| I hadn’t thought of it as CAD. The computations in a filter design are simple and can be done by hand but not many folks understand the process. We have the resources to do this without a cash investment. It depends on the team’s goal. If it want’s to sell the product, it will take an investment, but I hope it will show up on these boards as a freebee for others to use to advantage or profit.
Once a spread sheet program is developed, the DIY crowd can take it much further.
Redundancy is a main component of reliability and versatility but it should have specific targets if its value is to be maximized. Targeting specific needs is first. A sump or bead filter isn’t a particularly unreliable component so redundancy there isn’t worth much cash and can even add to the overall energy consumption with no value added.
On the other hand, the separate skimmer circuit is more restrictive than a single system with two (smaller) pumps in parallel. The added versatility can allow for one pump and the water fall to be turned off for the winter for a considerable savings and the Spring startup won’t endanger the pond if stagnant water is not purged.
I’m not presenting this as a proposal, just pointing out that there are other alternatives to good pond design that may have considerable value, but aren’t considered due to the cookie cutter approach presently leading the options. |