Bottom Drains ( Can You Help Please)

[sexykoi]

Hi - I have two bottom drains in my pond. I flush the bottom drains once a week. However, one of them the flow rate has reduced quite a lot? What is the best way to clean a bottom drain. It could be sludge? I check to see whether there was blanket weed stuck at the bottom but all seems very clean. Your advise would be greatly appreciated because I have no way of cleaning the bottom drain because they are concreted under the pond.

Thanks..Gee

[Bob Hart]

Gee,

Are the bottom drains in use all of the time, feeding filters etc? Just checking.

You say you 'flush', so does that mean either that you:
- shut the bottom drain feed pipe valve, drain down the filtration and then open the valve again allowing the bottom drain pipework water to rush through 'flushing' the pipework?

or

- If the bottom drain and pipework are not feeding filtration, that you once a week open the valve and flush to waste?

or something similar?

If the bottom drain flow seems sloweed up or restricted, then the their is likely to be a restriction of sorts. It could be a number of things of course. It could be blanket weed? Somthing wrapped around the bottom drain lid stem, then building up crud around this and therefore causing a restriction. It could be something large stuck in the pipe/drain. It could be the bottom drain dome lid is too low, or has somehow become low'er? Could be an air intrained restriction?????

I've had one of mine recently become slowed up. Eventually it cleared by flushing and a large piexe of /weed/stick came through with a load of muck. Think somehow something became stuck down the drain pipework but it eventually cleared by flushing.

One other thing I have done before is this. I have fixed a flattened piece of pipe to the other end of my net pole, put this in the pond and slid the flattenned pipe under the bottom drain lid. This has worked for me inthe past, when I've has blanket weed problems, as it will release anything caught under there. The down sides of this are that you could damage a liner, if you are using a liner, you need to play around with the flattenned pipe to get it the right 'angle' to slide under and of course the main one is that you could dislodge the bottom drain dome/lid if it isnt secured properly.
But if you try this, shut off the bottom drain valve first, then have a good flush through afterwards, see if it works at all.

Best of luck.......

[dave13]

Hi GEE

What filters are you useing ?, had same problem with my nexuses and used plunger down inlet to great success.

Regards Dave.

[brother of feeeshpond]

Get the swimming cossy on

[sexykoi]

Thank you very much for the advise I appreciate very much. Sorry for the delay in coming here.

Regards..Gee

[DidIdothat]

It also depends on your setup, but I have a gravity feed into my Nexus and so I can feed a jetting hose into the drain fed from my power washer. It is very rare I do this and I have not yet had the need to do it out of necessity but it does clean your drains spotless.

Phil