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.

"scs0" wrote in message
ups.com...
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.

It sounds like a few problems. First what is clogging the intake? Leaves?
Partly rotted pond plants? Slime algae?

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.

The leaves should be netted out before you start your pump in spring.
Window screen is too fine if there's a lot of debris in your pond. What
works for us is to use two of those black plant baskets wired rim to rim
like a big clam - with the pump inside. Cut a hole in the bottom of one for
the hose and electrical cord to emerge. These will not clog for a long,
long time unless, as I said your pond is full of debris. If your pond had a
load of partly rotted plant debris and leaves you may want to just go ahead
and drain it down, clean out the mass of trash and start again. Other
people may suggest other ways to deal with it.

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.

I go through the same old stupid little dance getting things to fit. It's
one of those irritations of life....

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.


--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

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

The leaves should be netted out before you start your pump in spring.
Window screen is too fine if there's a lot of debris in your pond. What
works for us is to use two of those black plant baskets wired rim to rim
like a big clam - with the pump inside. Cut a hole in the bottom of one for
the hose and electrical cord to emerge. These will not clog for a long,
long time unless, as I said your pond is full of debris. If your pond had a
load of partly rotted plant debris and leaves you may want to just go ahead
and drain it down, clean out the mass of trash and start again. Other
people may suggest other ways to deal with it.

I live in Florida so this pump runs year-round. I actually haven't
had that many problems this winter and I'm very thankful for that.
February was extremely cold down here and fixing these pump problems
always requires getting into the water. I was thankful I only had to
do it once or twice that month.

The problem got worse recently and I think it was influenced by the
Live Oak in neighbor's yard. These trees are covered year-round with
small oval leaves about an inch in length. They kept sneaking through
my latest pre-filter screening and jammed up my impeller. I think
these trees shed a lot on the spring, but this one looks to have lots
of yellow in it. I wonder if it's dying.

Other debris isn't that bad because I have moved away from putting
every pond plant known to man in the pond and have instead limited
myself to just a few. Hornwort used to be a ******! But I have a
poweful pump and anything that's in there will eventually get pulled
towards that pump.

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

On 11 Mar 2007 20:52:09 -0700, "scs0" wrote:

The problem got worse recently and I think it was influenced by the
Live Oak in neighbor's yard. These trees are covered year-round with
small oval leaves about an inch in length. They kept sneaking through
my latest pre-filter screening and jammed up my impeller. I think
these trees shed a lot on the spring, but this one looks to have lots
of yellow in it. I wonder if it's dying.

Dying? No such luck, some along the gulf coast are 500 years old,
this is just the time of year it sheds and takes on new growth. I
have a live oak next door to me, in Middle Georgia, and I'm
considering giving up my iris bed that it has grown over. It will be
much easier to cope with the bed as lawn or juniper that I can spray
over with Image to kill off the multitude of small trees that come up
in it every year.

My pond is on the opposite side of the house, but the live oak leaves
are a pain in the gutter until they stop falling.

Regards,

Hal

I just think yoo need a better strainer or prefilter. I have pump
intakes in a natural mud bottom pond which is surounded by trees etc
and have no problems with clogging....What I use is a cylindrical mesh
screen that is approx4" in diam, and it extends up from the bottom to
the top of the water level. Its virtually impossible or at least not
very quickly anyhow to suck in junk that will clog it all up at one
time........

The material I use is in 44" long pineces and adapts easily to
standard PVC pipe and fittings...........so it not hard to adapt to
most any pump.....I get it out of Florida, from Aquatic Eco
Systems......

I live in Alabama myself and my pumps all run 24/7 on various preforms
and 3 mud bottom ponds and clogging just is not a problem with this
cylindrical screen. Look up item number RT444 on AES website. It fits
4" pvc. YOu can use various PVC fitting s to adapt to your pump and
think "Vertical install" not horizontal.......Its possible and well
advised to create a standpipe inside the perforated tube, so you do
not pull directly on the bottom.......I keep mine aprox 6" off pond
bottom to keep from pulling in trash. No filter sponges or other
filter media is needed, and these 4" diam perforated tubes have holes
inthem approx 3/16" in size which should be plenty fine to prevent
junk from entering and damageing the pump.


http://www.aquaticeco.com
Item # RT444
Page 430 of Master Catalog.

1-877-347-4788
Give em a call they have lots of stuff for ponds much cheaper than
tyopical pond supply and water garden stores.
Bags and balls of screening etc is fine, but your stlil pulling water
directly off tre bottom, and it doe snot take much to cover over a
pump intake.


-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

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