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  • Page 37 of 41 FirstFirst ... 2734353637383940 ... LastLast
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    Thread: How to make a phoam phraxionator, 1300-1500 gph

    1. #721
      Raven2014 is offline Senior Member
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      Quote Originally Posted by Ethan25 View Post
      could probably get away with a 1.5" exit but no point in doing that in my opinion. I'd rather have too much opening than too little. The key is the water level in the TEE, as well as "dwell" time.
      I read about "what create the phoam" a lot in this thread and your two other build threat, but coudn't really draw a conclusion on it. It seems the splashing is what created the foam. If that is the case, do you think I can compensate for the length of the tower by using a small diameter spray bar at the top to pressure the water really hard against the media? Is that a good idea at all?

      I will use the 4" TEE and 2" outlet pipe.

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    2. #722
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      Hey Ethan.

      This should make you cry happy phoam tears!

      The pic was taken this morning.

      After the flood, the PP wasn't producing any foam at all. I expected it to go crazy????

      I started doing about 1' water changes to get the river water out of the pond and 2 days ago, it started producing like this.

      Thank you so much for being brilliant!
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    3. #723
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      Quote Originally Posted by Raven2014 View Post
      I read about "what create the phoam" a lot in this thread and your two other build threat, but coudn't really draw a conclusion on it. It seems the splashing is what created the foam. If that is the case, do you think I can compensate for the length of the tower by using a small diameter spray bar at the top to pressure the water really hard against the media? Is that a good idea at all?
      I will use the 4" TEE and 2" outlet pipe.
      My advice for anybody trying to make an Ethan style foam fractionator, is to make one that will produce foam using the directions before trying to modify or make one different.


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    4. #724
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      Quote Originally Posted by kntry View Post
      Hey Ethan.

      This should make you cry happy phoam tears!

      The pic was taken this morning.

      After the flood, the PP wasn't producing any foam at all. I expected it to go crazy????

      I started doing about 1' water changes to get the river water out of the pond and 2 days ago, it started producing like this.

      Thank you so much for being brilliant!
      thanks so much!! I am always glad to see these! If you have hard water, the phraxionator will have trouble creating stable bubbles. The softer the water the better.
      Ephesians 2:8-9
      faith is a gift, not a personal talent.


    5. #725
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      Finally get around to build one. It's a 3.5ft tall 4" with a 500GPH flow. After assembling "everything" I realize I made a very dumb mistake ... I forgot to put the strainer pasket in. After thinking about it I cut a large piece of sponge and jam it to the bottom where the 90 elbow is, do you know if this will affect the unit performance (like it makes the water too calm). Or anyone have an idea that I can someone insert a strainer down the tube?

    6. #726
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      Quote Originally Posted by Raven2014 View Post
      Finally get around to build one. It's a 3.5ft tall 4" with a 500GPH flow. After assembling "everything" I realize I made a very dumb mistake ... I forgot to put the strainer pasket in. After thinking about it I cut a large piece of sponge and jam it to the bottom where the 90 elbow is, do you know if this will affect the unit performance (like it makes the water too calm). Or anyone have an idea that I can someone insert a strainer down the tube?

      I don't think the piece of sponge will work. 4" diameter piece of plastic egg crate lighting panel will work. I just drop the "strainer" down the tube. If you have a 3.5 ft. long rod (dowel), you can use that to help guide the strainer down the tube.


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    7. #727
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      So I decided to cut off the pipe and "burnt/melt" the glue part to remove it, put in a strainer proper, reseal it and also extend the pipe by another ft. I don't get foam but seems like I'm getting quite a bit of air bubbles.

    8. #728
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      Quote Originally Posted by Raven2014 View Post
      So I decided to cut off the pipe and "burnt/melt" the glue part to remove it, put in a strainer proper, reseal it and also extend the pipe by another ft. I don't get foam but seems like I'm getting quite a bit of air bubbles.
      Where is your water level in the base of the unit? Do you have a valve on the exit?
      Ephesians 2:8-9
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    9. #729
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      Quote Originally Posted by kntry View Post
      Hey Ethan.

