Transformation of Central Vortex into Kaldnes system

[marco]

Thanks to Scott and Maurice, my transformation is now finish, I put a wash machine barrel into the central vortex with static kaldness. I could'nt use the same system then Scott did because there is a space between the different chamber and there is no acces to it.(see previos tread of Scott and Maurice) So I manage a different way to collect the water on the top of the barrel. The water is really clean after that so I could install the second chamber with fluid kaldness in the second chamber and it works now for two weeks perfectly.
If I had to buy a filter now, I would not by the same system with a central vortex, but if you did the same mistake them me, that is a good way to improve this filter.
Thanks again to you Scott.
Marco

[Mike Mazur]

wow looks ike quite the engineering job you have done there, what is the flow direction?? ie in the pic does it flow top right to top left then bottom right then center then fluidized bed? well whichever it is as long as you have clearer water and a more maintainable system ya done good.

[bekko]

With some initial guidance from Maurice, I have been playing with the static kaldness and am fairly pleased. I did learn that bigger is not necessarily better at a given flow rate. It appears that when there is a large basket but a small flow, the media does not compress but stays somewhat fluid despite the fact that there is no aeration or agitation. This prevents the media (at least the media near the outside of the basket) from trapping as much debris.

When making my third unit, I ran out of kaldness media. It was only 8-10 liters short and I did not want to order another box of Kaldness. Therefore, I mixed kaldness with small polyethylene beads. These beads are similar to what is used in a floating bead filter. They are actually poly "resin beads" used in the manufacture of plastic items. The ones I have came from a local company that makes plastic bags, but the same resin is shipped around by the container load and is used for all sorts of manufacturing. I am thinking that the mixture of kaldness and beads may result in less void space and increase the filtration efficiency. The beads and kaldness have the same specific gravity and do not re-segregate themselves (they stay mixed). Its only been in service two days and seems to work. However, I'll have to report back about whether clumping problems begin to develop as the media ages.

-steve hopkins