Air-lift Components

[Kent Wallace]

I have worked for over two years at putting together a line of air-lift components that would simplify the use. When I first started my quest to use air-lifts I could only find one airlift available and it wasn't very useful when it arrived. What I wanted was a system of components that could be placed down the center of a bio-filter for easy access and maintenance over time. In the last 2/1/2 years I have developed several components and built ponds and quarantine tanks testing as I went. I wanted a group of components that anyone could use easily in any manner they wished.
Since I couldn't get any useful info for what I wanted to create I built my own air-lift test area and spent a lot of time and money trying to figure it all out. My first Q-tank was 2 1/2 years ago and my first 10,000 gal 1/2 air-lift, 1/2 standard pond pump pond was right after that. I'll post my Air-lift projects ahortly.
Here are some shots of my early tests and my air-lift test area. I built several air delivery devices with mixed results and tried several depths before I realized I needed more depth than the tank I was using had.

[Kent Wallace]

To make the tank deeper I added a nipple to the bottom which extended the tube length. This worked and allowed me to fine tune the other components over time.

[Kent Wallace]

Then I built the test area I have now. I needed to keep the air-lift tank full while it was being emptied and at the same time fill a tank at a timed rate. Flow meters won't work due to the air in the water. The total flow rates can't be calculated until after the air is purged from it.
Then I started my multi-tube tests.

[Kent Wallace]

Once I made the multi tube hub at the bottom the water had to be collected at the top again. Collection with a multi tube assy is much more difficult than with a large single tube! I assembled this collection of fittings that worked but was a lot of pieces that didn't quite fit without a lot of massaging.

[Kent Wallace]

Once I had figured out pipe diameters, lengths and air pump sizes, I could build filter systems around it. I also built a much cleaner header collector.

[Kent Wallace]

These are all made to go inside an 8" tube and the whole assy can be lifted out through the center. I recently started molding my own hub assemblies and now it all fits inside a 6" tube which custs the cost significantly. These are pics of my first protoype.

[Kent Wallace]

I use them in both aerated bio and static bio. One of the first issues was a purge tank. Originally I made an external purge tank but later I incorporated them inside the biofilter which was much cleaner and easier to install. I have also incorporated the UV light into one of the purge tanks which really saves space. Bio-filter, Air-lift, Purge tanks and UV all contained in one tank and completely disassemblable in minutes. The photo is of an Air-lift Dilution Reactor with an air-lift pump. The drawing is of an air-lift operated static filter.

[WAC]

Amazing work Kent! I can't imagine the number of manhours & research & development involved in developing this. :clap:

[Kent Wallace]

Thanks, I also have a line of smaller components originally designed around 55 gal drums but they can be used for any depth tank. The 55 gal drum performance is harder to get because of the short depth of the tank. I do have a 6" flange system for making an extended nipple on shorter tanks.
The air-lift Q-tank components work really well and I have them in two and three tube systems.

[Kent Wallace]

The first drawing was in a 55 gal drum Air-lift Dilution Reactor. This one is inside a 55 gal drum static filter. This single barrel system is good for small 150 to 300 gal tanks.
The hubs come in down-flow and up-flow configurations. I'll explain that tomorrow.

[Paultergeist]

This is really cool stuff, Kent! I appreciate you sharing it with all of us!

......except that....these photos really put my attempts at DIY work to shame!

[lukef]

Kent
You're a perfectionist, huh?

[lukef]

kent in the second post, third pic.
What was the air pump used?

[Marilyn]

It's good to see you posting some of this innovative stuff Kent and always a treat to see them in action at the shows. I just happen to be putting the finishing touches on a qt with the static pre-filter and ADR for the bottom drain line. :bow:

[CHICHI]

Excellent Stuff Kent :yes: :cheer: :clap:

I`m still looking for a Version which would run my TT :yes: :rolleyes:

[laylow409]

Nice work kent! I wish I had your testing area for things! More questions to follow after I study you pics! :)
Anthony

[kyrkebro]

Kent.
Thank you for sharing all this hard work and knowledge.
Elias :bow:

[birdman]

Pretty awesome Kent.

