Prevent Pump Hose From Clogging

[combatwombat]

Yep.
I have a Fernco coupling at the transition between my pump flex PVC (1-1/2") and the ridgid PVC in my bog.
It has been there for 2 years and has never leaked.
I did buy a union to replace it, but never got around to changing it.

View attachment 151481

Wow. Never would have guessed that would work. I have some ferncos to hook up still and was planning to transition to rigid PVC first. Maybe I’ll skip that step.

I'd be a little concerned that switching from 1" down to 1/2" would only result in the same clogging problem.

Same concern.

 

[Ratsima]

I'd be a little concerned that switching from 1" down to 1/2" would only result in the same clogging problem.

Same concern.

So, how do I deal with the fact that a 1" hose is going to deliver way more water than my fountain and stream can handle?

 

[combatwombat]

So, how do I deal with the fact that a 1" hose is going to deliver way more water than my fountain and stream can handle?

It probably won’t. But if it does, use a ball valve on the output side of your pump.

 

[Ratsima]

It probably won’t. But if it does, use a ball valve on the output side of your pump.

You mean close to the pump before it enters the hose?

 

[combatwombat]

You mean close to the pump before it enters the hose?

Anywhere on the output side. Doesn't really matter where unless you want to divert it and return the "extra" to the pond elsewhere.

 

[Ratsima]

I'm not sure how that significantly differs from reducing the last 30cm of pipe from 1" to ½". Are you thinking that the biofilm might stick in that last 30cm? If so, it wouldn't be a huge problem. Reaming out that last 30cm would be child's play compared to what I have to do now.

 

[combatwombat]

Are you thinking that the biofilm might stick in that last 30cm?

Yes. At least it would confirm the cause of the problem, though.

I'm not sure how that significantly differs from reducing the last 30cm of pipe from 1" to ½"

What are you referring to?

 

[Ratsima]

Yes. At least it would confirm the cause of the problem, though.


What are you referring to?

Putting a ball valve somewhere on the output side of the pump.

 

[poconojoe]

I don't know if this question was asked....
Where is your pump?
If it's sitting on the bottom of the pond, maybe it's picking up debris or algae and that's causing the clogging.
Tie a rope to it, keeping it suspended about a foot off the bottom.

 

[combatwombat]

Putting a ball valve somewhere on the output side of the pump.

It differs in that you can have variable flow control, which is what I thought you were concerned about with increasing pipe size to 1". But like I mentioned earlier, I don't think that's going to be a problem.

 

[Ratsima]

I don't know if this question was asked....
Where is your pump?
If it's sitting on the bottom of the pond, maybe it's picking up debris or algae and that's causing the clogging.
Tie a rope to it, keeping it suspended about a foot off the bottom.

The pond isn't very deep where the pump is; about 30cm (a foot). The pump is held off the bottom by sitting on a brick. I check the pond intake every time I ream the hose, which is about every other day now. I never find anything in the intake. The pond has no visible algae and I never feel any biofilm in the pump intake, although I'm sure that it's there.

After all the discussion here I'm convinced that the clogging is caused by biofilm which grows incredibly quickly inside the hose.

The fervent hope is that a larger diameter hose, while not preventing biofilm growth, will not get clogged by that growth, at least as not as often as it does now.

 

[Ratsima]

It differs in that you can have variable flow control, which is what I thought you were concerned about with increasing pipe size to 1". But like I mentioned earlier, I don't think that's going to be a problem.

Previous Post On Volume

 

[Ratsima]

I finally found a 1” hose barb. This at a giant hardware store in a beach town (Cha Am) where I have a condo and which is about 420K from my home. It was a last ditch effort that paid off. 25 baht for a pack of 5. That’s about 15 US cents each. The PVC flex has been delivered to my house. I’ll try and get everything put together when I get back there late next week.

 

[Ratsima]

The hose has arrived.

The pump barbed fitting, the hose barb adapter and the hose clamps all fit. The hose barb was a struggle. It said 1" but I had to heat the hose the get it on far enough for the hose clamp.

Weather permitting I'll set it up in the pond today.

 

[Ratsima]

Another question: When attaching the 1" hose to the pump, should I remove the ½" (5/8"?) barb from the pump fitting, or just leave it on?