| Care of an AquaDyne
Annual supercleaning technique, step by step.
Taking care of your AQUADYNE has everything to do with your satisfaction in the long run. There's a few things you should do and a few things you should NEVER do.
Isabella.C. writes: "I HAVE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LAST ADVICE WHICH WAS NOT TO BACKWASH AS OFTEN, DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD HIGH NITRITES, IT WORKED."
Do not try this with any other bead filter or you will be putting it to 'death' due to gel formation. Other bead filters are inferior at discharging gels and negatively buoyant waste products.
Set it up flat.
As with any filter, it weighs considerably more when filled with water. People set up the filter on an uneven or soft ground and then plumb everything together. They fill up the filter, and things are suddenly under stress. Nothing will happen to the filter. It's built to last. What will happen is that on the very day you remark to your spouse that "The pond sure looks beautiful." ...the strain on the pipes will cause a separation and "thar she blows". So, set up the filter, the pump and all your accessories on a sturdy deck or platform. This is true for any filter you don't intend to bury.
Keep the AquaDyne out of the sun.
After six years in full sunlight every day, you'll notice that the controller gets to turning grey and not shiny black anymore. The controller handle may become somwhat brittle. With the GoldKey plan, we will replace the handle if it shatters from the UV and nothing will happen to the controller head but it will start to look cruddy. An AquaDyne is a possession of some pride. It shows you know something about filtration and weren't afraid of the new technology. You don't want your technology to even look worn out. So you'd be smarter to shade cloth the installation or cover it in some way. Or don't, it's entirely up to you. The filter will love you either way.
Don't let your Aquadyne freeze.
This also seems obvious but there's a couple ways to freeze and Aquadyne, sometimes it matters, sometimes it doesn't. If you run the filter all winter with even "half flows" it won't freeze unless you're area is commonly in the sub zero range. In those circumstances, it might be wise to insulate the plumbing with the foam pipe insulation and wrap the filter body with some insulation. You can get these supplies at your local building supply. If the body of the filter freezes or develops some ice inside, it shouldn't matter because these bodies are INCREDIBLY strong. If the head or the plumbing were to freeze they would become brittle and shatter as the ice expanded. These cracks are square, fragmenting and spiralled and aren't mistakable, they're also not warrantied.
Never let the controller stop on the "closed" position.
Not even for an instant! If the manufacturer ever thought about eliminating the "closed" position, it might not be a bad idea. "Closed" isn't all bad though: When transporting the filter, I have valued the "closed" position very highly - because you can lay the filter on it's side and not have water coming out the head. If you allow the filter to set and run for even a second or two on the closed position, (and depending upon the strength of the pump), you could explode the: Plumbing lines, leaf trap, or the pump volute. You won't hurt the filter, it's built to last. By the way, I've done this with my filter. Within seconds the leaf trap of the pump was sending out strong, thin streams of water at every seam. The pressure was so great I couldn't move the controller off of "closed" so I dove for the power to the pump and turned it off before the leaf trap blew. Saved the day, did I. Again, you won't hurt your filter with this unfortunate move.
Never backwash the filter during the first four to six weeks.
Yeah, that's right. The filter beads need time to gunk up. This is explained in several areas of our site. The gunk is actually a bio film of beneficial bacteria. The slime layer need to accumulate to an amount sufficient to:
- Reduce nitrogen
- Trap debris
- Stick the beads together
If you backwash the filter all the time, the beads stay too clean, there's no sticky gunk on the beads to trap debris and fish wastes, and there won't be enough beneficial filter bacteria to reduce the nitrogen in the system.
How often should I backwash?
That depends. I am speaking from personal experience with these filters. Don't try to apply this advice to the other bead filters. Who knows what they need...
During break-in:
Leave them un-backwashed for the first four to six weeks.
For maintenence:
You should backwash no more than onc every three weeks. There are factors which influence flow rates and carrying capacity which need to be considered. If you've undersized your Aquadyne to the application, you will have troubles.
For cleaning after some neglect:
Here's the smart route, simply airwash your beads for about three minutes and backwash the debris. (Here's the technique, step by step) Clean out the bottom sludge drains and then give the pond a small amount of CalcoForce to clarify the water. Once the water returns to "gin clear" you do the backwash again. Usually this is just 48 hours after the first backwash. This ensures that the filter is as clean as it should be. NEVER airwash the beads for more than three to five minutes. You will strip your beads. See glossary for unfamiliar terms.
 ...... Customer Support
See also:  Document on backwashing | Winterizing
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