[Zac Penn]

I am guessing that you are using a submersible pump to return the water back to the airlift tank? That is the only way i can see how you can allow the water to build up in the airlift outlet tank....
Mu guess on the setup...
airlift suction tank w/ airlift manifold inside it, that pumps into the graduated tank for water flow measurements, that tank has a bulkhead connecting it to the return tank w/ a submersible pump inside it pumping back to the airlift tank. This way you can turn on the airlift and the submersible pump and allow them to be synchronized as far as flow goes. Then just close the valve connecting the second tank and third tank and calculate how long it takes to fill to a certain level, then reopen the valve connecting the two before the sub pump goes dry?

Pretty nifty setup. I have been using a digital flow meter on the bottom drain line between my qt tank and airlift tank and using those numbers as rough estimates. The problem with that is you need a 12' long piece of pipe to get the turbulent water to calm back down into a smooth flow. The you loose accuracy because of the excess draw down between filter and qt tank. But then again it is a lot quicker to test different setups because you aren't constantly making minute adjustments to the output flow of the submersible pump.

You got any rough flow numbers yet that can be shown?

Zac

[Kent Wallace]

Luke, my first tests were with a Medo 120 lpm and a Hakko 60 lpm pump. I soon realized that air pumps like pond pumps widely vary in pump performance and efficiency. My goal at first was to mimic the performance of William's smallest pump, the Wave I 1 1/15 hp(3000 gph at 1.3 amps. The Medo pumps have shown to be the most efficient so far but I'm always looking for a better one. The Medo 80 lpm pump is the best so far. You can run two 80s for the same energy as a 120. The Hakko pumps are much less efficient. The Medo pumps are also piston and not diaphram. These are much more reliable. I've had several of these running nonstop on various projects for over 2 yrs.
Zac, you're right on the set up. I just added a system to keep the test tank at a constant level contimuously. As you know, flow rates on air-lifts vary in a wide range depending on a number of variables with each installation. It will always be the case that with a little tweaking you can get more but my main goal was to develope a component system of interchangable parts that could be used and maintained easily by anyone. That also led to filter designes that accomodate air-lifts in a practical way.
I am to a point now that a system could be built into about anything including an external tube setup that can be buried and still allow easy access. This would work with existing inground gravity flow systems such as chamber setups or a Nexus type filtration system.
Chichi, Two things you can't run with an air-lift are seive screens and shower filters/trickle towers. I do have an idea for the shower filters though.:yes:
My whole approach was to make air-lifts as easy to apply to a design and install as all the other pond equipment out there.

[Norm Walsh]

Thanks for sharing all those photos and drawings of your air-lift research. Having assembled and used several of your kits I know the effort you put in to make them simple, effective and easily rebuildable.

I'm looking forward to getting your "3-tube" lift running on one of my own tanks as well. :bow:

[Kent Wallace]

I should have all the components up on my website this week. This is a shot of the two barrel system we have run at recent shows. It's a static pre-filter and an ADR cycling through each other.

[hondataeg6]

great stuff man, thanks for sharing... i wonder if could be possible to incorporate a air lift in a pond to feed a ff??

[Kent Wallace]

Yes, an air-lift is similar to an upflow foam fractionator. If a pond has a high DOC load foam will be produced in the purge chamber. Norm and I have discussed placing a foam fractionator on the discharge pipes at the top of the filter.

[Paultergeist]

Kent,

Looking at the photos of the "two barrel system" (from the show pictures, where the static and ADR cycle between each other), I am curious about the small hole (maybe 1") bored into the upper horizontal run between the two barrels? Can you explain?

[Kent Wallace]

That's the air purge hole. The air needs someplace to escape. Normally this pipe would leed to the pond and would be the same as the air purge port in the "tee" as shown. This is also where a foam fractionator could be implemented.

[rfiller10]

Of all the designs you tested which moved the most water for a set amount of air? Which diffuser design worked out best for you?

Also, thanks for doing this, airlifts are a pretty niche interest and all design info is extremely valuable.

[Kent Wallace]

My hubs all operate the same. The hub allows me to evenly distribute air between each tube. The total flow is a factor of depth and pipe efficiency. They all work and the only real difference is application. First you have to decide what the air-lift is going in. That determines the housing and hub type.
All air-lifts are of course upflow but the terms down-flow and up-flow in my air-lift systems determine where the water comes from. In an upflow filter chamber you need to pull water from the top so you would use a down-flow tube in the center and the hub is designed to allow water to go around the outside of the hub and reach the bottom of the tube.
As in all up-flow filters you need a seperation plate to keep the media off the bottom and away from the drain. You also need an inlet screen at the top to prevent media migration down the center tube. On the 4 inch down tubes I use a 4" basket screen as shown. I also have a basket with a six inch outlet and a PVC outlet screen assy for down flow units at the bottom of a submerged tank.

