The old saying there is more than one way to skin a cat applies to installing your bottom Drain.
Each pond builder may do it different to meet their ponds construction needs. In the Start To Finish Pond Projects Sticky Thread you will find links to many members pond build threads, in almost of all of them you will see how they chose to install their bottom drain(s), my guess if you are going to build you will find a thread with a pond similar that may help you in your planning stages. Reading and seeing step by step pictures is what makes this forum tops above the rest.
Again I wish to use a thread by Ronin-Koi (Wayne), he had a separate thread from his pond construction on just his Bottom Drain install.
His pond will be a solid concrete bottom and block sides with a poly type sealer applied, there fore his circumstances warrented him to make his BD super stable. This is one example , I having a clay bottom and EPDM liner simply put concrete around the BD without rebar support, my point is to help you understand the many ways this can be done.
Installing The Koi Village Aerated Bottom Drain
by 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.
Near the end of this same Thread Wayne works his Graphic Magic again and provides this drawing on setting the BD's gap.
Also Boggen used this picture above and made a graph to help you set the gap for various dome sizes click here:
https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showpost.php?p=848800&postcount=19
Boggen never tires of trying to help others so here are some more drawings by him of advanced gap settings and charts along with them, click here:
https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showpo...3&postcount=38
Wayne's thread has some good discussion on concrete also so be sure and Check it all out here:
https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27131