UPDATE 10/7/10

The wooden surround to the filter area is a temporary thing to try and deter gypsies from nicking even more stuff than they already have. When the filter installation is complete, a stone building will hide the area completely and blend in with the other buildings. Like I said before, we only want to see pond, water & Koi.

From past experiences, I always get pangs of anxiety when someone says ‘My builders will do the build part of it.’ This one is the exception; the guys who built this are craftsmen who know exactly what they are doing. Now I have seen these pictures of the courtyard versus what I saw on my first visit – I am simply blown away and it’s not nearly finished yet. I have watched these guys working and they make it look so simple as it all takes shape before me.

From the outset I knew that, despite the fact I only needed around 1,500gph through each black box, the water pumps required to return the water to the pond some 25 metres away would have to be much more than the run-of-the-mill ‘pond pumps’.

Initially I ordered only one of these units and crossed my fingers whilst Matt put it to the test. Although, in terms of size, it is a very tiny unit – it can be programmed to increase output delivery right up to 4,000gph at a nine-foot head! When the others arrive Matt will set each one to the deliveries required for each as all return lines vary in degrees as to friction-loss. Hopefully when all pumps are running as required we will get the very gentle spin that’s needed to take all debris and toxins directly to the central drain sump and thence to the filters for processing.

As to the fountain, there are two 1” alkathene lines supplying water to it via two separate small pressure pumps that take their supply from one surface skimmer. One will overflow the bowl of the fountain and the other will power the fountain head above it.

The U/V system will be supplied water from another surface skimmer and the third skimmer will supply the heat exchangers required.

Incidentally, I’ll say it again, young Cameron is a genius!

14/4/2011

Apologies for not reminding myself to keep you aware of this system.

Whilst I have known everything surrounding it – I have not informed the website.

This system is being installed at a stately home and stately homes are governed by lots of red tape when it comes to ‘alterations’ to the norm.

Hence the delay.

Thankfully, work commenced again on the 12th. April and hopefully completion is not far away now.

Here is Matt, completing the pump installations, after this there’s the heat exchangers and the aeration lines plus a few other items.

I’ll show final shots on completion.