techie skimmer question

16 years ago

This new settling chamber thing is starting to get a bit pricey!

So, we want to add a bit of skimming in the Spring and Fall, but we don't want to spend hundreds of dollars and have to include yet another digging job to the plan. So we ordered a Pondmaster mini pond skimmer that will hang in the water. But of course it needs a little pump of its own.

DH wants to get a relatively large little pump, such as the Danner 1800 GPH (suggested on the box), and I want a relatively small one such as the Danner 700 GPH (also suggested on the box) or smaller.

So, the question is, do we need much more filtering - which will be via this mini-sized skimmer - and thus a larger pump, or is a small pump enough just for the leaves and pollen on 240 sq ft?

Pond specs:

- about 3500 gallons

- surface area about 240 sq ft

- Cascade 5000+ external pump, pulling water from the retro-fit BD to the future double-chamber SC, and pushing it up about 2.5' to the bio-fall's lip, via a Fishmate pressurized filter

- 4" pipe BD to 3" pipe in the SC to 2" pipe at the pump to what looks like 1 1/2" tube to the filter/waterfall

- this Fishmate pressurized filter has a crack somewhere and doesn't work as good as it used to, but still worth running in the Spring, and it reduces the water flow over the waterfall somewhat. The water goes around the PF the rest of the year.

Feel free to sound technical in the answer, all I will do with that is call DH over to make sense of it! As long as it's clear what size pump is best.

:) Mary

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Comments (5)

mike_il
16 years ago
Mary I would go with the larger pump because that is a large surface area for the skimmer. If possible try to put the skimmer on the east to northeast side of pond. The second thing I would look at is increasing the out flow pipe on the pump to 2" and than spiliting it to the waterfall and PF. This way you can get the max from the pump. If you don't you will only get about 2500 to 3000 gph from the pump. The other thing you might want to consider is running the skimmer and the SC off the Cascade. This can be done by running a line from the skimmer to the input of the pump with a valve and than a tee and the other side of the tee to a valve and than the SC. With the branch off the tee going to a priming pot and than the pump.
Mike
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maryo_nh
Original Author
16 years ago
Mike, thanks! A 2" pipe after the pump and splitting off the PF will work, and the waterfall volume will be definitely better. The PF is working hard for us and we don't want to bypass it if we can.
Splicing in the skimmer before the pump, that might work... DH will have to attach a 1/2 tube into a 3" pipe though... hmmm... but it will trade a bit of plumbing for the price of a pump... over a hundred dollars saved! Let me approach that from the $$ side!

{{gwi:214408}}

We have the perfect spot for the mini-skimmer, Mike, and it's on the northeast! Which will even work well with our own particular air flow patterns in the back yard. Where the pond and the mini-pond-SC are closest, there is a narrow strip, and we're going to remove the stones (me), build a bridge/boardwalk (DH) over the strip, and make it look like it's all one big pond. Then the skimmer will be underneath, with access via a trapdoor.

I love pond projects!

:) Mary

Btw, I forget who this quote is from, but it must apply to Mike from IL!
"If you find a job you love, you never have to go to work!"
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lsst
16 years ago
Mary, I really like your pond! What a perfect spot for it!
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mike_il
16 years ago
Mary the one thing I don't understand is you said you have to connect a 1/2" line to the 3" line. That will not work, yes you can connect to the 3" line but the skimmer will not operate by gravity. What I suggested you do was to connect the skimmer to the input of the pump so the pump can suck from the skimmer and the SC at the same time. I would use a larger line than 1/2".
Mike
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maryo_nh
Original Author
16 years ago
Mike, forgive me, I use language somewhat inaccurately when it's not my area of expertise. We've been chewing over that, wondering what the correct place is for where the skimmer line should come in.
The box the mini skimmer came in gives a max size of 3/4". We could increase that to 1" immediately, and bring the 1" line to the pump tub. DH could drill a 1" hole in the pump's intake pipe and glue the 1" line into it - or should he redo the current connection with a T or a V in it? Says he, "In that case, I'd rather spend the $130 and get the extra pump!"

If he can use the hole-drilling method, should the 1" line come in under a 90 degree angle or a 45 degree (assuming the diagonal points towards the pump)?

:) Mary

PS thank you lsst! We love sitting by the water on the deck. The water sounds are so relaxing!
Then we think up another pond project... heehee!!
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