Pump / Bog Plumbing Questions

[ATP]

I have had a Laguna Max-Flo 2900 pond pump sitting on a shelf for years leftover from an old saltwater reef build. It still works great and at the moment I am planning on using it to run my future 15x15 pond. I am planning on an intake bay and the pump will be housed in a pump vault and feed a slightly raised bog. I doubt there will more than 3 feet of head loss. I am also toying with the idea of adding a Y and running another feed to a spillover basin.

Everything I read says the pump should at least pump half the pond volume ever hour and with a pond I calculate at around 3000 gallons this should be more than sufficient. The output of the pump is 1 -1/2" and at least by the numbers I am finding in my searches 1-1/2 inch pvc to the bog and in the bog should be fine for a pond this size.

My questions are:

• Is there any benefit to upgrading to 2" pvc in the bog and reducing it at the pump outlet? Especially, if i decide to upgrade pump sizes later.
• This pump does not have a threaded fitting which I am not used to. Do I just use like a Fernco coupling to make the connection to flex PVC?

 

[combatwombat]

2” isn’t much more than 1.5”, will reduce head loss by a lot, and future proofs you for a larger pump if you want one later.

And yeah, a fernco will work fine to transition out of the pump.

 

[Jhn]

Just to add to C.w.’s post, in your size pond You want to shoot for more of 1-2x pond volume turnover per hour. Not all through your bog but just in general circulation, so if it were me I would try out the existing pump, and if happy with aesthetic view of the bog return and other returns would just go with it. You can always upgrade later as your pond matures, your pond will let you know in no uncertain terms if circulation is lacking.

ponds especially larger ponds don’t need to hit the 1-2x volume turnover ime, especially with a correctly designed bog, as these can cover up other insufficiencies in design…..Like my pond for example has somewhere in the area 16-18,000 gph pushing through bogs, waterfalls and other returns, and the pond is around 20k gallons and does fine, never has/had green water ever. Even before I upgraded the bogs and enlarged the pond, never had green water or algae issues, because circulation was where it needed to be at that point about 1.5x per hour before enlarging it and the pond was heavily planted. Plants and proper circulation are things that are the backbone of your ponds ecosystem, and if done correctly can give you years of enjoyment with minimal effort.

 

[ATP]

2” isn’t much more than 1.5”, will reduce head loss by a lot, and future proofs you for a larger pump if you want one later.

And yeah, a fernco will work fine to transition out of the pump.

Ok, I will plan on using 2" pvc in the bog and a fernco.

 

[poconojoe]

What size will your bog be?
Mine is 14 feet X 5 feet with 12 inches of gravel.
My pump is 3600 gph and seems to be just about the right size. The flow out of the bog is perfect. Not too fast, not too slow.

My pump has an 1-1/2" output. I have 1-1/2" black flex PVC from the pump to the bog, then I increased it to 2" ridgid PVC in the bog.

 

[GBBUDD]

Ok, I will plan on using 2" pvc in the bog and a fernco.

One note for you in your piping . do not buy the kink free pvc it is far more prone to failures than is flex pvc

 

[poconojoe]

One note for you in your piping . do not buy the kink free pvc it is far more prone to failures than is flex pvc

Agree.
Don't waste your time and money on that popular "kink free" corregated pond hose.
It's real garbage.
It won't last very long before it springs pin hole leaks or simply splits open.

The best hose is flex PVC. It comes in all sizes and you can get it in black or white. I have the black version running along the bottom of my pond and you can hardly see it.
It's compatible with standard ridgid PVC. It can be glued to any standard PVC fitting. The inside is smooth too, unlike that pond hose junk.

It's also a good idea to have a union in a strategic spot for quick disconnects for winterizing or other maintenance.

 

[GBBUDD]

I'm not a huge fan of fernco's they have there place but for me they are more a drain product . They can fail, start leaking and if they are outside the pond it's going to fail as soon as you go on vacation PRIMER AND pvc glue is cheap and easy to use if you think you'll want to take it apart at some point the place the union in as mentioned

 

[addy1]

I'm not a huge fan of fernco's they have there place but for me they are more a drain product

I have been using some for years, no issues at all. At this time lol. Mainly on my 2inch PVC lines.

 

[ATP]

I'm not a huge fan of fernco's they have there place but for me they are more a drain product . They can fail, start leaking and if they are outside the pond it's going to fail as soon as you go on vacation PRIMER AND pvc glue is cheap and easy to use if you think you'll want to take it apart at some point the place the union in as mentioned

I would prefer pvc and union but my pump doesnt have a threaded connection just the above barbed connection. I dont think I have any other options but a fernco if I want to use pvc, right?

 

[ATP]

What size will your bog be?
Mine is 14 feet X 5 feet with 12 inches of gravel.
My pump is 3600 gph and seems to be just about the right size. The flow out of the bog is perfect. Not too fast, not too slow.

My pump has an 1-1/2" output. I have 1-1/2" black flex PVC from the pump to the bog, then I increased it to 2" ridgid PVC in the bog.

It will be similar sized to yours. I actually saw your bog build and I am planning something very similar. Was there a reason you went 1-1/2 flex pvc from the pump to the 2"pvc? My pump output is only 1-1/2" and I was most likely going to 2" right off the pump with a fitting.

Looks like your clean outs have threaded plugs or caps? Is threaded needed for the pressure in the system? What type of hose do you connect to the clean out if you need to flush the lines? Seems like it would need to be 2" or close to work?

 

[GBBUDD]

I would prefer pvc and union but my pump doesnt have a threaded connection just the above barbed connection. I dont think I have any other options but a fernco if I want to use pvc, right?

With barb fittings a bucket of boiling water , hair dryer, heat gun or even a torch to heat up the pipe get it soft but not to soft and then press the pipe onto the fitting and then secure with a hose clamp.

oh i realize fern cos are used on everything and can last for decades but being a contractor who has seen more than one fitting pipe clamp fail and was the cause of the house flooding. for the sake of some pvc glue it is safer to glue. but it is all to often theres and odd size and ferncos are the only available answer

 

[ATP]

With barb fittings a bucket of boiling water , hair dryer, heat gun or even a torch to heat up the pipe get it soft but not to soft and then press the pipe onto the fitting and then secure with a hose clamp.

oh i realize fern cos are used on everything and can last for decades but being a contractor who has seen more than one fitting pipe clamp fail and was the cause of the house flooding. for the sake of some pvc glue it is safer to glue. but it is all to often theres and odd size and ferncos are the only available answer

I have done this method with tubing, will it work with flex pvc? I was thinking it might be too rigid.

 

[combatwombat]

I have done this method with tubing, will it work with flex pvc? I was thinking it might be too rigid.

It’ll work with any pvc. Even rigid!

 

[ATP]

Came across this tonight at freight store down by the harbor . Looks to be flex pvc and heavy duty. Price seems good too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/lawn-garden/pumps/2-in-x-20-ft-pvc-suctionintake-hose-63411.html

What do you think?