A fountain is made of many parts, but one of the most important and less known is the filtration system.
Quite often in the design phase this element is not included, sometimes for small attention others to save costs, but a fountain without an suitable filtration system is likely to create problems and to have a short life.
The filtration of water, among the various functions, prevents the formation of limestone, an element that can compromise the proper functioning of a fountain. This mineral normally present in water tends to accumulate very quickly both on the surface of the fountain and inside the plant, damaging the pipes and the mechanical parts such as pumps, nozzles and lights and compromising their durability.
Pipes blocked with limestone
A complete filtration system is made of two parts, a chemical one and a mechanical one.
Let’s see in detail how they work.
Chemical Filtration
Chemical filtration involves the use of sulfuric acid and chlorine.
The first reacts with limescale, preventing it from solidifying and to deposit on the surface of the fountain, and obstructing the system. It also has the function of decreasing the PH value of water, optimizing the properties of chlorine which instead plays an important antiseptic function. Thanks to chlorine we can prevent the accumulation in water of bacteria, viruses, fungi and algae.
Two pumps enter the correct quantities of these two products in water.
Through a probe, a control unit continuously detects the water values and, when necessary, sends a signal to each pump which feed into the fountain the correct quantity of product to bring the values back to the suitable levels.
Sulfuric acid and chlorine are stored in separate tanks; in case they were mixed, the chemical reaction would lead to the formation of chlorine gas, which is dangerous for people.
Dissolved in the water instead, carefully and in the correct percentage dosed, they perform their disinfectant and cleaning function that allows us to have a beautiful and functional fountain for a long time.
Filtration system
Mechanical Filtration
Mechanical filtration prevents the accumulation of solid dirt in the water.
It is carried out by a filter with inside glass sand of various sizes. Glass sand is commonly used because it has a high filtering capacity and a longer life.
This type of filter retains various impurities such as leaves, dust and dirt in general.
The water is conveyed through the filter by a pump and then reinserted into the process.
Periodic maintenance of a fountain also involves the intervention of washing the sand filter, automatically or manually.
The mechanical and chemical filtration processes are complementary and indispensable for an good result.
Sand Filter
Artificial lakes
How to proceed with the cleaning of an artificial lake, often populated with fish and aquatic plants?
The needs are the same, water must remain clean and free of bacteria and algae, but in this case non-chemical systems are used, to allow the development of life.
The solution adopted is the use of one or more UVC lamps that filter the water and eliminate bacteria and pathogens.
In artificial ponds the mechanical function of the sand filter is carried out by an artificial sponges filter that retains the bigger amount of dirt caused by the presence of living beings.
Every fountain, every pond and every aquatic element has its own needs and characteristics. Knowing them makes the difference in the realization of a project, saving on future maintenance costs.
Forme d’acqua produces artificial fountains and ponds, always using the most suitable type of filtration system, to guarantee projects that can be beautiful and last a long time.
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[…] lasts over time (both from an aesthetic and functional point of view), it is necessary to design a high-performance filtration and recirculation system adequate for the quantity of water and the context in which it is inserted, which could require a […]