pump for bottom drain

[cawolfe]

I am doing a bottom drain, and am using a surbmersable pump, where will it go ?

[cawolfe]

anyone!!

[frloplady]

in the settlement tank that the bottom drain goes to?    a pump fed bottom drain isn't always the best idea as the stuff a bottom drain can pick up can reek havoc on a pump impeller.  A leaf basket may get clogged to quickly.

Both my bottom drains (and I shoulda had 3) got to each it's own settlement tank and a pump from each tank to different filtration

Mary

[cawolfe]

Let me try this, do you have to have a pump for the bottom drain, I have a 4" bottom drain going to 2 - 55 gal barrels before the skippy filter, how deep do the barrels need to be and do I need a pump.
?

[cawolfe]

bump

[frloplady]

Let me try this, do you have to have a pump for the bottom drain, I have a 4" bottom drain going to 2 - 55 gal barrels before the skippy filter, how deep do the barrels need to be and do I need a pump.
?

No, you don't want a pump on the DRAIN line itself.  You want the BD line to gravity feed to a settlement tank (SC/settlement chamber) of some kind before the pump.  It allows for the use of an external pump which are more efficient in electricity and generally have a longer life than submersible pumps.  I've abused mine and they are going on 5 years of use and much of that was year around except this last winter. 
Is it a single 4" drain?  IF you can find a larger tank/barrel for it to go into the more dwell time (the longer it takes for the water to pump out) the more solids will settle out.  To must speed through that tank and the solids won't settle.   There are DIY prefilters that can be made for a SC to help get the solids out of the water as well.  Cleaner water to your bio filter/skippy will allow it to function better.  The idea of filtration is to get the dirt/poop OUT of the water not filter through it.  Skippy filters were advertised as only having to be cleaned once a year, but that is allowing the water to filter through the crap.   I'd not like to live in the water going through my toilet bowl! 

[cawolfe]

Thank you for the post , I alreadt have a surb pump which I would like to use for awhile, will I be able to?

[frloplady]

Sure..but watch your meter run!  Sump pumps are about the worst for energy consumption.

If you choose to do so it would have to go in the last barrel before going to the skippy filter.