The Sacramento Koi Bead and Glass filter come with laminated instructions for your convenience. This permits keeping them close to the filters for ease of operation and not worrying about them being destroyed by weather over time.
Should you need them again, we, SkagiTek Inc. have provided printable instructions for quick and easy assembly of your filter along with the most recent updates to operating instructions. Consider reviewing the instructions to see just how easy it is to perform. It really does only take four minutes to backwash the bead filter.
Located at the bottom of this page is a larger image of the valve body used to control the filter.
- Place filter body on a level hard surface. We recommend pouring a small cement pad.
- Attach the valve head to the filter body. Do not over tighten unions.
- Adjust the position of the filter to create the easiest connection of the pipes to and from your pond.
- Cement the one way valve in line between the pumps output port and the filter valve head. (NOTE: Make sure the arrow on the one way valve is aligned on the top and is pointing toward the filter.)
- Connect the pipe coming from the pump (and check valve) to the filter at the opening on the valve head marked “TO PUMP”
- Connect the pipe returning to your pond to the opening on the valve head marked “RETURN”. If you have an ultraviolet light, it should be installed after the bead filter.
- Connect a pipe from the opening on the valve head marked “TO WASTE” to a pipe leading to an appropriate area to dispose of your waste water. This can vary from your garden, lawn, a French drain, or to a sewer line.
- Pour the rest of the beads into the filter, after which, reach inside and move the upper slotted pipe so it is about center to the opening, then screw the “top cap” onto the filter. Tighten the cap down slightly with the enclosed plastic “top cap wrench”.
- Install the blower on the 2 inch check valve extending up from the valve head. Secure by tightening union. Connect the electrical to the blower. We recommend that you have a competent electrician hard wire it to a GFCI switch. (ground-fault circuit interrupter)
- Place the control valve to the “Filter” position and turn on your pump. When the water begins to flow through the filter, check for any leaks. If you have no leaks, CONGRATULATIONS, you did it!
- Turn off pump
- Turn valve to “BACKWASH”
- Turn on pump for 15 seconds
- Turn off pump
- Turn valve to “RINSE”
- Open Ball Valve and turn on blower for 30 to 60 seconds
- With blower still running, turn valve to “BACKWASH”
- Leave blower on until dirty water no longer appears in the waste sight glass
- Turn off blower and close ball valve
- Turn on pump
- Wait for the waste water in sight glass to become clear (approximately 60 seconds)
- Turn off pump
- Turn valve to “RINSE”
- Turn pump on. Leave valve on “RINSE” briefly, until water in sight glass becomes clear again
- Turn off pump and turn valve back to “FILTER”
- Turn on pump and you are done
*Once a month before backwashing filter, turn off pump and open ball valve on the bottom of the filter. Leave valve open until water runs clear. Close valve and continue backwash as normal. (CAUTION: Leaving ball valve open too long will cause a loss of beads)
Turn valve to “RECIRCULATE”. This will bypass the filter media.
NOTE: The beneficial bacteria in your filter are aerobic which means it needs oxygen to keep living. You can keep the bacteria oxygenated during the medicating of your pond without allowing the medication to contact your bacteria by following this simple procedure:
This procedure oxygenates the beneficial bacteria in the filter |
This procedure should be performed once every three hours for as long as the beads are being bypassed |
Not all climates require winterization. If your zone encounters serious freezing, then draining should be considered. Warranty does not cover damages due to freezing.
Because moving water is hard to freeze, climates that only reach into the 30’s typically keep the pump and filtering system running.
- Perform backwash procedure
- Turn pump off and consider removing the pump to store in garage
- With pump off, slowly turn handle on the ball valve located close to the bottom of the filter to the point that water slowly drips or dribbles out. DO NOT OPEN VALVE ALL THE WAY!
- Leave valve open during winter so that the water completely runs out and the beads remain.
- Next season;
- Close bottom valve, install pump
- Perform backwash to wash out system
- Start up system normally.
