Coiled Denitrator DIY

[Gresham]

Did I say howe? I meant hot. Beats me how I did that one <scratches head, leaves confused>

[Birdlady]

Thanks!
It's OK Gresh, I 'm always confused.....

[Birdlady]

Here is a photo of my parts I have all ready. Just waiting for the hubby to cut my PVC down to size....I think it will end up being only 1 foot high because I wrapped the tubing around the outside of the pike and it came to 9 inches....so it will be a little long when wrapped inside.

I am using

PVC Drain Pipe 4" diameter (it was free)
2 PVC Drain Endcaps about $2.50 each
2 - 20" long 1/4" diameter tubing $1.99 each
1 - Ball valve with collets for 1/4" tubing - about $6.00
1 - Connector with collets at $2.40
(to join the 2 pieces of tubing into 1 40" piece)
1 - elbow with collets for water going into top of denitrator...at $2.00
1 tube of Krazy Glue to tack down tubing inside PVC $3.00
Bioballs that I never used from a wet dry at $0

So, I should be able to build it for under $25

Oh, yeah, PVC Glue (lying around in basement)

I did take detailed pics of the collet piecse with packaging if anyone wants to see them, let me know...

[Matt Rogers]

COOL!

More pics as you go please.. I want to understand this thing better.

[Birdlady]

Here are some more pics....

Coiling the small tubing into the PVC pipe...note the white thingy....it is a collet to join the 2 20' tubing into one longer 40' tubing...leave some tube loose at the top.....

[Birdlady]

Then the hubby drilled 2 holes in the lid (he doesn't trust me with the power tools >) to fit the 1/4' tubing through...on will be for the tubing from inside the PVC piece and then a shorter piece for the outlet water...then I used aquarium sealant to seal the tubes on the inside of the lid to prevent leakage..

[Birdlady]

Add biological media of some sort to fill up the inside of the PVC pipe...I used bioballs because they were laying around and did not cost me anything

[Birdlady]

Then, seal with PVC cement and glue down the top and bottom of PVC with the endcaps...

PS, you may want to mark the tubing on the endcap, which is in and which is out....I did.....

[Matt Rogers]

Nice job Sue!

I know this has been gone over before on another thread somewhere, but how does this thing work again? [smiley=Looking.gif]

the water goes down the coil at a slow rate. The bacteria in the coil will use up the oxygen by the time it reaches the bottom. Non-oxygen bacteria (anarobic?) then convert the nitrates. What is returned is oxygen deprived water but lower in nitrates.

Water moves through the coil at a light stream.