clutter on filter

[SE18]

the cherry blossom trees look nice but all those petals made their way to my pond filter and twice a day I'm removing them from the Pondmaster 950 gph plastic filter. I'm hoping that if I'm away for a day or two the petals won't cause the motor in the pump to burn out

 

[Tula]

Is it possible to net the pond till the petals are done fluttering into your pond?

 

[sissy]

I had that with my plum tree .Petals every where .

 

[Troutredds]

I feel your pain. How about placing some screen, mesh, netting or other similar material in front of the inlet to your pump temporarily? You will have to a leave at least a foot of space between the filtering material and the pump though, so you don't restrict water flow through the pump.

 

[j.w]

Hey I bet a prefilter like the kind I have would help.................Colleen has one here too and they keep all the junk out of the pump quite nicely and you could get away w/ using just one. I have two connected together in this photo. Just hook tubing to your pump and to the prefilter,toss it in and it's all good:
http://www.matalausa.com/prod48.html

 

[mrsclem]

Have the same problem so got net with1/8" mesh that stops everything but rain. The white net is clear if floated on the pond.

 

[SE18]

my pump and filter take up the entire pond area so nothing more can fit or be added; the rest of the system is a maze of canals and aqueducts; I have trees everywhere b/c in the summer in virginia it gets so darned hot to be outside; the pond is so small in fact I had to forego getting the laguna energy efficient pump and opted for a smaller pumpmaster that's less energy effiicient but fits the area

i've shown this before but here's the system so you can see

 

[SE18]

oh, btw, even with a net the petals that dont float will come under the surface of the water

 

[j.w]

Guess you will just have to turn it off while you are gone or you can't leave home till the cherry blossoms are done

 

[SE18]

after the blossoms; those helicopter things come down from the trees; we'll see how it holds up; the water is cold so maybe that cools the pump from the outside?

 

[j.w]

Yep while you are home just keep checking it out. Maybe it's more capable than you think. Too bad you can't rig up some kind of a prefilter as that would help a lot but if you have no room then you have no room. What I did for many years in my pond was I took a plastic pot w/ holes all around it and stuck my pump in the bottom center of it and surrounded it w/ the matala filter media, top, bottom and all around it so the junk from the pond could not get to the pump but still had enough flow to run my falls for several months at a time. If you could do that on a small scale, if you have any room at all that might work. Tiny pot just to fit your pump and squeeze the filter stuff all around it and don't use that plastic or foam prefilter on your pump if you do it this way.

 

[dieselplower]

The pump already comes with a small prefilter. What he is saying is that there are so many of the petals getting sucked onto the prefilter, that they could stop the flow. I do have another suggestion, which is either a great one, or a terrible one. What you could do is take off the prefilter so that the petals just get sucked in and pushed right back out. The problem would be if something the size of an actual cherry were to get sucked onto the intake, it would block it completely, and the pump would burn out. I wonder if there is a way you could position the pump so that nothing of that size could get to the intake? This would be a bit of a gamble while you are gone. Will anyone else be home to ensure the water keeps flowing?

 

[j.w]

I know that but when I used this Matala stuff it could get all kinds of gunk and plants collected on it and still the water would flow through quite well. The green has larger gaps and would really let the water flow through but keep the petals and such out. Believe me the crap was thick at times all around and on that media but my pondmaster pump kept on ticking and still is, just got tired of lifting out the big pot as it was heavy. On a much smaller scale it still might work for him if he wrapped this stuff around the intake of the pump. He could try it and see while he was at home to make sure all was ok. Just still not sure he has the room for it in that little spot.

 

[SE18]

thanks for all your suggestion! We may eventually move and if we do the next time my holding pond will be big and deep! but I do like the idea of more canals and aqueducts. My wife is a real estate agent so she's keeping an eye out for me. I told her I want a natural pond or stream (then I wouldn't need a system) as well as a big yard. Sort of expensive in the wash d.c. area tho!

if we live on a pond or lake I could sail! I finished a sailboat recently and welded up a craddle car for it. I'm laying tracks for a marine railway that will be portable to take to a lake or pond. picture attached

 

[j.w]

Yep saw your video not long ago of you sailing the boat around. Neato keeno