No pipe dream here. I think this piece of artwork is achievable with the
right equipment/circumstances - run only on supervised calmer days, winds
less than 5-10 MPH, high wind detection auto shutoff sensor unit (cheap
probably under $100), slower pumps (under 1000 GPH), etc. It's just a matter
of tweaking each variable to the perfect notch. It's like fine tuning your
home network or tweaking your cars computer module with a superchip upgrade
for maximum performance.
http://www.kap.uk.com/superchips.htm#superchip%201 (sorry for the lame UK
link).
Anyway, I was kinda thinking that three 3000 GPH pumps would not get along
together in such a small area (hence the reference to the space
time/continuum in my previous post).
I guess my questions need to be separated a bit.
Out of curiousities sake, I was wondering how high a 3000 or 4000 GPH pump
could make a foam jet. John R said he's gotten his standard fountains to be
over 2 feet high with a 2400 GPH pump. The thing is that I'm thinking his
fountains are more of the solid water stream type whereas the foam jets are
fused with air bubbles so the streams should theoretically be lighter since
they are part water and part oxygen not just all heavy water.
So, let's say I went down to three 1000 GPH pumps. The specs for the foam
jets say that with a 1000 GPH pump, you can expect the height of the foam
jet to be 30 inches. That's pretty close to 3 feet. The circulation would be
at an acceptable level with only 1000 GPH pumps, and yes, the pond would
possibly start to resemble a whirlpool of sorts but that doesn't matter
since nothing living will be in it and the main goal is the 3 high spouting
foam jet fountains. Avoiding the wind sounds like the biggest obstacle, but
it sounds like this little gem:
http://www.smarthome.com/7196.html
(or a competing product like it -hopefully smaller, maybe painted black or
green to blend in with the surrounding environment- would do the trick) and
it only costs $69.
I dunno. I think it might just be possible, but yes, it would be one touchy
son of a bitch water display with the patience of a madman to make it all
work perfectly.
What are your thoughts about it working with 1000 GPH pumps instead of
3000's?
Do-able or still impossible?
-Little Scooby
"Hank Pagel" wrote in message
.. .
Pardon the pun, but I think we have a pipe dream here.
Simple math ..... three 3000gph pumps ...... less than 100 gal. of
water .... that's one complete turnover every 30 seconds.
Simple hydraulics ..... Too much turbulence. Pumps would cavitate.
Water could not return to the pumps fast enough.
Have you ever watered your lawn or washed your car on a windy day? You
get as wet as the car.
Like the song says "Don't tug on superman's cape or spit into the
wind!"
Try using a garden hose to simulate the effect you want. I think you
will find it much less than 3000gph. (IMO)
Time your garden hose into a 5 gal. bucket ......... See how far you
get in 30 sec.
"Little Scooby" wrote in message
om...
"Anne Lurie" wrote in message
.com...
Based on responses from other posters, I guess I may be alone in
thinking
that Scooby is describing an *indoor* water feature -- if so,
wind would
presumably not factor into things, but what happens if there is a
disruption
in your water source? I have visions of the house burning down
when all
those pumps get overheated!
Just my $.02 worth,
Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC
Unfortunately, it is in my nature to defy the odds so I have to make
this an outdoor feature versus an indoor one, somehow there must be
a
way (perhaps upgrading to a slightly bigger pond immediately if
needed
(but only as big as needed to adjust for the wind blowing which is
why
I need to find out about how far the wind would blow the jet streams
(perhaps if I also trim the height of the jet streams down to lower
levels).
I'm curious though, if this were to be an indoor pond, what do you
mean by disruption in my water source?
Do you mean if I left the feature unattended for weeks and all the
water evaporated or something? Or if the preformed liner cracked and
all the water leaked out?
A feature like this would require daily attention and I never go on
vacations and if I did, I would unplug the pumps first. I'm
confused.
How would the pumps possibly burn out because I would never let the
water level get to even a slightly dangerous low level (I have a 55
gallon aquarium that I fill with water every couple of days just
because I don't like to see the water level dip more than an inch in
the aquarium.
Plus, don't these pumps have safety mechanisms built in that would
prevent them from starting on fire? Especially the nice Cal-pumps,
etc? I would only use a top of the line but resonably priced pump.
Although, even if they didn't start on fire, smoke damage could be
just as bad so I would hope they would just shut off after so many
minutes of no water in them (or is this totally off base?). I've
never
let a pump run dry on any of my indoor fountains (tabletop versions)
so I don't know what would happen to them, let alone a 3000 or 4000
GPH pump.
-Little Scooby