      This should make you cry happy phoam tears!

      The pic was taken this morning.

      After the flood, the PP wasn't producing any foam at all. I expected it to go crazy????

      I started doing about 1' water changes to get the river water out of the pond and 2 days ago, it started producing like this.

      Thank you so much for being brilliant!
      still producing at all?
      Ephesians 2:8-9
      faith is a gift, not a personal talent.


    10. #730
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      Quote Originally Posted by Ethan25 View Post
      Where is your water level in the base of the unit? Do you have a valve on the exit?
      Yes, I have a 2" Valve and adjust the flow so the water come up to base of the top part on the 4x4x4. My pond is still news so I'm not sure if it has enough DOC for the unit to work yet, my 3" water is still clear to the bottom but the waterfall still generating foam that make the surface look unsightly. Just wondering if the bubble I'm getting is normal. My tower is filled with Bio Barrel btw.

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    11. #731
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      Quote Originally Posted by Raven2014 View Post
      Yes, I have a 2" Valve and adjust the flow so the water come up to base of the top part on the 4x4x4. My pond is still news so I'm not sure if it has enough DOC for the unit to work yet, my 3" water is still clear to the bottom but the waterfall still generating foam that make the surface look unsightly. Just wondering if the bubble I'm getting is normal. My tower is filled with Bio Barrel btw.
      If there are no docs in the water and a normal waterfall isn't creating foam, this won't yet either, but make sure it runs as it will prevent phoam and will add to your aeration as well as your bio
      Ephesians 2:8-9
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    12. #732
      kimini is offline Senior Member
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      FYI: 6" PVC drain pipe is much cheaper than than schedule-40 (pressure-rated) PVC pipe and is available in 10-ft sections. Look for it at agricultural/landscaping places - Home Depot and Lowes typically won't have it.
      Last edited by kimini; 11-22-2016 at 10:19 AM.
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    13. #733
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      Just built a smaller version of this by using your instructions and I'm having excellent results! Just wanted to say thank you for the guide it's a brilliant idea!

      Thanks again!!
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    14. #734
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      Foam Fractionator question

      Ethan,

      Good morning. I am in the process of building the foam fractionator that you highlighted in the 2006 thread. But I have a question, please. My 18,000 gal pond is above ground by a few inches and the "wall" around the pond is even higher, of course. So, I either need to raise the bottom of the foam fractionator about 24 inches, or run the 2" output up and over the wall of the pond.
      It seems to me that the purpose of the 2" ball valve at the output is to create enough back pressure to raise the water level in the tee to the desired point. So, wouldn't that also be the case of the output going up 24" before exiting? What I don't know is whether forcing the output up 24" is MORE back pressure than this setup can handle. Or, if I add a few inches of 4" pipe to the foam output, and let the water level come up a little further, would that reduce the amount of foam that exits the tee?
      What is your opinion about all of this, please.
      Thanks!
      Regards,
      Todd

