One of this year's major projects was to install both activated charcoal filtration and a water softener strictly for the koi pond. Out tap water currently tests at 8.4 pH, 1 ppm Ammonia, 2 ppm Chlorine, 7-10 ppm nitrate and .04 salt.
Our installer, Randy, tapped into the copper pipe above the laundry facilities in our detached garage -- then ran 3/4" water and both 110 & 24V electrical lines out and along the back of the garage to where the system was set up.
All water goes through a tank which contains 2 cubic feet of AC (plus 20 lbs of KD-55 for chlorine/chloramine elimination). When one tank is ready to backwash/flush to waste (that's every 2100 gallons), the controller shifts the throughput to an identical second tank -- so there's no interruption in treated water. This capability will allow us to run the system 24/7 365 for approx. 16 years before having to replace the materials.
After that, part of the flow is routed to the WS and part of it bypasses that unit; the two flows meet after the WS so the water can be blended for the desired GH. Each line has its own water meter, ball (shut off) valve and check valve. The lines then rejoin; output is via a standard hose bib. The WS is set to re-generate every 8 days using brine from a squatty tank. After regeneration, the WS is flushed to waste and put back in service.
The hose bib is used to adjust the flow (gph) while the ball valves are used to control the mixture.
Maximum flow should be about 8 gpm. We'll set it to flow at approx. 600 gallons (10% of pond volume) per day, with corresponding overflow of bottom water (via a standpipe in the sump) to waste.
After the Cetus has been installed, we'll start adding the water to the system there. That way, it can be mellowed by being run through the Ultima and the up-flow J-mat bio-filters before entering the pond.
After treatment the ammonia, chlorine and nitrate tests all read zero. Salt reading has not changed. Won't know about how the pH is going to play out until after the water's been run through the pond.
As for hardness (GH), it varies from about 150-250 ppm (depending on our Water District's source at the time). We'll probably start out around 80 ppm and see if that's a high enough level to keep the pH from climbing.
No more big 10% water changes daily. No more setting timers. No more adding dechlor. No more waiting for it to fill to turn skimmers back on. No more worries about a senior moment and killing the koi.
Hallelujah!
Tanks . . .
plus a bunch of stuff . . .
plus Randy . . .
='s a nicely planned and cleanly installed system.
04-27-2008
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