Filtering pond water for drip irrigation?

[charlz]

All my sprinklers and most of the drip irrigation around my place is run off my pond. I have a 1" screen type filter (150 mesh) on the drip manifold but it gets quite a bit of crap in it (algae and other 'floaties'). Peak season, when it is hot and I am pushing a lot of water it more or less needs to be cleaned every other day. I'd really like to be able to clean it maybe once a week and not have to worry about dead/water stressed plants if I forget or go on vacation.

It seems all the big filters come with a big price $200+. Example:

The Drip Store: 2" Heavy-Duty Super Disc Filter, 150 mesh disc (black)

I can buy a lot of 3/4" or 1" inlet filters for that price. Would just building a 'filter manifold' of cheap filters achieve the results I want?

Is disk superior to screen for this type of filtering?

 

[RonMar]

The manifold would be the cheaper option... Double the filter area, half the cleaning interval.

Another reasonable option might be to install a flushable filter, Many of the ones I have seen(and use) have a flush port on them like this one Sprinkler.com | Amiad 1" Super Filter 120 mesh (130 Micron) Disc Element I use something similar, but much less expensive($12?) to keep from clogging my small sprinklers using irrigation water. I also have to clean them daily. the ones I use are available at my local hardware stores and I think Home Depot. They do not have the valve on the bottom, but a port with a hose thread on it. The yellow handled valve on the bottom of the one pictured is for flushing out the screen filter element. If you connected that port to an automated timer valve($15?), or connect a timed relay($25?) to control a sprinkler solenoid valve($12) on this port you could have it flush automatically back to the pond. This last would say open the flush valve for two minutes(or whatver the time relay is set for) every time the pump comes on to water, and would be mostly maintenance free once setup...

 

[MikeD74T]

Watch Craig's List for a used pool filter? Made to catch algae & cleanable. MikeD74T

 

[charlz]

Another reasonable option might be to install a flushable filter,

That's how the one I have it but flushing it doesn't do much. I have to take it apart and rub it down with my hands and running water to clean it. I have though about making a maze of valves to back-flush it and see that gets most of it off.

 

[charlz]

Watch Craig's List for a used pool filter? Made to catch algae & cleanable. MikeD74T

Now that is a good idea. Little big for my current pump house but I have planned on building a larger one in the future. I will keep my eyes open. So big I might only have to clean it during fall shutdown