Pond vacs

[STL Ponds and Waterfalls]

Originally Posted by allinearth

Is this for real?

LOL! that was pretty funny!

[1idejim]

Originally Posted by allinearth

Is this for real?

yes. i do underwater repairs in pools and when chipping and drilling plaster the vac cleans, filters and returns the water to the pool. saves time since a can see clearer, the water is not wasted which saves money and the customer can use the pool as soon as i leave and not wait 24 hours or more for the entire pool to filter.
this idea stems from seeing a pool service company use a commericial port a vac during spring start-ups.
used pool pumps are easy to come by free as are cannister filters.
you need to rewire the pump to 115 vac. buy a set of gator quick couples, a couple pieces of iron and a hand truck.
i use the gators on all of my pumps so i can use any suction and discharge hose on any pump.
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[1idejim]

Originally Posted by STL Ponds and Waterfalls

LOL! that was pretty funny!

don't knock what you haven't tried. BTW. my mule don't like people laughing.
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[tadpole]

Originally Posted by 1idejim

yes. i do underwater repairs in pools and when chipping and drilling plaster the vac cleans, filters and returns the water to the pool. saves time since a can see clearer, the water is not wasted which saves money and the customer can use the pool as soon as i leave and not wait 24 hours or more for the entire pool to filter.
this idea stems from seeing a pool service company use a commericial port a vac during spring start-ups.
used pool pumps are easy to come by free as are cannister filters.
you need to rewire the pump to 115 vac. buy a set of gator quick couples, a couple pieces of iron and a hand truck.
i use the gators on all of my pumps so i can use any suction and discharge hose on any pump.
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Looks to be ideal for the circumstances that you described, but the Pond-Vacs cannot do any more than a cursory cleaning of a pond, they WILL NOT clean gravel without the intake clogging. Now I see that some company has introduced a commercial Pond Vac.....price tag?.....$4,995.00. Hell, buy two.

[1idejim]

Originally Posted by tadpole

Looks to be ideal for the circumstances that you described, but the Pond-Vacs cannot do any more than a cursory cleaning of a pond, they WILL NOT clean gravel without the intake clogging. Now I see that some company has introduced a commercial Pond Vac.....price tag?.....$4,995.00. Hell, buy two.

not to be arguementitive but having too little faith in a products capabilities sight unseen is just wrong.
if a gravel separator would be required then it would need to be fabricated. pond builders are plumbers of sorts and i assume that persons on this forum are both creative and adaptable. gold dredges have product separation by use of venturi. the same may be possible vsing a screen and a wye or some sort of difuser.
i understand that my vac works in my situation and would need modification to be used in yours.
the issue is not if it will work but how to modify it to work for you
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[tadpole]

Jim-

What is needed is not a gravel separator. When cleaning an R&G (rock and gravel) pond the aim is to remove as much mulm, sediment and debris WItHOUT removing the gravel. This is where arises the problem....removing this predominantly organic material but leaving the gravel in place. This can easily be accomplished with the pond drained but is close to impossible while the pond is full. Any vac with power enough to lift sediment laden water will also lift gravel.

[STL Ponds and Waterfalls]

Originally Posted by 1idejim

don't knock what you haven't tried. BTW. my mule don't like people laughing.
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Settle down..I'm not trying to be rude, but you have to admit it's a crazy looking setup. Now that you have described it and it's uses I think it's pretty damn cool since you fabbed it yourself. If I offened you I apollogize.

[tadpole]

Correcting an earlier post that I made to this thread. The price that I quoted on the new commercial pond vac that I referred to was incorrect. It is not $4,995.00 but $8,995.00. It does offer a 5 year warranty which makes me feel so much better.

[1idejim]

Originally Posted by STL Ponds and Waterfalls

Settle down..I'm not trying to be rude, but you have to admit it's a crazy looking setup. Now that you have described it and it's uses I think it's pretty damn cool since you fabbed it yourself. If I offened you I apollogize.

Nothing like a little Clint Eastwood quote to shake the tree!
No offence was taken. personally i would like to know how small the rock is that you are speaking of. i began using a 18/24 vlt cordless to clean out irrigation valve boxes and the sprinkler forum laughed, now a few of the guys are using them.
i have been pouring concrete foundations under old forest service cabins for years and a shop vac does quite a bit of my excavation in tight areas that were near impossible to clean well.
as far as vacing a pond goes there are plenty of diffusers, strainers and baskets availible that may or may not work. we have the technology to fab anything. maybe i would like to give this a closer look this winter.
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[STL Ponds and Waterfalls]

In my builds the gravel is sometimes poorly seperated from the quarry, but it is from 3"-4" down to pea size. On average it's 2"-3" in size.

I'd like to build something like that but with my time and family, a man has to know his limitations!