| If it is not abundantly clear to you yet, this pond
was build on an extremely limited budget so cutting costs wherever
possible was the way we went. The pond drain, plumbing, and
filtration are no exception!
This drain assembly attaches about 6" below the water line
through a hole I cut in the the side of the pond liner. I used
a standard 2" PVC
shower drain kit that I modified to accept the
inside-the-pond-drain-pipe instead of a bulkhead fitting. (PVC
bulkhead fitting: $18.00, Shower drain kit: $5.49) The
inside-the-pond-drain-pipe is not glued to the drain kit, instead it
just fits snugly. This allows for easy cleaning and
maintenance.
If you need a greater rate of flow then use a larger diameter
pipe and make your bulkhead fittings out of 3 or 4 inch PVC toilet
flanges, silicone, stainless steel screws, and extra liner material.
As you can see, there is a siphon made from the base of a 5
gallon bucket which is attached to a PVC pipe which, in turn, fits
into the sidewall drain assembly. The pipe as yet needs to be
painted black and there will also be stone and gravel epoxied to the
green drain base to add weight and camouflage. Note that I
have cut ridges in the base as to allow water and smaller debris
enter the filters.
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A word about drain location... Many pond
enthusiasts believe that a bottom drain is the best way to go.
In general I would have to agree, especially for a larger pond
and for one made with cinder block and concrete. For
this pond I choose a side drain for a couple reasons.
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First, they are much easier
to make and are a good choice when retrofitting an older
pond. |
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Second, it is much easier
to clean and maintain. |
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Last, because the pond
bottom is not placed upon a truly solid foundation I did
not want to risk any potential settling issues where a
stretched liner slips out of the drain fitting and
empties the pond. |
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PVC -the stuff filters are made of. Here is
a basic guide for PVC |
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Homemade Bulkhead Fittings, ET AL. |
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