLY clogs

My pump constantly clogs up. In fact just today I hooked up a new pre-
screen to the filter and the damn pump was choking within an hour of
hooking the new thing up. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, this
pump constantly clogs up.

Use the protector that comes with the pump: it clogs.
Use the protector that comes with the pump and place the entire thing
into a large container wrapped in porch screening: it clogs.
Suck the water through a filter with filter media: it clogs
Suck the water through a filter without media: it floats
Add rocks to the empty pre-filter: Live Oak leaves squeeze through the
cracks and clog the filter.

Clog, clog, clog. Day after day, month after month, year after year.
I'm sick of it. All I ever do with my pond is repair that damn
clogged pump.


I'd like to know what the hell I need to do to put on the front of
this thing to keep it from clogging up, but I'd really like to know
why I am apparently the only person on the planet that has this
problem. No matter what pond supply store I look at they never have
any reasonable pre-screens for pumps. Most don't have anything at
all! Apparently this is not a big deal for people, but it's an
incredibly huge deal for me. This problem has resulted in fish deaths
on me in the past when the damn pump stopped in the middle of a hot
August night.


I also need ideas for what to do with my problem of having
incompatible equipment. Every damn pond thing that I own uses a
different sized tube, and even my filter uses one size on the input
and another size on the outflows. This is also driving me nuts
because I always have to do this stupid little dance to get things to
connect to each other.

Thanks for any ideas, including ideas for a new pump that pumps at
least 3000GPH and doesn't cost a fortune to run let me know.

Right now I have Microlift 02 releaser in my pond because I've given
up on getting this nonsense to work.

On 10 Mar 2007 16:10:44 -0800, "scs0" wrote:

Clog, clog, clog. Day after day, month after month, year after year.
I'm sick of it. All I ever do with my pond is repair that damn
clogged pump.

Have you tried something like this?
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/koipond/photos/set1/09.jpg

Do not put filter material inside the baskets, do not leave foam prefilter
on pump. Ideally, get the pump out of the pond, and if you can't do that,
at least get the filter out of the pond. More pictures on my webpage of DYI
filters out of the pond. www.jjspond.us

I'd like to know what the hell I need to do to put on the front of
this thing to keep it from clogging up, but I'd really like to know
why I am apparently the only person on the planet that has this
problem.

You're not the only one, but once you do the mesh basket thing, you'll be
one less. ;-)

Right now I have Microlift 02 releaser in my pond because I've given
up on getting this nonsense to work.

An air pump and large airstone might be better... and are good back up. As
far as the fittings, I feel you pain. Luckily I have a geeky (Asperger's)
son (25) who loves to go to the hardware store and figure out all the
fittings. Why they don't put chairs/benches in hardware stores for us
non-hardware waiters is beyond me. (I'd say women, but I don't want to be
sexist.) ;-) ~ jan

Have you tried something like this?http://users.owt.com/jjspond/koipond/photos/set1/09.jpg

When I first read your post I was still furious so my first thought
was "Jeeze, I don't want to have to make another device!" but then I
calmed down and realized that your contraption seemed very effective.
I actually made a similar one today out a pair of the largest potting
containers at Lowes of that type. I had a hell of a time finding
something that would let me fasten the tube inside the device, and
finally resorted to using lots and lots of hot glue.

Mine is made from two 12" square-ish pots and I placed a thin brick
inside it to ensure that it will sink. I hooked it up and wasn't
getting any water out, so I unplugged the tube from the pump and the
pump started sucking water, then I reconnected the tube and
everything's been working well for 7 hours or so. I guess the pump
was just out of wack from the stress of sucking a vaccum yesterday.

Thanks for this tip!


You're not the only one, but once you do the mesh basket thing, you'll be
one less. ;-)

It seems to be working well, and those little Live Oak leaves
shouldn't be able to get through those holes, but I do worry that the
holes are too small and will build up debris which will then cause the
entire thing to impode from the suction of the pump. I've had that
problem happen in the past too. At first I thought it was heat from
the pump and feared my pump could melt a hole in the liner, but then I
realized the things were slowly crushed.



