Greg Bickal's DIY Series: How to build an above ground settling chamber.
This settling chamber is meant to be attached to an above ground pond. The height of the settling chamber should match the height of the pond. This settling chamber pictured, is 32" square and 24" tall. I will handle a flow rate of 1200gph. It should be connected to the pond via a 2" pipe to an over-the-liner bottom drain. The pump can be either external or submerged. In the example given below the pump is submerged.


Materials
Qty Description
4 2x8x8' Construction grade lumber
2 2x4x8' Construction grade lumber
2 6' Deck Boards
1 4x4x1/2 Plywood
1 6x6 45 mil EPDM pond rubber
1 Box of 3" screws
1 Box of 1" screws
1 18" of 1 1/2 flexible sump pump hose (or other hose as appropriate)
1 6" length of 2" diameter PVC pipe (used to connect the settling chamber to the pond)
1 4" length of 3/4" diameter PVC pipe (drain line connection)
1 3/4" PVC valve
1 1" Stainless Steel hose clamp
2 3" Stainless Steel hose clamp

Assembly
  1. Cut the 2x8 boards into 32" lengths. You should end up with 16 peices 32" long.
  2. Pre-drill 4 holes at each end of 8 of the 2x8 boards.
  3. Attach 4 of the boards together with screws to form a rectangluar ring.
  4. Repeat the process with the rest of the boards. You should end up with 3 rectangular rings.
  5. Stack the rings on top of each other, until you have a rectangular frame 3 boards high.
  6. Cut the 2x4 boards into 12" lengths. Cut them so that each end of the 2x4 has a 45 degree angle cut (like a picture frame). You will need 10 of these peices. Attach the peices as shown in the following picture.
  7. Cut 2 peices of plywood to fit as shown in the picture. Attach with screws. The opposite walls do not need plywood. The plywood is used only to keep the wood frames together.
  8. Cut 2 peices of plywood to fit as shown in the picture. Attach with screws.
  9. Cut 2 peices of plywood to fit as shown in the picture. Attach with screws.
  10. Drill a 3" hole through the boards where you intend to connect the settling chamber to the pond. This hole should be at least 1" higher than the plywood to allow room to connect the pipe boot.
  11. Drill a 1" hole through the boards for a drain line. This hole should be on an outside wall which can be accessed for draining the chamber later. See picture at the very top for where I placed mine.
  12. This step is optional. If you intend to install an external (dry vault pump). Drill a 2" diameter hole for it on an outside wall.
  13. Install the pond liner. Using the same hidden hospital corner method described in the Indoor Pond.
  14. Install a pipe boot for the 2" line running from the pond to the settling chamber.
  15. Install a pipe boot for the 3/4" drain line. Be very careful when cutting this one as the hole you cut is only the diameter of a pencil. I have a special sharpened pipe I use to make these holes.
  16. The pond and the settling chamber should be connected like so.
  17. Connect the pump. The pump should have an intake screen. I used aluminum window screen.
  18. Cut the deck boards and install with screws.
  19. Install a PVC valve on the outside of the settling chamber drain line. Install any additional plumbing (as necessary) to connect the drain to a sewar system or a bucket (shown).
  20. Connect a 18" length of sump pump hose inside the settling chamber.
  21. The hose will allow you to vaccum up waste from the bottom of the chamber without having to empty the entire chamber. For purposes of taking this photo, I had to remove the water from the settling chamber. During cleaning of the bottom of the settling chamber, the chamber needs to be full of water.
  22. For instructions on how to build your own bottom drain go here.


I currently do not have written step-by-step instructions for the construction of an in-ground settling chamber. I do have pictures of a project that I worked on for a client. To see those pictures with a few descriptions, please click here.

© Copyright 2004 Greg S. Bickal. All Rights Reserved.