Filter alterations 2006 - Phase 4

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Gazza
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Post by Gazza »

See what i mean i knew he would have it all planned out lol :D
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Bob Hart
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Post by Bob Hart »

A little bit more progress with making up the 'Easy Butt' yesterday and today.

I wanted to be able to remove it if either it didnt work out, or it needed further alteration. Therefore I didnt want to just join up the 6" pipes, I needed a 'transfer' area. Basically I roughly copied what Dave A had done at Gazza's last year. I'll explain with the pictures.

This is the 'butt' with 2 x 6" pipes now put through it. They go right through and out the other side. They will have 8mm holes drilled in them where the pipes are within the 'butt'.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2760.JPG[/img]

The ends of the pipes are able to be pushed onto 6" pipes, by utilising pieces of 6" couplers I cut off.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2761.JPG[/img]

This is part of the transfer area and will be fixed into the Vortex. The pieces of 6" pipes have been strengthened with some quadrent moulding. These had slots cut all around them so they would bend around the 6" pipe and everything was Den Braven'd together. The earth cable you can see is just holding it in place while the Den Braven goes off.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2765.JPG[/img]

This shows how it would fit together. The 'butt' being just positioned onto the 6" pipes fitted onto the transfer sheet.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2762.JPG[/img]

Like this
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2763.JPG[/img]

Still a few bits to be made up yet, but still expecting to get it into place next Saturday.
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jason-m
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Post by jason-m »

Nice work young man... :wink:
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Gazza
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Post by Gazza »

Nice legs :D

Looks like its progressing along Bob and once in position i am sure you will notice the difference.
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red koi
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Post by red koi »

Hay Bob, It looks like you have been very busy today, I wonder why you did not answer my ph call :lol:
Very nice work indeed, If I knew I would have come to give you a hand today.

Regards
AMIR
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Bob Hart
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Post by Bob Hart »

This is the Butt with the pipes drilled and the air ring installed
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2770.JPG[/img]

Transfer port area fitted into Vortex. A few screws and lots of Den Braven.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2771.JPG[/img]

Support for other side of 'Big Easy'
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2775.JPG[/img]

'Big Easy' fitted into position. Pipes connected up to transfer port, all ready to run!
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2776.JPG[/img]
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2777.JPG[/img]

Isolators! To stop water coming back from the rest of the filters, when cleaning the Easy.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2778.JPG[/img]
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2780.JPG[/img]
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2781.JPG[/img]

Full up with K1 and air backwash pipe connected. Giving the K1 a good old blast with air to clean it off.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2814.JPG[/img]
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sharpy30
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Post by sharpy30 »

looks good bob :lol:

you certainly dont hang about.




cheers dave
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Gazza
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Post by Gazza »

Hey thats coming along Bob it will be interesting to see how well it works because that K1 can stop some stuff :D
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Bob Hart
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Post by Bob Hart »

I havent been happy with how this Easy has performed, so it has been removed and replaced!

5000 Gallons/hour turnover was just too much for it. It certainly trapped all the muck, but it blocked too easily . It may have got better in time once a lot of muck was removed, but my pond is pretty clear anyway. Also with the high throughput, some muck was tracking it's way through. The next bay is currently empty and will be used for an aerated K1/Bio Chips chamber and the muck could be seen coming through into here.

When I set this Easy up, one of the key things I wanted to do, was to be able to see the drain on the Vortex. Should anything get in there which wouldnt be able to be flushed away, I'd have been able to clear it out myself.
The second thing was that I was concerned that muck would settle and be trapped in the cone area and not get flushed away. I deliberatly didnt clean the cone in any way a couple of times, just aerated the K1 and flushed the bottom drains and nothing has settled, everything was spotless.

So I decided to go with the Gazza design and use the whole Vortex as the Easy. So where it was a 'Big Easy' it's now a 'Whopper Easy', 37" diameter.

Once Butt was removed, a bit of plastic water pipe was fitted to the wall. This was above the inlet pipes, so heavy waste will be able to just settle in the cone and be flushed away.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2893.JPG[/img]

Used some 5mm plastic sheet and slotted some holes using a small angle grinder. Looks a mess but it should allow the flow throughput without weakening the sheet.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2894.JPG[/img]

Air backwash fitted and the plastic sheet was screwed onto the plastic water pipe. This will allow it to be removed should I need to do so.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2895.JPG[/img]

The original 2 x 6" transfer pipes were reused.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2896.JPG[/img]

All up and running. Obviously I had to add more K1 though. Originally in the Butt there was 70 litres, now there is another 100 making 170 litres in total.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2897.JPG[/img]

Been out and checked this morning and all seems well. No muck tracking through into the next chamber.
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Post by Cashybai »

Looks good Bob,
Where do you obtain your food-grade plastic sheet from, I'm doing a filter build for my skimmer at the mo, and will need sheet as well as mesh ( which I've already sorted)?

Another query, what pipework do you use for the air ring, and how is it connected up to an air pump? I think I can see which pipe it is, just not sure how to connect it up!

Regards
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Bob Hart
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Post by Bob Hart »

Neil,

The plastic sheet came from a company called C&A plastics, which are quite near me in Gillingham, Kent. I am able to purchase it from another place as well, so it must be able to be purchased around the country. The other place I use is a plumbing and soffit replacement company, so try similar companies in your area.

Air pipe is just speedy fit pipe. Works really well and many of us use it for aerated K1 chambers and also for K1 air cleaning. I find that clear reinforced plastic flexible pipe just pushes onto the speedy fit pipe, therefore connections are real easy. If the air pump is a long way away, either use more of the flexible or as I do use solvent overflow pipe. This is again connected using the flexible pipe. I also found that if you need any valves, speedy fit do these as well with nice big handles on them.
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Post by dannyboy »

Bob ,
Looking good is it preforming as you want. :lol:

I bet as a kid you were a right fidgit :P :P :P :P :P :P

DAN :D
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Gazza
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Post by Gazza »

Looking good Bob so the bottom grid must be working OK and getting the full flow and any waste in the other chamber :?: :?:
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Post by fatherted »

I like it Bob but at normal retail that is about £170 of K1! I plan to do mine by splitting the vortex in half down the middle just to cut down on K1 cost!
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Bob Hart
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Post by Bob Hart »

Good idea Ted, so is that top to bottom down the middle?

I did pick the K1 up at a good price.
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