Installing the Koi Village Aerated Bottom Drain

[Ronin-Koi]

I posted this in the trader forum to answer someone's question about the Koi Village Aerated Bottom Drain. Thought it might be of interest in the construction forum as well, so here it is. I decided to use some epoxy at the air connection like HarveytheKoi, and installed some vertical rebar like Clay.

I bought the last two drains that Gene had from his first batch of aerated bottom drains.

Photo 1. Parts that come from Gene. In the zip lock are screws for attaching the liner ring.

Photo 2. Fittings for the air line at the bottom of the bottom drain. The air line on the drain is threaded femal 3/4". I used a 3/4" elbow, short piece of 3/4" pipe, a 3/4"x1" reducer, and then to a 1" 45 degree elbow. This would fit into the 1" line to my filter chamber. I got some pipe joint compound for the threaded connection.

Photo 3. The bottom drain is made of ABS, so I used all-purpose cement to glue on my 4" dia. PVC 45 degree elbow. I chose to use two 45 degree elbows rather than straight to a 4" pipe because I will be installing a concrete floor for my pond and I wanted thicker concrete over the pipe, especially right at that connection.

Photo 4. Both bottom drains all glued up.

Photo 5. Bottom drain in the ground with rebar around it, in a hole waiting for concrete to be poured to set the bottom drain.

Photo 6. Bottom drain installed with about 8 inches of concrete underneath it for support with a rebar ring and vertical rebar to tie into the top layer of concrete to be poured separately. The 4" drain line sits on the right, and the 1" air line is on the left.

Hope that helps to explain at least one way to install the Koi Village Bottom Drain. Hope this also convinces lots of people to go out and buy them. Gene's a good guy, and I am happy with the product... or at least I think I will be once the pond is completed and the drains are operational.

http://www.koivillage.com/

- Wayne, will start a thread on construction of the rest of his pond in the next day or so, hopefully.

[Gene]

Nice work, Wayne!

Thanks for posting it. I'm looking forward to more.

[Orfe]

What was the thinking behind the rebar?

[mstrseed]

Originally Posted by Orfe

What was the thinking behind the rebar?

Strength, always use it with concrete especially were you don't want to have to dig it up.

[Clay]

Looks great Wayne. You'll be done with your pond before I finish mine. It's about 43 degrees outside right now and headed toward 39 for tonight. My construction season is just about over.

The rebar helps with the cold joint between this small pour and the floor.

Rick

[Ronin-Koi]

Originally Posted by mstrseed

Strength, always use it with concrete especially were you don't want to have to dig it up.

Mstrseed and Clay pretty much summed it up. Concrete has great strength in compression but is pretty weak in tension. Steel on the other hand has high tensile strength. So by imbedding reinforcing steel inside the concrete, the construction is much stronger and the likelihood of fracture or failure is reduced.

So in setting the drains, I put in a rebar ring to strengthen that block of concrete, and added the short vertical sections so that this block can better tie into the upper concrete since they are poured separately and will have a weaker "cold joint."

As an FYI, it took four 80 pound bags of Quikrete concrete to set each bottom drain.

I set these bottom drains a couple weeks ago when it was pretty dry (this was before all the rain which turned my hole into a mud pit). I lined the hole for the driains with plastic sheeting because dry dirt can absorb the water from concrete which again could weaken it. I used the plastic to keep the concrete pure without losing water and without mixing with the dirt.

All of this is all probably waaaay over-kill and might not be necessary. But I rather take the extra few steps now, rather than lie in bed a year from now after I spend a pretty penny on some nice koi wondering ... "is that bottom drain going to hold?"

- Wayne, hopes to never see the bottom of that bottom drain again.

[Ronin-Koi]

Originally Posted by Clay

Looks great Wayne. You'll be done with your pond before I finish mine. It's about 43 degrees outside right now and headed toward 39 for tonight. My construction season is just about over.

Rick, I don't know about that. The wind chill this morning got me to realize winter is right around the corner. Meanwhile, leaves -- they are turning and falling already!! I hope the fall goes slowly, otherwise, my hopes of getting water in the pond this year will be shot.

Rick, what did you do, if anything to protect your bottom drains from freezing during the winter, during your construction last winter? I hope not to have to worry about that, but just in case I do not finish the pond before snow comes, I would like to know what options there are. I have thought about sticking an electric heater in my Bottom drain and 4" pipe up to the filter pit. But am worried about melting the PVC.

Any thoughts everyone?

- Wayne,... must... have... water.. in ... POND...soon...

[Clay]

Wayne, I bought 4" plumber's test plugs and put them in the drains which kept water out of the pipes. Then I covered the drains with plastic and duct taped the plastic. Nothing broke so that is what I will do again this year.

What are you going to use for a concrete sealer in your pond? Many of them have to have the concrete stand for 30 days before they can be applied. If you build your walls over the next few weeks and then wait another 30 days for the sealer the snow will be flying here by that time.

Rick

[Ronin-Koi]

Originally Posted by Clay

Wayne, I bought 4" plumber's test plugs and put them in the drains which kept water out of the pipes. Then I covered the drains with plastic and duct taped the plastic. Nothing broke so that is what I will do again this year.

What are you going to use for a concrete sealer in your pond? Many of them have to have the concrete stand for 30 days before they can be applied. If you build your walls over the next few weeks and then wait another 30 days for the sealer the snow will be flying here by that time.

Rick

Rick, You were able to put the test plug inside the sump area of the bottom drain? Smart thinking. I am trying to figure out how to seal the entire bottom drain, and also provide structural support for the middle stem/check valve against 3 ft of snow and ice.

I mentioned over in the "Rain Before Pouring Concrete" thread that I am considering pouring the filter pit and the floor of the pond before putting up my walls (or at least most of my walls). If I do this, the floor should have enough time to cure. The walls and rendering on the other hand... ? Are you going to put rendering on your block, or will you seal right on top of the block? I am thinking about using Surewall or Quickwall (I keep forgetting the name) as rendering.

As of today, I am planning on using Sanitred as the pond sealer. Some still question if it will last 10 years in a koi pond application, but I can not wait 10 years to find out, and it seems like a reasonable product and see no reason for it to fail. What are you planning to use to seal your pond?

- Wayne, will either really enjoy his pond 5 years from now, or will be on here with a generation of Koiphen pond builders trying to figure out how to re-seal the Sanitred pond.

[Clay]

Wayne, yes I put the test plug directly inside of the sump area of the drain. This year in addition to what I did last year I might try to put a modified rose cone over the drain too.

No rendering here. Will apply santitred directly to the block.

Yes, if we don't do it right we will all be asking the same questions. I expect those questions to come up but closer to 15 years than 5.

Rick