[Kent Wallace]

In a down flow layout the center PVC screen would actually look like this with a top plate that allows the tubes to run through. I also have the balls that can be used in an upflow moving bed.
In any down-flow hub tube you must seal the bottom of the down tube from the tank. In the pic above the two tube unit fits inside a 4" cap and rests on the lip inside just off the bottom.

[Noahsnana]

Gotta love Kent's DIY threads :yahoo:

[Zac Penn]

You are turning into quite the pro when it comes to molding your own parts...Very Nicely Done!

[Paultergeist]

Kent,

Thanks for answering my previous question. This is great workmanship and fantastic documentation.

Another question, if that is okay: The "collection header" at the top of the airlift tube appears to create a pretty sharp turn of the water flow (from vertical to horizontal), and I am surprised that this angle is not a more gradual "sweep" type of turn?

[Kent Wallace]

In an upflow application the hub doesn't need to bypass any water because the water is being drawn from the bottom of the chamber. The hub is full circle in that case and in it's simplest form can be placed in a 4" basket scrreen which holds it off the bottom. These two and three tube units are upflow. The three tube will also be available in a down flow version shortly but will require a 5" or 6" down tube.

[hondataeg6]

is this where the air is supplied ?

[Norm Walsh]

:yes:

[Kent Wallace]

Paultergeist;Kent,

Thanks for answering my previous question. This is great workmanship and fantastic documentation.

Another question, if that is okay: The "collection header" at the top of the airlift tube appears to create a pretty sharp turn of the water flow (from vertical to horizontal), and I am surprised that this angle is not a more gradual "sweep" type of turn?


Hey Paul, that's a great question. Because air-lifts are a gravity flow concept, the air needs to be seperated from the upward column as soon as possible. A sweep at the top will allow the air to seperate before the horizontal flow starts as it will collect toward the top of the arc. As the water turns, the arc leaves water that is more dense at the bottom of the arc without the air to move it as much.
In my original tests I noticed a dfference in measured flow and I even used upside down DWV tees to help seperate the water from the air at the top. Not really necessary though, just a good fairly sharp turn into a chamber that can allow the seperation.

Yes, the air does go in through the center of the hub assembly.

[Kent Wallace]

In other upflow configurations where the filter chamber is downflow but has a seperation plate you can use a hub like this.

[gOOse]

Super cool. It always bugged me that airlifts were not very common. :wtg:

[Paultergeist]

Because air-lifts are a gravity flow concept, the air needs to be seperated from the upward column as soon as possible. A sweep at the top will allow the air to seperate before the horizontal flow starts as it will collect toward the top of the arc. As the water turns, the arc leaves water that is more dense at the bottom of the arc without the air to move it as much.
In my original tests I noticed a dfference in measured flow and I even used upside down DWV tees to help seperate the water from the air at the top. Not really necessary though, just a good fairly sharp turn into a chamber that can allow the seperation.


Kent,

Thanks so much for the explanation. I would not have thought of this issue, but after reading your explanation a few times and thinking about it, I can understand what you are describing and it makes sense. Obviously I have an interest in airlifts, largely due to the high-cost of electricity here in Southern California and the desire to move water as efficiently as possible -- assuming I ever manage to get a pond in the ground! I really appreciate you sharing your observations with us!

Paul

[Kent Wallace]

Thanks Paul, You're more than welcome.
Goose, My intention is to make them more common.:yahoo:

[Kent Wallace]

The other type inlet for an upflow hub is like this half ball. If a filter has no seperation plate but needs the smaller holes to keep media out this will work.
Since I stopped using moving bed media in my ADR it uses inner and outer seperation plates as shown in the drawing.

[hondataeg6]

one silly question... do you use any type of air diffusers on the air lift hubs???

[Kent Wallace]

The larger filters with the 4 tube units work like this. The first drawing is of a static trapping filter which could also be a static aerated media filter by leaving the cleaning rings on all the time.
The second is of an Air-lift Dilution Reactor.

[Kent Wallace]

hondataeg6;one silly question... do you use any type of air diffusers on the air lift hubs???


