Standalone sheer descent and water basin (no pool) - need advice

[vbcali]

Hi All,

Newbie here. We are building a 10' wide water feature and basin, with three 24" sheer descents (as shown in the picture below). Need some guidance on the best submersible pump and filter to run this system. Ideally, I'd like to be able to control the flow of the water, so some level of basic variability would be nice.

Each of the sheers has a 1800 GPH flow recommendation: Stainless Steel Sheer Descents - Weirs - Open Top

Thanks much!

 

[Jimrahbe]

V,

My gut says that you are not going to find a submersible pump that will work for you..

I think you will need a regular in-ground pool pump and a pool filter... a VS speed pump, if you want any kind of control...

But.. I am not a pump expert, so let's see what our other members have to say..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[vbcali]

V,

My gut says that you are not going to find a submersible pump that will work for you..

I think you will need a regular in-ground pool pump and a pool filter... a VS speed pump, if you want any kind of control...

But.. I am not a pump expert, so let's see what our other members have to say..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim. Hoping someone can guide me. One of my landscape designers pointed me to the Aquasurge Pump as a good option but hoping some experts can validate or provide alternatives.

 

[Jimrahbe]

V,

Let's see if @JamesW has any suggestions..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JamesW]

A submersible pump is a horrible idea.

You can't service anything. You should get a regular pool style system.

What is the water volume and the total flow required in gpm?

 

[JamesW]

A submersible pump would constantly get clogged with debris.

Get a variable speed pump like a Superflo or Intelliflo and a cartridge filter at least 250 square feet.

Run a separate 1.5" line to each sheer so that you can adjust the flow to perfect balance.

 

[ajw22]

How do you intend to keep that body of water free of algae?

How do you intend to deal with evaporation and water replacement in your design?

How do you intend to deal with water overflow from the basin in a big storm?

How do you intend to prevent calcium and scale buildup?

While that is not a pool you will have many of the same water management and water chemistry issues of a pool.

 

[cowboycasey]

is there anywhere you could put the pump and filter?

 

[Jimrahbe]

V,

Here is a story for ya..

My old boss started his company using all of his 401K money.. About 8 years later he sold it for 120 million bucks.. This makes him the nicest rich guy I know. He bought a house on a golf course and completely re-did it... Including something very similar to what you are doing, as part of an entranceway over a running stream.. His system has a pool pump and pool filter and he has to keep it up just like a pool. The equipment is about 75 feet away around the corner from the main entrance.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[vbcali]

is there anywhere you could put the pump and filter?

I could, do you know how large of an enclosure I'd need to create for it?

 

[vbcali]

is there anywhere you could put the pump and filter?

I could, do you know how large of an enclosure I'd need to create for it?

 

[vbcali]

A submersible pump would constantly get clogged with debris.

Get a variable speed pump like a Superflo or Intelliflo and a cartridge filter at least 250 square feet.

Run a separate 1.5" line to each sheer so that you can adjust the flow to perfect balance.

Thanks James. The basin will hold about 300 gallons of water. How many HP pump do you think I need?

 

[cowboycasey]

You would want something to hold the pump and filter and power center.. probably a 5 x 7 shed but you would want it tall enough to change filters and big enough to move around and do things in... I think mine is 5 x 7 and has lots of room but it is not covered..

2016-05-29 12.59.24.jpg

• cowboycasey
• Sep 12, 2020

 

[JamesW]

Each of the sheers has a 1800 GPH flow

That's 30 gpm each for a total of 90 gpm for all 3.

It's low pressure, so you don't need a lot of hp.

A SuperFlo Vs or Intelliflo would work.

The Intelliflo would be much quieter.