Matala Biosteps II Filter

[combatwombat]

You’d also need a barbed x MHT fitting if you want to connect to garden hose, but I’d just cut the female connector off the end of an old hose and clamp it to the valve.

 

[Lisak1]

So how would a barbed valve fit on a barbed outlet? And MHT = Male Host Thread?

 

[GBBUDD]

if i am seeing this correctly the upper area of your photo is where it goes into your filter? the bottom looks like a plug with a thumb level for removing the e
nd cap ?

 

[GBBUDD]

i assume i know what the answer will be but have you checked out youtube for your filter theres a bunch of them

 

[brokensword]

OK - so now we need to figure this part out. Cleaning this filter isn't terrible - the pads come out easily, hose off easily, etc. (Please note - I am using this for mechanical filtration only, so I'm using straight up hose water - not worried about killing off bacteria. Just want to clean the pads fast. I have heard so many times people say "use pond water to clean the filter pads" and honest to goodness - I have no idea how one would do that? Like just swish them around in a bucket? It would have to be a big bucket... but I digress.

So this is the outlet/cleanout:
View attachment 140345

it's installed at the bottom of the filter box and the "idea" is you screw off that end cap and then... get flooded with dirty pond water I guess. We have a clamp and a hose that will fit the barbed fitting, so I can see that we can remove the cap, attach the hose and then... get flooded with dirty pond water? My husband is on the search for a gate valve or ball valve to either replace this outlet or to attach to the outlet, but so far no luck. The Matala website says:

• Bottom Drain fitting for backwash of dirty water. Includes drain plug. Capable of connecting to optional drain valve (not provided).

OK - so don't PROVIDE IT, but how about if you SELL IT so I can BUY IT without SCOURING the INTERNET looking for something that MIGHT WORK.

Oy. Anybody got any good ideas what I should even search for? Is there a ball valve that can slide on to something like this on one end and clamp to a hose on the other? I'm thinking something that's got kind of a Fernco rubber slide on or clamp on female connector on one side and a PVC male connector on the other. Is there such a product? OR is there something that could go on the outlet end of my hose that would act as an on/off valve? Then I could just clamp the hose on and open and close it from the other end. Although that might not work because then I would always have water in the hose... oh my gosh. WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE SO DIFFICULT!?!

maybe I'm missing the obvious Lisa, but can you just get rid of the threaded outlet and put a nipple there to which you can attach a threaded ball valve? Then you can just get the female to hose barb fitting, clamp the hose side, thread in the female side and you're good to go?

 

[combatwombat]

So how would a barbed valve fit on a barbed outlet? And MHT = Male Host Thread?

You would have a short piece of (whatever) tubing to connect them. Yep on the MHT = Male Hose Thread.

I'm really with @brokensword, though. I'd have tossed all the fittings that filter came with and subbed them for threaded bulkheads that could easily transition to whatever is wanted.

 

[Lisak1]

You would have a short piece of (whatever) tubing to connect them. Yep on the MHT = Male Hose Thread.

I'm really with @brokensword, though. I'd have tossed all the fittings that filter came with and subbed them for threaded bulkheads that could easily transition to whatever is wanted.

That's the approach my husband wants to take, so we'll probably go with that. How annoying is it that they can't just supply an appropriate fitting so you can use this thing out of the box?

if i am seeing this correctly the upper area of your photo is where it goes into your filter? the bottom looks like a plug with a thumb level for removing the e
nd cap ?

Correct. And headed to YouTube now - I haven't actually checked there to see what others have done... duh!

 

[GBBUDD]

Remove the dumb thumb lever . Put a piece of pipe onto the tapered end CUT off the smallest part of it so you get the max flow through it so when back flushing your not sitting there all day waiting. Get a large enough flex pipe to slide over the remaining barbed and make that only about 6" long place a ball valve on there replacing there cheap garbage. run addition pipe to where ever you want to drain the water too. maybe it's better to leave the smaller barb so you can convert to a garden hose so it's cheap to run all the hose you need to where ever you want to drain to.

 

[Lisak1]

YouTube proved useless. Some unboxing and "how to put it together" videos (and mis-identifying the Biosteps 10 and the Biosteps II, which is interesting. They are nearly identical, except the inlet fitting is different and the 10 has two more filter pads.) But not one person addresses the elephant in the room.

 

[GBBUDD]

look at my last post

 

[Lisak1]

look at my last post

Yup - passed it on to the boss... thanks!