DIY Network

Installing a Water-Garden: Pump and Skimmer Connections From "Waterscapes" episode DWAT-103

A waterfall not only adds visual interest and beauty to the water garden, it fills the necessary role of keeping the water oxygenated. Filtered and purified water from the skimmer is fed back into the pond via the waterfall.

In this segment of DIY's Waterscapes workshop, water-garden expert Rick Bartel discusses the steps and equipment needed for connecting the water pump and skimmer.

According to Rick, the skimmer is the "heartbeat" of the pond system. It circulates the water, providing oxygenation, and contains a series of filters that keeps the pond clean.

Pond skimmer
Pond waterfall tank
2" flexible PVC pipe
1-1/4" flexible tubing
Coupler and increaser fittings
Teflon tape
Hose clamps
Screwdriver

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

Connecting the Pump

• At the end of the pond where the skimmer was installed, the skimmer's pump connects to the flexible PVC pipe using 1-1/4" flexible tubing. (The flexible PVC pipe, buried in a trench in an earlier segment, will carry the filtered and re-circulated water from the skimmer to the waterfall at the far end of the pond.)

• The tubing fits securely over the outside of the 1" opening on the pump (figure A). Once installed, the flexible tubing will be held in place using a hose clamp.

• With the tubing installed on the pump, lower the pump down into the bottom of the skimmer (figure B). Measure how much tubing you need to reach the PVC pipe at the top of the skimmer.

• Using a PVC pipe-cutter, cut the tubing to length.

• Slide the end of the hose onto the fitting on the pump (figure C).

• Place one hose clamp down over the tubing and tighten with a screwdriver to fasten the tubing to the pump.

• Next place another hose clamp onto the tube. This is to attach the hose to the coupler fitting (figure D). This fitting is larger than the tube, so the clamp needs to go first so that you can secure it. Press the fitting firmly into the tube, then tighten the clamp with the screwdriver.

• Finally, screw the 2-inch PVC reducer-adapter onto the coupler fitting (figure E). Since we are connecting 1-1/4" flexible tubing to the pump and the PVC pipe is 2 inches, this adapter allows the connection of the smaller tube to the 2-inch PVC pipe.
  

  Waterscapes installation expert Rick Bartel discusses the components needed to create a successful water garden.

RESOURCES :

The Water Garden Design Book
ISBN: 0764153730
Authors: Yvonne Rees, Peter May
Barrons Educational Series
(August 2001)
To order this book from Amazon, click here.

The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to the Design and Maintenance of the Water Garden
ISBN: 0821227963
Author: Philip Swindells
Publisher: Bulfinch
(April, 2002)
To order this book from Amazon, click here.

GUESTS :
Rick Bartel
Owner, Autumn Mist Aquatics
(423) 838-7663
www.AutumnMistAquatics.com