    15. #735
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    16. #736
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      I am going to make a guess on this. The foam is formed by the water dropping over the bioballs. The foam needs to exit the fractionator, to be skimmed. If the water has to come up and over, then the foam will stay in the tower portion and not flow out, as it is lighter than the water that will be pushed outward. The design is such that the amount of water entering the system is not as great as the capacity of the exit pipe, so foam rides out on the surface. The little skimmer plate causes the foam to build in height to the point of flowing out the exit pipe. To assist in getting the foam to exit, a valve is put in the line to cause some reduction of flow, increasing the depth of the water within the exit pipe, so the foam doesn't have to be as deep to start the exit/
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    17. #737
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      By increasing the water surface area the DOC's can more easily combine and form a film (ie bubble) and float to the surface in the exit tube and as they continue to build they push the phoam worm out. The right amount of flow and the correct level in the exit tube are thing you will have to tweak until you get the phome production your looking for. My 4" 6' tall PP unit uses about 600 to 700 GPM. I purchased some new bio balls a month ago and did not look at them before I put them in the top of PP to top off the tube. These bio balls were the ones with the little sponge inside. Yep they clogged up and water started coming out the top. I just pulled them out and all is good again
      Last edited by davidjensen; 07-30-2017 at 08:10 PM.
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    18. #738
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      Quote Originally Posted by tpaulus3 View Post
      Ethan,
      Good morning. I am in the process of building the foam fractionator that you highlighted in the 2006 thread. But I have a question, please. My 18,000 gal pond is above ground by a few inches and the "wall" around the pond is even higher, of course. So, I either need to raise the bottom of the foam fractionator about 24 inches, or run the 2" output up and over the wall of the pond.
      It seems to me that the purpose of the 2" ball valve at the output is to create enough back pressure to raise the water level in the tee to the desired point. So, wouldn't that also be the case of the output going up 24" before exiting? What I don't know is whether forcing the output up 24" is MORE back pressure than this setup can handle. Or, if I add a few inches of 4" pipe to the foam output, and let the water level come up a little further, would that reduce the amount of foam that exits the tee?
      What is your opinion about all of this, please.
      Thanks!
      Regards,
      Todd
      It seems like when people make changes to Ethan's design... there is a good chance the foam fractionator does not work properly.

      My advice is to build one the way Ethan says, set it up on the edge of the wall and see if you get foam. Once you prove to yourself that it will work... then start making modifications. You do not have to glue the pieces together.


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    19. #739
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      I doubt raising the output 24" is going to work. First of all, your tee will have to be raised by at least 24". Second, I think that not many bubbles will make it to the tee if they have to go 24" down and then back up the tee. You'd need some serious flow to make that happen. But there is only one way to find out.

      Quote Originally Posted by tpaulus3 View Post
      Ethan,

      Good morning. I am in the process of building the foam fractionator that you highlighted in the 2006 thread. But I have a question, please. My 18,000 gal pond is above ground by a few inches and the "wall" around the pond is even higher, of course. So, I either need to raise the bottom of the foam fractionator about 24 inches, or run the 2" output up and over the wall of the pond.
      It seems to me that the purpose of the 2" ball valve at the output is to create enough back pressure to raise the water level in the tee to the desired point. So, wouldn't that also be the case of the output going up 24" before exiting? What I don't know is whether forcing the output up 24" is MORE back pressure than this setup can handle. Or, if I add a few inches of 4" pipe to the foam output, and let the water level come up a little further, would that reduce the amount of foam that exits the tee?
      What is your opinion about all of this, please.
      Thanks!
      Regards,
      Todd

    20. #740
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      I am working on one of these, and I'm getting some phoam but not as much as I'd like. I had a few questions:

      1. Would the 6" PP benefit from reducing the diameter of the vertical pipe to 4", while keeping the rest 6"? I would think that more flow per cross sectional area would give more turbulence. I guess choosing a pipe diameter could be a tradeoff between water velocity and amount of media that could fit for a given height.

      2. At the tee, is it better to narrow the waste exit diameter at the water level or immediately above it? In other words, is the narrower exit supposed to facilitate the foam to exit more quickly or is it supposed to decrease the surface area of the water at the tee? For example, I noticed in the 4" PP design that the waste exit has a 2" reducer bushing but the water level is still at the 4" part. However, in the 6" PP design the water surface is 4" in diameter and not 6" with a 4" reducer above it.

      3. I noticed that the water level gurgles and oscillates a lot in the tee, which prevents me from setting the water level very close to the exit. Flow is about 1200 gph following Ethan's 6" PP design. Any ideas to reduce this?

      Any comments on any of the questions would be appreciated!
      Last edited by bravetang8; 09-25-2017 at 02:51 PM.

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