Not a silly question. There is no easy way to use diffusers in these because of my intent to make them servicable. Also not having an airstone or rubber diffuser means they can never go bad or need to be replaced.

[CHICHI]

Luke, my first tests were with a Medo 120 lpm and a Hakko 60 lpm pump. I soon realized that air pumps like pond pumps widely vary in pump performance and efficiency. My goal at first was to mimic the performance of William's smallest pump, the Wave I 1 1/15 hp(3000 gph at 1.3 amps. The Medo pumps have shown to be the most efficient so far but I'm always looking for a better one. The Medo 80 lpm pump is the best so far. You can run two 80s for the same energy as a 120. The Hakko pumps are much less efficient. The Medo pumps are also piston and not diaphram. These are much more reliable. I've had several of these running nonstop on various projects for over 2 yrs.
Zac, you're right on the set up. I just added a system to keep the test tank at a constant level contimuously. As you know, flow rates on air-lifts vary in a wide range depending on a number of variables with each installation. It will always be the case that with a little tweaking you can get more but my main goal was to develope a component system of interchangable parts that could be used and maintained easily by anyone. That also led to filter designes that accomodate air-lifts in a practical way.
I am to a point now that a system could be built into about anything including an external tube setup that can be buried and still allow easy access. This would work with existing inground gravity flow systems such as chamber setups or a Nexus type filtration system.
Chichi, Two things you can't run with an air-lift are seive screens and shower filters/trickle towers. I do have an idea for the shower filters though. :yes:
My whole approach was to make air-lifts as easy to apply to a design and install as all the other pond equipment out there.

Elaborate on this Kent Please ? :yes: :D:

Mine are in a Temp "Show Vat" with 23,000 litres of Hellish Decibels re Submersible Pumps running the Myriad appliances :eek1:

Anything whatsoever which could "Quiet" the Din Down would be Truly Welcome Indeed :yes:

[Kent Wallace]

You can't run a sieve with an air-lift because there is no suction pressure, or should I say vacuum, created. There is no way to evacuate the water level in a sieve to make the screen work. This requires a pump pulling directly from the chamber of the sieve to lower the water level.
A shower filter requires the raising of water beyond what an air-lift can do efficiently. Air-lifts need to operate very close to water level and can only lift water efficiently up to about 6 inches. Higher than that and they require more energy than an efficient standard pond pump.

[Kent Wallace]

This is the Wave 36 tank version. The Wave 36 makes a great tank for air-lifts.

[thatpondguy]

Kent after reading all this, this is awesome that you came up with this design and gonna change the pond world. People concerned about electric to run pumps, this will be the way to go.

I visited your website and was looking at the kits you have. Can you tell me what the flow rate is for each kit? I see one using a 55 gallon barrel and the other uses a 3ft wide barrel. Can you explain what the big difference is between them? Is there any pros or cons for using one or the other?

[Kent Wallace]

The parts should be up on the site this week. Each tube requires about 20 lpm of air at of 1.6 psi for the deep tanks. The flow rate is established by depth up to about 6 ft. Shallower depths will yeild less flow. A 55 gal drum application will yield about 450 gph for each tube so a two tube unit with a 40 to 45 lpm pump will flow just under 1000 gph. If you put that same unit in a 5 or 6 ft deep tank it would flow about 1800 gph.
A 3 tube unit will be 1.5 times that flow and a 4 tube unit will be double the flow.
Like I stated earlier it is installation specific so once you've decided the type of filter you need you can then determine the type of hub assy and flow rate based upon your tank.
If you don't need a giant tank but still need the higer flow of increased depth I have these 6" flanges for extending a nipple deeper under the tank for the air-lift hub.
Determine the filter type you wish to use.
Calculate the flow rate you need through it.
Match the parts that will make it work.
Remember the flow rates are minimums and the flow can also be increased with more air for a given hub.
You can always call, PM or E-mail me and I can help you work it out.:yes:

[Paultergeist]

Kent, I cannot over-state what a great contribution I feel you are making to the pond-keeping world. As electricity costs become increasingly expensive, your efforts to consider water flow with respect to using the least electricity possible (a la airlifts) is fantastic. It is also very good of you to be so open in sharing these developments with all of us.

