|
The Bottom drain (as it has been
called) should not be confused with an outlet to the sewer (that
is how they used to be used when they first were introduced to the
Koi
 keeper quite a few years ago) Now it has the one main purpose,
and that is to transfer all the water and all waste products from
the bottom of the pond to either a 'Prime Vortex Unit' (Which is
Highly Recommended) or if you wish then direct to the Filter Units
themselves.
If you intend to install one, or
more bottom drains, into your new pond then please bear in mind
that they must figure early in your pond construction program - as
the sump and the 4" or 110mm pipe which transfers the pond
water, and debris, into the mechanical filter, probably a Vortex
unit, which are strongly advised by The East Riding Koi Co., will
be set in concrete as you lay the base for the pond floor - and
therefore plan your pond carefully and don't rush or cut corners
... and bench your floor towards each bottom drain... and round
off any corners to give a 'Good Water Flow' and circulation round
the pond which will then move any debris on the pond floor towards
the bottom drain...
The pipe work from the bottom drain to the 'Vortex' can be done in
solvent weld household waste pipe if you wish - but we strongly
recommend that the sections that are 'Under' your pond base are
done in Solvent Weld Pressure pipe ... although more expensive -
believe me it is worth it ..and you will certainly have peace of
mind when is comes to trying to find that leak somewhere in your
pond ... as surely can happen in many cases of D.I.Y. pond construction ... so please don't take the risk .. another tip when you are installing any Solvent Weld pipework is to Always try the bends, connectors and joints together 'DRY' (without solvent cement) to make sure that they fit and do not need any adjustment ...
 as once you put the two surfaces with the solvent weld cement on and they touch - they bond almost immediately and it is then impossible to correct any mistakes .. So lay the
pipework from the Bottom Drain level until it is clear of the bottom of the pond floor and mark each connection, bend or whatever, with a black marking pen so that you know exactly where they fit and when you do use the solvent weld cement that you have a guide to work to and so you do not make any mistakes, hopefully.... If you are at all unsure what you must do then please email us and we will try to help you understand the process more...
Please take a look at the diagram
we have provided here to get a better understanding on how a
bottom drain fits into the pond construction.
You can, of course use a Bottom Drain
with either a concrete base to the pond or a Liner ! The Bottom
Drain should have been supplied with a special Fhttp://www.koicarp.net/pond_construction/bottom_drains/bottom_drain_diagram.htmllange which is
then screwed down into place and which 'Traps the pond liner' and
holds it firmly in place - if using a liner then a sealant must
also be used - we recommend 'Polyflex' for this job which is a
Black Polyurethane silicone type product (and which is available
from us price £ inc. vat + £1.50 p&p UK) or a good
waterproof, non toxic mastic... both the top and bottom surfaces
of the liner flange must be sealed before screwing down the
stainless steel screws - where possible the bottom drain
sump and the pipework should be set in trench and filled up with
concrete to make sure that it is held firmly in place, another tip
is to use a bradawl or a similar sharp and thin pointed object to
locate the position of the holes in the flange through the liner
.... and use a sharp Stanley Knife to trim any excess liner off
with the inside edge of the bottom drain - do not over tighten the
screws as you need a good layer of sealant on both the top and
bottom of the liner ... the sealant will ooze out and can then be
wiped off and smoothed off to provide a nice neat job.
Of course if you are setting your
bottom drain into a concrete base then you will not have this
problem and the separate flange that comes with the bottom drain
can be discarded as it will not be needed ... Remember though it
is impossible to seal plastic to concrete,
 so you will need to
seal the outer edge of the rim of the bottom drain to the
concrete. You can do this by using our Fibre Glass Paste, the job
is extremely easy and will give you a permanent bond and it is not
expensive and will always come in handy, use this also for sealing
round your pipe returns through the walls of a concrete pond
construction or you can use a product from your local motorists
shop or D.I.Y. store, called P40, which is very similar and
produced by one well known manufacturer - other brands available
may be equally as good.
This Fibre glass paste we have,
when mixed with the required amount of catalyst or hardener
provided it will become a nice pink colour - mix it well and then
simply apply with the applicator usually provided across the joint
between the concrete and the bottom drain flange .. this will
harden rapidly and can then be smoothed off, if required, using
sandpaper to obtain a nice smooth finish ... This can then be
painted over if you are using a recommended pond paint such as our
own and highly recommended P1 pond paint, or similar product. |
