Dual inlet pond plumbing questions

[Rashad]

Hey everyone, so as things get more real of course my fancy plans in my head aren't working out...

Originally I was planning on having the pump in the intake bay, a satellite intake near the bottom of the pond to add to circulation and reduce the amount of gunk that builds up on the bottom and send all that to the bog.

However, getting the plumbing to work with the extra inlet and the outlet both in the vault in the intake bay is doable, but seems like taking the pump out to clean it is going to be a bit of a nightmare since I'll have two unions to undo, all in the cramped space of the pump vault, underwater. Is that going to be as annoying as I think it is? Or will I only need to do it like once a year and it won't be that bad?

Now I'm thinking of just putting the pump in the pond itself and the satellite intake in the pump vault in the intake bay to simplify things. But then the pump itself will be exposed to way more gunk from the pond, which the whole idea of the intake bay was to provide some mechanical filtration so the pump stays in better shape and requires less cleaning to begin with. Although with the intake bay theoretically trapping the big stuff, and the bog working well maybe there will be less gunk to plug up the pump in the first place?

The other option is to abandon my dual inlet idea, just put the pump in the intake bay and accept that I threw away like $200 on a fancy pump and extra tubing and have no water going to the bog from near the bottom.

 

[combatwombat]

Two unions doesn't seem like that big of a deal. You could always make your own pump vault from a big food barrel or something so you have more space to work in.

 

[Rashad]

I've already installed the aquascape vault which works perfectly with their aqua blocks. Plus I backfilled it and really don't want to dig that sucker out again.. I guess what I'm really asking is for people with ponds with a (hopefully) well functioning bog, how often do you need to clean out your pumps? I'm not directly under trees but its windy enough that I think this is going to be a fairly high debris level pond and I'm sure the intake bay won't catch everything.

 

[Jhn]

Personally would rather clean my pump than clog up the bog, by pulling water directly from the pond bottom and feeding it into the bog. Most that have bogs do not pull directly from the pond bottom to feed them, as it clogs up the bog quickly. My bogs are fed from a skimmer and an intake bay.

I would concentrate on creating flow in the pond to try and catch as much debris in the intake bay before it has a chance to sink. Watch keeping a pump directly on the bottom too as if there is a leak in your output hose and it is outside the liner it can empty your pond.

 

[Rashad]

Personally would rather clean my pump than clog up the bog, by pulling water directly from the pond bottom and feeding it into the bog. Most that have bogs do not pull directly from the pond bottom to feed them, as it clogs up the bog quickly. My bogs are fed from a skimmer and an intake bay.

I would concentrate on creating flow in the pond to try and catch as much debris in the intake bay before it has a chance to sink. Watch keeping a pump directly on the bottom too as if there is a leak in your output hose and it is outside the liner it can empty your pond.

Doesn't @addy1 pull from like a foot from the bottom of her pond? All my piping is going stay within the pond for that exact reason.

 

[poconojoe]

I don't have an intake bay, but I have a string tied to my submersible pump.
I tie off the string to keep the pump suspended, off the bottom. The string is also useful when having to pull the pump.

 

[Pondfun]

Hey everyone, so as things get more real of course my fancy plans in my head aren't working out...

Originally I was planning on having the pump in the intake bay, a satellite intake near the bottom of the pond to add to circulation and reduce the amount of gunk that builds up on the bottom and send all that to the bog.

However, getting the plumbing to work with the extra inlet and the outlet both in the vault in the intake bay is doable, but seems like taking the pump out to clean it is going to be a bit of a nightmare since I'll have two unions to undo, all in the cramped space of the pump vault, underwater. Is that going to be as annoying as I think it is? Or will I only need to do it like once a year and it won't be that bad?

Now I'm thinking of just putting the pump in the pond itself and the satellite intake in the pump vault in the intake bay to simplify things. But then the pump itself will be exposed to way more gunk from the pond, which the whole idea of the intake bay was to provide some mechanical filtration so the pump stays in better shape and requires less cleaning to begin with. Although with the intake bay theoretically trapping the big stuff, and the bog working well maybe there will be less gunk to plug up the pump in the first place?

The other option is to abandon my dual inlet idea, just put the pump in the intake bay and accept that I threw away like $200 on a fancy pump and extra tubing and have no water going to the bog from near the bottom.

Hi I am also working on my intake bay for my new addition. I still have to finish it. I am putting a pump in the pump vault that will pump water to the wetland filter. I also have to make a union or a T fitting so I can use some of the water from the pump for jets along the bottom deep part and to push water towards the intake bay.