I have a question regarding the (submerged) depth of the airlift tube: Based on your work, and also the investigations performed by Zac, I am left with a sort of "deeper = better" sense regarding water depth. While this makes sense, the deeper injection points would also require more pressure from the pumps. I am wondering if there is a point of depth at which you are finding diminishing returns, beyond which it doesn't make sense to go any deeper? Also, I wonder if this optimal depth might vary somewhat from one brand of air pump to another?

Paul

[Kent Wallace]

Thanks Paul, I'm sharing this with all of you first because of the interest and assistance people on this and other boards have shown and because it's going up on my website this week anyway.;) This info will be on my wesite also.
The optimum depth I've experienced is between 55 to 60 inches. Above that the amount of energy required starts to exceed the requirements of the most efficient external pond pumps I could find. This might change over time as technology moves foreward. My goal was not to produce more flow but to initially match their performance. The real long term savings is the double use of the air pump. Normally you would have a combination of standard pumps and air pumps. Using air-lifts effectively is about eliminating the need for the standard pump and using the air pump to both oxygenate and move the water. I still install air domes on timers for back up and increased intermittent "in pond" circulation though.

[Kent Wallace]

Since I mentioned the tank extensions, here are my drawings of a couple of ways to use one. I often take a 200 or 300 gal water tank and cut it in half making two smaller tanks. This gives you one flat bottomed tank and one semi coned bottom tank. I take the large access cover and ring off the coned area that was the top. Then I screw and seal a plastic disc to it making a large flat area in the center of the cone.
This is a good option when you need a tank that's not deep or not a huge volume. It's a good surface for the extension to be mounted to.

[Kent Wallace]

With a 55 gal drum or flat tank and the two tube hub with 4" center down tube (Static tank), you must place the tank drain in the side of the 6" cap.
The 6" cap becomes the bottom of the tank in this application and you need to be able to clean it. This way the entire 4" down tube and air-lift can be pulled out for service.

[Zac Penn]

Kent,
What brand of flexible diffuser tubing are you using for the cleaning rings? I have been using the blue striped diffuser tubing from AES and it starts out great but then begins to clog within a month or so. I haven't pulled mine out just yet to try and clean it but I have seen about a 8 lpm reduction in air flow in just two months. This diffuser tube has been running 24/7, and I can only imagine how clogged it would be if it was only used for cleaning.

[Kent Wallace]

Zac, I haven't had any problems yet. What are yours clogging with. I do know you can clean them with the same solution that you clean spa filters with. It's anti-bacterial so after soaking them you need to rinse them. Is it a chemical buildup like something in the water or organic?

[Zac Penn]

It is organic growth. I will get around to cleaning mine soon enough and see if it goes back to normal.

[lukef]

kent
Mickey spoke admirably of you today
i sent him these pics and he gave me a call
it is a gast 1/8th HP regenerative ring blower
1.8 amps at 110volts

the pipe is 1.5 inch diameter and i drilled thirty-three 1/4 or 5/16 holes in it. at a depth of twenty inches all the holes steadily blow air, and move some serious water...the small bubbles that are in sharp focus are actually bubbles that are going down with the current generated by going up against the window that was a foot away.

[Kent Wallace]

Thanks, Very cool. 1.8 amps. :clap:

[gOOse]

Lukes thing there is close to what I have had in mind for quite some time. Its a bubble wall about ten feet long, full depth (ok60") but it is your bottom drain. Its one long slot along one wall created from a thin second wall in the pond with the bubbles inside. This moves the water up and over the edge on the pond , maybe four inches? Then it cascades over a four inch X ten foot long piece of wedge wire (sections of wedge wire). This collects large debris and it houses boiling media under it, then on to SC/dwell time and out to highflow stream/fish treadmill. :) I should model it up sometime for Koiphen, but this is Kents thread.. so .. :wave:

[hondataeg6]

Thanks for sharing this. I have to give this a try, I have a AV-50 air pump I could use for 300 g quarantine...

[Kent Wallace]

Here are some options for Single Tank air-lift systems.

[Kent Wallace]

If you have a smaller tank you can decrease the media volume by raising the divider plate. It's supported on the center down tube so the divider plate can be easily placed at any height.

[MrIC]

Amazing work, Kent! I'm blown away by the things you've designed. I appreciate this thread alot--it's helped me sort out everything you showed me. IMHO, it should bemade a sticky.

