Water Recirculation With Filter Systems
A pond sludge vacuum is a valuable investment for owners of garden ponds. It is an efficient way to remove the sludge that is unavoidable over time. This sludge is formed when organic substances decompose. Pond sludge vacuums are also suitable for removing algae and other debris from the pond. Various filters are ideal for returning the pumped-out water into the pond. The water should not have to be discharged into nature, where it can harm plants and animals. You can combine different types of filters with a pond sludge vacuum cleaner. An essential criterion for buying a filter is the filter sharpness.
What Filter Sharpness is all About?
Screen bow filters and fine filter bags are available in different variants. Which filter system you choose depends on your pond mud vacuum. The filter must be efficient. A fine filter is essential for a sludge vacuum with a high flow rate generated by the sludge vacuum pump. The term filter sharpness mostly indicates the performance of a filter system. This is the size of the passage openings between the meshes. For excellent filters, the values used to classify cleaning systems are in the micrometer range. If the gaps are smaller than a thousandth of a millimeter, the filter systems can be well combined with pond mud vacuum cleaners. When buying, you should pay attention to an adequate filter. The finer the filter media, the more precise the water filtration will be. However, it would help if you did not consider the value of filter fineness as absolute. For assessing the quality of a water recirculation system, filter sharpness is not considered a final measure.
Other Factors for Determining the Efficiency of Water Filters
Other factors should be considered to more accurately determine the efficiency of water filters. In addition to filter sharpness, the material of the filter is an important selection criterion. The material should be as stable and environmentally friendly as possible because the water that is filtered affects the material. The water and the debris in it can cause the filter material to stretch. This stretching causes the openings to enlarge over time until there is no longer a good quality of the returning water. Various materials such as fleece attract impurities directly. If the contaminants are deposited on the fibers, clogging occurs. The pollutants cannot be entirely removed by rinsing. You should therefore choose a filter made out of resistant material. This way, you can prevent clogging.
Different Options for Filter Technology
Many Manufactures offer Filter systems for pool and pond technology in different designs. Therefore, it is not so easy, especially for pond enthusiasts who have just created a pond, to choose the appropriate filter system. Not all filters are suitable for water recirculation. The filters listed below have different features and are ideal for different needs:
Sponge filters have sponges arranged in rows where the dirty particles collect. Since these sponges have slightly larger pores, not all the dirt particles are collected. After a more extended conveying period, the dirt can overcome the sponges’ barrier and get back into the water. Therefore, these filters are suitable only for shorter operations. After that, thorough and rather costly cleaning of the filter is required. Due to their design, these filters are not always easy to handle.
Sand filters have a higher filter sharpness and are filled with quartz. Even with these filters, not all dirt particles are caught and then get back into the pond water. The organic parts of filamentous algae, which form a layer on the filter’s bed, can become a problem because these organic parts lead to a significant increase in operating pressure. At worst, this can disable the pond vacuum.
Some pond owners use a separate clarification zone as a sludge filter. The suction process can be performed without loss of liquid. Only a small amount of turbidity is visible in the clarification area. However, the problem is that after a few days, the filtering function is lost in the delicate ecosystem of the pond system. This is due to the suffocation of microorganisms in the sludge water let into the clarification zone. It can take weeks or months until the original state is reached again. Experts, therefore, strongly advise against using the clarification zone as a filter.
Curved screen filters pass the dirty water through a curved slotted screen and are an excellent alternative to the previously described filters. In some filters, the liquid passes through a mesh screen. These filters can safely remove filamentous algae. However, since the filtration efficiency is lower with the curved screen filters, these filters are not suitable for tiny particles. If the filtered water gets back into the pond, it shows some turbidity.
Tip: It is best to work with a combination of a curved screen filter and filter stocking or a fine filter bag (as described below). This combination will ensure that not only coarse but also tiny particles are filtered out of your water before it gets back into your pond. We always sell our curved screen water filters as a set combined with a filter stocking as a final filter. Additionally, it would help if you use an adequate filter stocking at the curved screen water filter outlet. This filter stocking allows you to filter even more fine particles out of the water before it runs back into the pond.
