For Zakki Sieve Plumbing users - Need help

[Tony&koi]

I will have my equipment laid out as in picture.

For my sand/gravel filters, i will have the pipes go up (with a drilled hole) than come down to the bottom of the drums to prevent dirty stuff back flushes to my pump.

I will have a check valve between my sieve and my pump to fill some water to get my pump start.

My questions : between my bottom drains and Zakki sieve, do I need to install any check valves? do I need to fill the sieve before turn on my pump? or how do you get your pump start with a zakki sieve before it?

[jimfish98]

If the system can draw any water in via gravity feed due to sitting low enough below the water line, a valve should be installed prior to allow cleaning or servicing to the unit down the road without it filling with water. In regards to starting it, you should fill it up about half way up the screen. If the system is empty, it has a hard time getting going.

[Tony&koi]

so, if the bottom of my sieve is right at the pond water level, in order to fill water half way in my sieve, I need to have a check valve between my Bottom Drains and my sieve, if not, all water in the sieve will just drain back to the pond thru BDs?

[koiman1950]

so, if the bottom of my sieve is right at the pond water level, in order to fill water half way in my sieve, I need to have a check valve between my Bottom Drains and my sieve, if not, all water in the sieve will just drain back to the pond thru BDs?

[Tony&koi]

[Mild Bill]

I always make sure the inlet pipe is filled to the top of the weir in the Zakki sieve. Our pond has about 30 feet of pipe above pond level before the sieve.

[Serpenteer]

I always make sure the inlet pipe is filled to the top of the weir in the Zakki sieve. Our pond has about 30 feet of pipe above pond level before the sieve.

I have this EXACT situation. I'm gettig ready to finish up plumbing soon, and had the same concerns about starting the pump. So, in the 30 feet of line to the pond, you have no check valve? And, by filling up the sieve, that's enough for the pump to pull the water and get started? I've been really worried about this as I looked at it. I don't have any experience with external pumps, and don't want to mess up the setup of a $5000 filter station. I had no professionals in my area, so Zak designed my filter and plumbing. But, I'm ironing out the details alone.

[jimc2142003]

You should have a check valve below water level installed vertically. Also do you plan on plumbing to the Zakki to be able to back flush it ? I have mine set up to back flush the screen by turning a few valves. I would not want it any other way.

[jimfish98]

I have this EXACT situation. I'm gettig ready to finish up plumbing soon, and had the same concerns about starting the pump. So, in the 30 feet of line to the pond, you have no check valve? And, by filling up the sieve, that's enough for the pump to pull the water and get started? I've been really worried about this as I looked at it. I don't have any experience with external pumps, and don't want to mess up the setup of a $5000 filter station. I had no professionals in my area, so Zak designed my filter and plumbing. But, I'm ironing out the details alone.

At system start up I fill the sieve as well about 3/4 of the way up the screen.

[Mild Bill]

Yes I have a check valve about 2 feet below the surface of the pond. Like Jim said you must fill the incoming line and the sieve has to be filled roughly 3/4 th of the way.

[jimfish98]

Yes I have a check valve about 2 feet below the surface of the pond. Like Jim said you must fill the incoming line and the sieve has to be filled roughly 3/4 th of the way.

I don't fill the incoming line, just the unit itself.

[Mild Bill]

I don't think ours would run if I just filled the sieve. The pond and sieve are so far apart that I think I have to. I'll have to admit I've never tried it though.

[Serpenteer]

Yes I have a check valve about 2 feet below the surface of the pond. Like Jim said you must fill the incoming line and the sieve has to be filled roughly 3/4 th of the way.

This is why I'm stumped. Zac himself built the filter station for me, centering around his sieve and a pressure filter, uv, etc. he knew the specs, there are 2 intakes, from bottom drain and skimmer. BOTH about 30 ft from sieve, all above water level. He has a check valve on each intake right beside the pump, also above water level. So, even if I tried to back fill that line, the water wouldn't get past the check valves on the intake of the sieve. The left side is the intake, you can see the where they will attach, and the check valve right under the shut off valves. I can also bypass the sieve by shutting off a valve, which would bring water straight through the pump so sieve can be cleaned without shutting pump down. But, the water would still route through those check valves.