[andres58]

Got to love it..................does all air lift applications need to be gravity flown

thanks for sharing

[Zac Penn]

Got to love it..................does all air lift applications need to be gravity flown

thanks for sharing


How else would it move? Air lifts do not create much pressure so it can't pump water up hill.

[Paultergeist]

Amazing work, Kent! IMHO, it should be made a sticky.

I second that motion! Many kudos to Kent, and this thread should be "stickied."

[Norm Walsh]

I'll third that motion!!! :bow::bow::bow:

[Kent Wallace]

I know some of you are trying to see how to incorporate air-lifts into your design. Until now I have only discussed the use of air-lifts in the Bio-filter chamber but one can be installed in the pre-filter. This gives you slightly more water height by 1/2 to 1 inch which increases flow slightly.
I have a stepped 4 tube collector that allows the water to exit the top through one 4" outlet and a static filter basket hub in six inch with the "twist-lock connection for easy removal.
One advantage of this layout is the water leaving the pre-filter is highly oxygenated. This is a plus for static filtration because static filters consume oxygen but if the water is agitated they won't trap. The water entering the static bio-filter in this fashion is passive so the media can trap fines.
If this system is used on a skimmer/mid-water circuit a deep tank isn't necessary because there will be no settlement from those sources anyway. Pic two shows a short tank with the down-tube extension.
The nice thing about this configuration is you can use it for the skimmer/mid-water circuit and have bottom drain water to a seive or floating microscreen and then on to a shower filter with a very efficient standard pump. This creates a dual system with all filtration aerated but still have fines trapping ability.

[Kent Wallace]

This is a pic of the Down-tube extension flange and clamp ring. The grey vertical extension can be any length to accomodate the height of the coupler if used to support a divider plate. If a static basket is used the tube would have the "Twist Lock" notches in it for removal of the basket assembly.

[Kent Wallace]

I just finnished my single direction 4 tube collector. I have other versions but this one has one 4" outlet for the 1 1/2" or 1 1/4" air-lift tubes.

[Norm Walsh]

:bow::bow::bow:

[CHICHI]

:yes: Looks Awesome All Of It :eek1: How Much Financially Is Saved By Running the Systems With Air .. Than Conventionally Pumped ..

[steveandlou]

could one of these units be incorperated in a nexus 300 bio chamber in any way
eliminating the water pump back to the pond
and as there is already air in a nexus unit

[Kent Wallace]

The Nexus is too short and not configured to place it inside. You could run the air-lift in an external fashion or use an air-lift driven pre-filter. Is the Nexus at pond level? If so the six inch housing could be placed 5 ft into the ground before or after the Nexus. The top of the air-lift would be the same height as the Nexus unit. Is it pump fed or pump after?

Chichi. It would depend on the type of pump you are replacing and the configuration.

[steveandlou]

hi kent
the nexus is gravity fed pump return and is currently 30 mm above the final water level
but obviously the outlet for the return on a nexus is alot lower than this water level
the way a nexus empties when a pump isnt in place (as i found out after pipe break )
could allow for a gravity fed vessel after the nexus if it had a low intake inlet

further question is would i get the flow required currently run a 12000 lph pump

thanks and well done

steve

[Kent Wallace]

The Nexus is a pond level installation and you could easily get that much flow. The returns would have to be able to handle that flow at a gravity flow rate. What size are the returns and piping and how many are you feeding?

[steveandlou]

hi kent
the nexus return is a single 1.5 inch to the shower which stands on the edge of the pond

[Kent Wallace]

Well you can't lift water for a shower filter with an air-lift. Your system is best with a very efficient pond pump.

[Kent Wallace]

On another note, I'm not sure why you are running a shower filter after a Nexus. It should be on it's own circuit with raw water from the pond just pre-filtered only at the most.

[steveandlou]

hi kent
the reason its going over the shower was purely to add more water volume over it as the sieve line and bottom drain line both return over the shower about 5500 gallons per hour

this possibly is/may all change this season the nexus is/maybe going on the skimmer line with the bead after it and the bottom drain is going to have the sieve and new shower on it

can you point me in the direction of some literature that says a shower should be run with unfiltered water this is the only forum ive seen this said
and would go against anything that is practised over here in blighty

surely they will just clog up and end up with lots of fines in the water
is it the same principle regardless of what media is used as i cant afford bhm so will be using larva rock

[steveandlou]

ps
sorry for the hijack of the thread

[Kent Wallace]

Aerated bio gasses off free ammmonia and the subsequent building blocks for nitrates. Placing a shower after all the bio of another filter takes away from it's ability to perform to it's fullest. Filtration in parallel is always better than filtration in series.