An air pump and large airstone might be better... and are good back up. As
far as the fittings, I feel you pain. Luckily I have a geeky (Asperger's)
son (25) who loves to go to the hardware store and figure out all the
fittings.

Duh! The air bubblers!
I was so mad yesterday when I made that post that I completely forgot
that I have a pair of air bubbler tubes in the pond for just that
problem. After I read your post I hooked the power up to the air
bubbler.



Why they don't put chairs/benches in hardware stores for us
non-hardware waiters is beyond me. (I'd say women, but I don't want to be
sexist.) ;-) ~ jan

I've wondered the same thing about shoe and clothing stores, except in
those places they need to put out cots and hammocks for the waiters

On 11 Mar 2007 20:32:14 -0700, "scs0" wrote:

I'm glad you found the baskets, did I understand correctly you hot glued
them together? We use those zip tie thingies.

I've wondered the same thing about shoe and clothing stores, except in
those places they need to put out cots and hammocks for the waiters

In the old days, and I'm not dating myself, I just remember old movies. ;-)
All women's clothing stores had chairs for the husbands. This was before
the feminists movement when many women didn't drive, I assume. ~ jan

up here in the frozen tundra they now have seating areas right outside clothes stores
often there is coffee shop, cushy large chairs, computer hook ups. they didnt
disappear, they morphed. Ingrid

~ jan wrote:
In the old days, and I'm not dating myself, I just remember old movies. ;-)
All women's clothing stores had chairs for the husbands. This was before
the feminists movement when many women didn't drive, I assume. ~ jan



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On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:21:34 GMT, wrote:

up here in the frozen tundra they now have seating areas right outside clothes stores
often there is coffee shop, cushy large chairs, computer hook ups. they didnt
disappear, they morphed. Ingrid

~ jan wrote:
In the old days, and I'm not dating myself, I just remember old movies. ;-)
All women's clothing stores had chairs for the husbands. This was before
the feminists movement when many women didn't drive, I assume. ~ jan


LOL! Very perceptive of you, I didn't think about evolution. Now to get
similar at hardware stores. ;-) ~ jan

No, I hot glued the tubing into the planter so that it cannot move. I
used zip ties to join the two halves together just like yours. With
mine the pump sit outside the contraption and pulls the water in
through a tube where the other end of the tube is inside the
contraption.

It's been running for about 24 hours and all seems well.

No, I hot glued the tubing into the planter so that it cannot move. I
used zip ties to join the two halves together just like yours. With
mine the pump sit outside the contraption and pulls the water in
through a tube where the other end of the tube is inside the
contraption.

Hey Jan - this sounds like an interesting concept, as long as your pump
does not draw from the "slotted base " as mine does - I am going to look for
a pump with a "closed intake" system - much easier to to pre-filter this way
IMO - Thanks for the idea scs0 !
Gale :~)

"scs0" wrote in message
oups.com...
No, I hot glued the tubing into the planter so that it cannot move. I
used zip ties to join the two halves together just like yours. With
mine the pump sit outside the contraption and pulls the water in
through a tube where the other end of the tube is inside the
contraption.

It's been running for about 24 hours and all seems well.
====================
Mine looks much like the pic of Jan's baskets. Not only do they not clog
easily, but no fry get sucked in and killed either.
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

On 12 Mar 2007 13:01:47 -0700, "scs0" wrote:

No, I hot glued the tubing into the planter so that it cannot move. I
used zip ties to join the two halves together just like yours. With
mine the pump sit outside the contraption and pulls the water in
through a tube where the other end of the tube is inside the
contraption.

Sounds even easier than having to put the whole pump inside.

It's been running for about 24 hours and all seems well.

Excellent. :-) ~ jan