[jimc2142003]

Both of those check valves are on the suction side - so there is no real issue there for flushing the screen in bypass. With a long run it may be a PITA getting the lines full with the check valves. I would try to getting it running with the skimmer circuit first. Once you have the pump flooded and running, start to pull from the bottom drain. You can add more water to the sieve with the skimmer line in the back flush mode as you are filling the BD lines.

[houstonderk]

I had to go slowly also. Filled the sieve up to the screen and pulled from both intake sources, but the bd pipe still had air so pulled from skimmer since it was already full and slowly pulled from the bd until the air flushed out.

[Serpenteer]

Both of those check valves are on the suction side - so there is no real issue there for flushing the screen in bypass. With a long run it may be a PITA getting the lines full with the check valves. I would try to getting it running with the skimmer circuit first. Once you have the pump flooded and running, start to pull from the bottom drain. You can add more water to the sieve with the skimmer line in the back flush mode as you are filling the BD lines.

So, does it get me anywhere to add in a check valve, at the pond below water level where it runs down vertically to the bottom on the BD line? Thinking that the water pulled through wouldn't flow back and help the pump get started. I'm worried about damaging the pump because it feels like it's going to be a long process and headache to get it started.

[Mild Bill]

It might be ok without a check valve below the waterline if you only have the flow off for short periods of time. I'm just wondering if the vacuum in the pond side of the check valve would keep the water from draining back to the pond. I'm thinking like when you dip a straw into a glass and hold your thumb over the top and pulled a straw out, it will not drain from the straw. You could always use Ferncos to hook it up both ways temporarily to see which works better. That's the way I have ours hooked up so I can easily take it apart for the winter months. I'm glad I hooked it up that way because one year I got a small twig jammed in the check valve and it wouldn't let it close properly. It made it simple to remove to fix the problem.

[jimc2142003]

Personally I'd put the check valve for the BD circuit below the water level and get rid of the one below the valve. This way you could fill your horizontal line directly from the sieve. Start up will be a lot easier. I am not sure why Zak would put it below the valve as shown.

[Mild Bill]

I was thinking the same thing because he explained that I would need one below the water level when I purchased my sieve from him.

[DBibbins]

Hi Tony,
I may be wrong on my thoughts but here is what I did and why.

I put my check valve imediatly after the pump but before my filter barrels. My reasoning for this is that if I need to turn the pump off I dont want my filter barrel water back flowing through pump, having the CV after the pump also makes it easier to clean prime pot basket. Because I have my 3 way between sieve and pump I can close that also to isolate prime pot (to be honest I havent had to clean prime pot basket since set up). I do have ball valves on barrels so I could close them but a CV just makes it easier.

If your considering hooking up your sieve without using the 3 ways & backflush lines, DONT!!!! While it may be easy to turn pump off and open lid of sieve to hose screen off, the backflush set up is what makes the zakki sieve so amazing. Mines been running for 5 months and I've only turned pump off once to open it and hose off screen, (the screen didnt really need cleaning I really just wanted to clean cover)

Something else I wanted to mention because I think your using the same ESS6400 that I did. The basket in the prime pot is very tall and needs room to pick it up out of pot for cleaning. I made the mistake of putting a 45 on line from pond to sieve directly above prime pot, needless to say I couldnt get my basket out of pot (at least it was an easy fix).

As far as checkvalve on line from pond, I didnt use one because my sieve is more than 1/2 below pond water level.
I would think that as long as the CV is below pond water level you should be ok. That way if pump gets shut off the lines will stay full of water and not air, and the sieve will stay full. Lines from CV to sieve will stay full because of CV and lines from pond to CV will stay full because there under water. If power fails your sieve should start flowing as soon as it comes back on.