[lukef]

http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106503&page=2
kent, what's your thoughts?
if you don't mind.

[boggen]

finally got a chance to set down and read through / look at most of the pictures!
nice job on diagrams and pictures!

=============================
some concerns.
is water level height. most of the setups all look like they only have a few inches of play if that, before air lifts stop working. are we talking 2 to 3 inches or 5 to 7 inches more/less?

looking over the diagrams. they all show the lifts perfectly level in the vertical position. how much can they be placed at an angle before flow rate of water starts going down?

========================
more of curiosity below.

i assume the setups are all creating a single large air bubble. that fills the entire pipe. as the bubble floats up the pipe? (i am assuming, due to needing the extra depth, and lifting water a few inches above pond water level)

so how long will it take to see diaphragm pond air pumps take a dive in sales. to give lead way to piston pond grade air pumps and pond grade regenerative air blowers?

when will we see tire nipples to check air pressure on air pipes, to fine to air output to everything? or rather make that low pressure air gauges attached to air plumbing?

[Kent Wallace]

The pipes need to stay vbertical. An angled pipe will collect air near the high side. I try to keep my air lifts below 6".
Low pressure air guages are very expensive.
Once the system is running there is no need to monitor air pressure. If something changes you can see it fairly easily. Even distribution of the air between multiple tubes in the hub reqyures careful drilling placement and sizing. It will distribute itself properly after that.

[cori93437]

A question...
Is there any good reason that the airlift return pipes should lift the water above the water level? For instance... if you have an airlift and the return pipe was placed through the side of the pond sort of like a TPR but say near or maybe two inches below the waterline would this be effective?

I need my return pipes to go under a deck, not over... which will put them either at or slightly below waterline.

[Norm Walsh]

In general, yes, this would work, but you'll need a place for the air to escape other wise you'll have bubbles returning to the pond.(May or may not be desired).

[cori93437]

In general, yes, this would work, but you'll need a place for the air to escape other wise you'll have bubbles returning to the pond.(May or may not be desired).

Excellent... :cool:
Thanks!

[Kent Wallace]

This is my new three tube collector. It's much easier to build and is consequently cheaper.

[Marilyn]

Kent, more info on the 3 tube collector please.
Any chance this could be retro-fitted onto an earlier design of yours? If yes, same air pump used? I have the ADR from last fall. :yes:

[Kent Wallace]

Yes, it will fit in the same housing as the two tube. I use a 60 lpm pump on the three tube but is your air pump one that has it's air split between the ADR and the air-lift? If so you can balance it and send more to the air-lift and less to the ADR depending on your pump size.

[Marilyn]

Great news Kent, I have a Medo 80l for the ADR and air-lift. Looks like that is another project to do this season. :D:

[cauzeneffeckt]

Very big noob question here, but here it goes..

now in a gravity fed system, this airlift system can or does replace a pump???? I got kind of lost :)

[Pond James_Pond]

Very big noob question here, but here it goes..

now in a gravity fed system, this airlift system can or does replace a pump???? I got kind of lost :)

Yes. The system would use gravity to fill the filters, and an air lift to return the water back to the pond. The return would most likely be via an underwater tpr, or could be a tiny little waterfall coming out the end of a foam fractioner.

steve

[Paultergeist]

now in a gravity fed system, this airlift system can or does replace a pump?

Yes, that is the idea.

There are some limitations, but assuming that (a) you don't need much pressure and (b) you don't need to lift the water flow very high (by "high," I mean more than a couple of inches), airlifts can be extremely energy-efficient means of circulating water between pond and filtration system. That is the reason most folks consider them -- using airlifts can be a way to significantly cut electrical costs.

[Paultergeist]

I'm sorry, James, I had my browser open for a while, and I didn't realize that you had already answered this question.

[cauzeneffeckt]

thanks guys... now, how reliable are these?

[Norm Walsh]

They're as reliable as your air pump is...............:yes:

[mtsklar]

Kent,

You give away all your secrets, but it's so sophisticated that no one can build one anyway! No one carves PVC like you do!