Pond Filters for High Demands and Excellent Water Quality.
Characteristic for cartridge filter systems are an enormous filter size and a high separation efficiency and are perfectly suitable for pond cleaning. However, they require a high level of maintenance. It takes five to ten minutes for the filter to be ready for pond vacuuming again. You cannot work fast with these types of filters.
You can use a cartridge filter together with a pond robot with an appropriate connection. In this case, you could separate the bottom mulch very well. However, if you do not mind a longer cleaning time, you can also use the cartridge filter together with a pond vacuum cleaner.
A drum filter has a unique design and the most elaborate technology currently used for filter systems. The rotating drum of the filter is covered with a fine mesh. Prevent dirt particles from settling down in the drum; the drum is permanently cleaned with a spray can. The principle is similar to that of a washing machine. One disadvantage of drum filters is their high price, but this pays off if you do not compromise water quality.
Fleece systems were the best choice for water recirculation before the introduction of drum filters. This technology is not cheap either. There are significant differences in the fleece filters offered. The flow rate depends on the degree of contamination of the water. If the degree of contamination changes, you must adjust the speed. I recommend a fleece system with electronic or mechanical control since the condition of the sucked pond liquid changes continuously.
Use of a Fine Filter Bag
A fine filter bag offers some useful features for material, filter sharpness, and capacity. It is excellent for recirculating water, as it provides excellent cleaning results. The fine filter bag also scores with moderate purchase costs. It would help if you combined the fine filter bag with a pond vacuum cleaner and place the whole construction in the pond’s sealing surface. Combine the filter bag with a high-pressure pond vacuum cleaner, and the water will quickly enter the pond again. You achieve a consistent better-cleaning result when you combine several filter bags with a control valve.
How to Attach Filters?
In most pond mud vacuums, there is a fine filter, which you should clean regularly. It would be best if you replaced it from time to time. If you attach such a filter, you should remember the significant pressure differences at the inlet and outlet. You should always install the filter at the output of the pump because of these differences. Equipping the pre-filter with an optional fine filter element may seem easier at first. However, it reduces the suction capacity. A two-stage filter unit is better suited. Such a filter unit has a coarse filter on the suction side and a fine filter on the discharge side. In this way, you can separate liquid and dirt particles from each other. As a result, clean water returns to the pond.
Uptake Capacity of a Filter
The intake capacity can help in analyzing the performance of a filter. The water must flow through the filter. If the intake capacity is too low, you will need to clean the filter frequently. If you choose a filter with a high intake capacity, you will need to clean it less often. You can improve the absorption capacity of a filter in several ways. Therefore, you do not have to choose the most expensive filter. Cartridge filters need to be cleaned less often and take up little space, while the filter area is more than 200 square feet.
How to Clean Your Filter Systems?
It is not always the case that a filter’s high absorption capacity is actually beneficial. You could not clean all systems in a meaningful way. You can use a cartridge filter for 10 to 20 minutes before you need to clean it. You will need to disassemble the system and flush the fins to do this. The working time of 5 to 10 minutes required for this is relatively long.
You can be more quickly with cleaning when choosing other filter systems. For example, you can clean filter bags very fast, as they can be emptied in as little as one to two minutes. However, you can not use same the same time as cartridge systems.
Conclusion
If you use a mud vacuum for your garden pond, you can efficiently remove mud from the pond. To return the water into the pond, you should use a filter. It would be best to combine this filter with the pond mud vacuum cleaner. Dirt particles and filamentous algae get stuck in it. Depending on the type of filter, you should perform regular cleaning. When choosing a filter, the material, filter sharpness, and design are crucial. Curved screen filters are perfect for extracting filamentous algae. Fine filter bags ensure excellent cleaning results at moderate purchase costs.