Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Standpipe Removal

My pond will have a removable standpipe and from what I have heard it is hard to remove the pipe from the Gasket.

Anybody have some ideas?

I was thinking of getting some heavy duty handles and bolting them to the pipe.

Chris could you tell us what and why wrt to your plan ? A problem with a standpipe can be a huge mess.

I would like to be able to remove the standpipe to do a drawdown in the winter.

The pipe is 8 inches in diameter.

The section I will be removing is going to be 3-4 feet in length.

Maybe REALLY heavy handles and a location permitting access with heavy machinery with an arm (backhoe, trackhoe).

Chris
Put a valve on the pipe. Getting the stand pipe off will be hard if not impossible.

Otto

I agree with Otto. It will be dangerous also. The suction (power) on an 8in pipe suddenly open to the pond can be a killer.

Use a T and install a gate valve like Otto says, no special tools needed to open it and you can build a wire mesh screen to keep your fish from going "downstream" upon removal.

Why do you want to drawdown for winter? Is it a weed control issue??

Otto, how would I add a valve to the pipe? The pipe that I am using has a very small lip and is about 6 in. long.

At some point the pipe may end up underwater if we build a pond below this pond.

I think that Theo has a good idea. Using that method I could use a couple of eye bolts.

Even if I can't remove the pipe it still won't be that big of a problem.

Young Blood, the time to listen to (my) sheer speculations is not while the experts are talking.

How about this.

Have three or four rows of eye bolts equal distant around the pipe and 3 eyebolts per column. Then attach some type of chain to the eyebolts. This would reduce the chance of the pipe breaking. I could then use the backhoe to take out the pipe whenever I wanted.

Does that make any sense.

Chris,

I'm not sure of the details of your pond, but here is what is common around here: The main spill tube with the anti-seep color exisits alone. Another, smaller diameter pipe goes through the dam with the valve on the back side. The stand pipe on the pond side exists to keep from sucking mud off the bottom when the valve is open, but the standpipe is usually not removable.

I see you're point with the possibilty of the valve being underwater in the future. I would encourage you to not make the stand pipe removable. You could potentially hurt yourself. Plus...what happens if you can't get it put back together just right? You could lose all of your water. You aren't going to want to be in the water trying to fit the pipe back together. You could get your hand or foot sucked off! Maybe the solution is to place the valve on the backside with a long handle (screw-type) that won't be under water in the event that you build another pond behind it. That way you could still operate the valve no matter the situation.

If the pond is fairly small, you could eliminate the withdrawal pipe altogther and just siphon the pond when needed. Start with a t-connection on top of the dam angling slighty to the back of the dam, with one part of the T facing up, one part facing to the back of the dam, and the last part facing toward the pond. Get a length of pipe, connect to the T and run it to the back of the dam and cap the end. Get another length of pipe, connect it to the T and run it into the pond. Now go back to the top of the dam and fill the top of the T with water until the back section of the pipe is completely full. Cap the top of the T and then pull the cap off the pipe you just filled with water. Note: the backside pipe needs to be longer (assuming you're using the same diameter of pipe) than the pond-side pipe or you won't create the siphon. Flexible, currogated pipe will work in small pond situations. The connections won't be perfectly water tight but that's where duck-tape comes in:) Smiley Face Notice: I have to use 90's technology ":)" because I'm too stupid to figure out how to use the smiley faces that everyone else here uses

If the pond is really tiny, you could just rent a trash pump.

The pond will be 1/4 acre. I will probably be removing 1 acre foot or less.

Using that info I could use a 3 in. siphon and drain that much water in a little over a day.

Chris
Just for fun put the pipe together, put as much soap on the rubber gasket as you you can. The soap will act as a lubricant.
Pull the pipe apart.

Let us know how that works for you.

Otto

Otto, how about a cap on the outlet.

So everybody doesn't worry about me killing myself, I added a 2 in. pipe and valve next to the main drainage pipe.

Good.

Thank you,finally

He never listens to me either, but I got to pay for the pipe and the valve. I reckon that is cheaper that trying to fish him out of the 8 inch pipe or burying him. .

Lusk always says to carefully consider all the decisions you make during pond construction because it will affect the next 4 generations. Randal, it looks like you've just scored a 2-fer.

Keep an eye on the boy until he gets older he has a lot of good in him put like you said he has to live long enough to realize it

Otto

Isn't that the way most good men end up that way Otto? I have always heard experience is a name people give their mistakes.

Point well taken.

I built several wetlands that they wanted pipes installed laying on the original grade in the deepest part of the dam and extending out from the dam several feet.
Believe it was 6" (maybe 8") pvc.
After I finished they installed a 90 degree gasket type elbow and a stand pipe to the pipes I had installed.
To drain a wetland they have to get wet, but just push the riser (stand pipe) over.
The gasketed 90 allows the elbow and riser to rotate a 1/4 turn so the top of the riser lies on the bottom draining the wetland.

if you put a removable pipe on this tube be very careful

i know from first hand near death experienc, got sucked into the 8 inch tube at my pond, trying to extend the overflow when the pond was afoot over the pipe

shredded my leg from ankle to knee, sucked me all the way to my pelvis, luckily i had a friend with me and we were able to plug the pipe and getr out

i almost bought the whole farm that day!!!!


please be carefull!!!!!