It is really fun to watch the things you come up with.

[Kent Wallace]

My first air-lift pond has been running non-stop for two years now with the same Medo pumps!:yes:

[Zac Penn]

Kent,

You give away all your secrets, but it's so sophisticated that no one can build one anyway! No one carves PVC like you do!

It is really fun to watch the things you come up with.


Trust me he did tell you everything ;)

[mtsklar]

Trust me he did tell you everything ;)

Wow, we only spoke for 5 minutes.....

[vipertom1970]

Does air lift work for every pond and filter system or only for certain pond layout or media type ?

[GloriaL]

I don't think it will work with a pressurized or bead filter.......you can always change your filter. Figure up your electricity savings.

[Kent Wallace]

Air lifts are effectively gravity flow systems and won't work on pressurized or highly restrictive systems.

[mtsklar]

Air lifts are effectively gravity flow systems and won't work on pressurized or highly restrictive systems.

Kent, how much water are you moving for how many amps?

[Kent Wallace]

I'm moving about 3600 gph at a 4 to 6" lift for just over one amp .

[mtsklar]

That's great, it's a double deal because you get an aerated biofilter and you don't need a water pump.

[Kent Wallace]

Hey Matt, it's nice to see you posting!

[Koizilla]

Hi Kent

Good threads never die they just keep generating interest

Some more questions, that probably show how confusion is taking over my thought processes - again.

How do we size the pump at 2, 3 or 4 tubes? Are there other factors apart from needed throughput and filter chain restriction?

Is it correct that due to the low suction of the pump, drawdown in a filter chain, is not a problem?

Do these pumps have enough suction to pull through this train of filters? Even if they are actually inside a BioFilter, can they also pull through a DIY sand and gravel filter which is in the same filter circuit

Does it have enough “pull” to bring a 1000-1500 GHP through a filter circuit consisting of Skimmers to two Bio-filters in 66 inch High tanks, to 72 inch high Ozone contact tank, to 72 inch high Ozone dilution/dissociation reactor and back to pond TPRs?

Is your pump/dilution reactor designed for scrubbing CO2, and other natural gasses, out of the water? Also can it be used for an Ozone dissociation/reaction chamber, after an Ozone contact tank? Maybe as PVC is a “good” material to use with Ozone it works for both? Would you recommend floating bioballs inside the inner tank of the dilution reactor - if so what depth of bioballs, or percentage of the water column height?

In a 2 chamber system consisting of an Ozone contact tank and a separate Dilution reactor Would you trying to incorporate a foam fractionator into the dilution reactor, or would you keep it, just like many commercial designs, at the top of the Ozone contact tank? Is it an either or situation?

When they are ready to buy, should forum members PM or email initial designs you for component or system costs? Is there a direct link to components, and their prices on your website? At time of purchase of components from you, can you help forum members with constructive criticism to refine their designs into something specifically workable for their needs?

For Ozone compatibility - are your pumps all PVC or other compatible materials?

http://www.ozoneapplications.com/info/ozone_compatible_materials.htm

Please take a moment to bathe in the warm respect generated by your forum contributions. :bow::bow::bow:

John

[Kent Wallace]

The type of air-lift hub and collector are determined by the way you decide to use them in your system. The total flow rate desired will determine the number of tubes and the amount of air.
The draw down through the tanks would be the same for any flow rate by any type of pump. It doesn't matter how the water is being removed from a tank. Flow rate is flow rate. The difference is an air-lift doesn't produce much head and can only be efficient at low head heights of about 6 to 8 inches or less.
As ain all gravity flow systems, large piping reduces draw down. I am not a fan of more than two tanks in series. Usually pre-filtration and bio then back to pond.
The restriction created by the media in a sand and gravel filter makes them a poor choice for air-lifts. Other more free flowing fines filters are better.
You can pump through any filter and depending on how the ozone generator is set up you should be able to flow through it as long as it is at water level although I've never used any ozone.
It will off gass just like any other form of aeration.
My hubs are made from eurethane plastic and pvc so they shoud be ozone compatible.
I have seen my air-lifts produce some foam but foam fractionators are better suited to small bubbles and air-lifts generally use larger bubbles. A scraper or collector can be placed on the output piping to remove the foam.
If you need any assistance in a system design just pm or E-mail me or call me on my cell and I can easily help you with a design layout that will best fit a given system.