A pond is a pleasant and relaxing addition to your garden or patio, but it does need some maintenance and a filtration system. Find a pond filter barrel by searching your local car wash or the classifieds in your local newspaper for as many 55-gallon barrels you need. Does this Spark an idea?
Assembly
Purchase other materials needed, such as lengths of PVC pipes, elbows, sump pump, and silicone or rubbers gaskets at your local hardware store. Your homemade pond filter system should cost no more than $200.
Determine how many gallons of water you are using in your pond. Fifty-five gallon barrels are best because they filter about 1,000 gallons of water, so you may need more than one, according to Blondie's Water Garden. Ensure the barrels you purchase or find did not contain toxic chemicals, and always clean your barrels thoroughly before using whether or not they are new or used.
Cut holes on each side of your barrel about 2 inches from the bottom and one near the top of your barrel using a jig saw or a door saw attached to your drill, according to Factoidz.
A sump pump placed into your pond pumps pond water to your filter. The water from your pond goes to your barrel filter and back into your pond through PVC pipes. Attach a length of PVC pipe to the pump line and bring the line to one of the holes you drilled on the side of your barrel. A check valve attached to the pipe prevents impurities from flushing back into your pond whenever the power is off, such as when you are cleaning the barrel filter or during a power outage. The hole at the top of the barrel returns clean water to your pond. Use one of the elbows attached to your pipe to allow for drainage. Apply rubber gaskets or silicon gel around the pipes on both sides to prevent leakage.
Preparing the Barrel
Remove the lid and use it as a template to draw two circles on an upside down egg crate. Cut the circles with needle nose pliers, and place the egg crate and circles into the bottom of your barrel. Fill the barrel to about 2 inches from the top with lava rock, and place a length of PVC pipe into the top hole and bring it back to your pond. Lava rock filters impurities from pond water.
Glue a length of PVC pipe to a shut off valve. This goes into the other hole on the other side of your barrel and acts as your cleaning filter. Place the other end of the pipe through the hole with an elbow for drainage.
Lava rocks trap anything sucked up from the pond. To clean your filter, open the shut off valve and let the water drain. A good idea is to let the water drain into another container to use for your plants.
Cleaning
Clean your filter at least once every few weeks by turning the pump off, opening the valve and draining the barrel. With a high-pressured nozzle on your garden hose, wash the lava rocks. Mix the rocks as you wash them. When the water looks clear coming out of your drain, shut the valve and turn your pump on.
Tags: your pond, your barrel, into your, into your pond, length pipe, shut valve