SMARTPOND products from LOWES

[ZEROPILOT]

So far so good.
It's been a few days. The flow is good and the filter hasn't bulged like a balloon.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

So far so good.
It's been a few days. The flow is good and the filter hasn't bulged like a balloon.

It probably will.

I assume you have one of those pressure filters, they generally have two big problems, they clog fast, and they are difficult to clean. Yes you can put coarser filter material in so you can go longer between cleanings but then they simple don't filter as well. However if still want to you continue to follow that line of thinking you could simply eliminate the filter pads altogether and never have to clean the filter.
What you really need is more filter surface area. You might want to start thinking about is building your own homemade filter out of an 50 gal plastic barrel. It won't eliminate the need for cleaning but it will allow you to go much longer between cleanings.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It probably will.

I assume you have one of those pressure filters, they generally have two big problems, they clog fast, and they are difficult to clean. Yes you can put coarser filter material in so you can go longer between cleanings but then they simple don't filter as well. However if still want to you continue to follow that line of thinking you could simply eliminate the filter pads altogether and never have to clean the filter.
What you really need is more filter surface area. You might want to start thinking about is building your own homemade filter out of an 50 gal plastic barrel. It won't eliminate the need for cleaning but it will allow you to go much longer between cleanings.

I've changed my waterfall box into a filter as well. It now passes bio balls, ceramic rings and lava rock before it exits out the top of the box.
And the filter now has three pads. Two coarse and one medium where before it had just two. Coarse and a too fine, fine. There are also bio balls in there.

 

[sissy]

I prefer my stock tank filter inside a liner ,if it ever leaks it runs right back into the pond and I use old fashioned lava rock and so far not a problem with water quality .these were taken from the bridge on my pond

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I used filters made out of totes in the past.
Just gravity and a cascade.
Spray bar on top and outlet near the bottom with an overflow a few inches from the top.
I actually had a 30 gallon plastic barrel that I was going to use. I still have it in my shed.
However, my good meaning wife bought me the filter and I'm going to make it continue to work....Until it wont. Then I'll swap it out for a pressurized Laguna and hope she doesn't notice.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

This post is to help others that find themselves in possession of these poor products to either get a refund, or to help them find parts and ways to make them actually work.
The changes I've made are not ideal. But totally necessary.

 

[mrsclem]

I was in Lowes last week and they have the Smartpond 5100 for $145! 5 year warranty included. I'm seriously considering picking one up at that price. I have other pumps for backups but the price is hard to pass up.

 

[sissy]

I was in lowes yesterday after going grocery shopping and they are 115 here .I just can't resist a stop at lowes ,just can't .I was going to post it on here also .They had a couple of smaller ones also .I happened to notice the 5 years also .I wondered when they added that

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Google them.
Read the reviews.
Cheap and inexpensive are not the same.
As for me, the receipts are long gone. But I'm wondering how you can get a warranty covered from a company that will not respond to Emails or answer the phone.
My pump is the 2,000 gph and it's still operational.
So far so good.

 

[mrsclem]

Lowes will replace any item under warranty, no need to go thru the company. There are 2 sets of pumps with the same GPH ratings. I'm guessing the one on sale is a discontinued model. Only one review but mixed reviews on their pumps.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Replacing the fine foam pad with another medium and two coarse filter pads has made a very large difference in the issues I was having with impaction and clogging.
Modifying my waterfall box into a secondary filter has likely rectified the loss of filtration caused by the removal of the fine filter pad.
Right now....The system is behaving.
However, all of this work and reconfiguration seems rediculous.
It comes right down to a bad design.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Today I added an about 10" resin, turtle water spitter(on the inlet side) to also relieve some of the pump pressure.
I did this because I couldn't find a 3 way water diverted in 1.25" pipe. But I already had a 1.25 inch 3/8th inch T fitting.
In the event that I'll replace my 2,000 gph Smartpond pump, I'll get a 1,200 gph instead. Or if in the meantime I find a 1.25" T, I'll ad another water feature.
Ill end up with a configuration that works.
I would recommend that Smartpond stops recommending their 2,000 gph pump for their 2,000 gph pressurized uv filter. However, that would be futile since "no one is home" at Smartpond.
The 2,000 gph pump is simply too powerful. With too much volume for a pressurized filter of that design.
With the few mods ive made, the bottom 9f the filter still bulges. It's not enough for the filter to topple over. But it rocks back and forth and still requires either being partially buried or placed into a filter house like the one I've made for it. Or it would fall over in a light breeze.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've Emailed Lowes about selling such low quality pond products and challenged them to contact Smartpond via phone or Email.
They've generously offered to replace either even without a receopt. And that's very generous.
Score 1 for Lowes.
Now if they'd just sell better pond products. Like the Becket products sold by the Home Depot.....

 

[sissy]

yep lowes is easy to deal with I am on the lowes board of rating products and get free stuff I can choose from a list of things every 2 months .Thing is people do not rate some stuff they buy and that rating and input helps others decide good or bad

 

[ZEROPILOT]

yep lowes is easy to deal with I am on the lowes board of rating products and get free stuff I can choose from a list of things every 2 months .Thing is people do not rate some stuff they buy and that rating and input helps others decide good or bad

Oooooh. I rated.
And read the ratings of others.....Just a bit late.