Some may find this helpful. Here are pics of how I make my pump sack/bag. This helps keep large debri from being sucked into the intake and clogging the pump. I don't know what the material is that I use. My b-i-l used to work for Topps. When they closed the store they threw three rolls of it into the dumpster. He thought of my pond and brought it to me. I use it folded up stuffed in a laundry bag in my skippy filter for media too. Don't know what I'm going to do when it's gone. It is kind of wiry but like fabric. If I'm not careful it will stuck in my skin.
First I lay the fabric out on the carpet with the pump housing in the center to get the correct measurement. I use one long piece and center the container in the middle. I then measure from the center and calculate from that how long to make the sides. You want to end up with even edges all around after it is sewn together. It can be trimmed if it's uneven.
I suggest omitting the cats. It will make your project easier. As you can see in the pics the cats are winning this battle.
Once I have everything measured and cut, I hem the sides and then sew them to the middle using fising line. It should resemble a cross after the sides have been attached.
Then I sew up all the four corners folding them over and whip stitching them with fishing line. Pics taken from the top looking down into the sack.
Once the sides are all sewn I sew a nice fat hem all around the top of the sack leaving a few inches unsewed to run the drawstring through. Here is a pic of the completed sack with the drawstring.
Here are pics of the pump house and the pump in the sack.
After everything is in place (be sure cord is out of the sack. I usually use computer ties to run it along side of the PVC. Pull the drawstring snug around the PVC and it's ready to drop into the pond. I use the drawstring to wind around a piece of rebar I have pounded into the ground to pull the pump up at the end of the season.
I have been using this for submersible pumps for 4 years now and have never had a clogged pump. In the fall I remove everything from the bag and hose the bag down so it's ready to be reused next spring.
Jenny
