DIY filter for gumball machine

[GodFan]

I have a few ideas. It is one of the mini ones with a spiral for the gumball. So if I fill the spiral with bioballs with a prefilter at the intake and a return pump at the bottom under the base would that work? The biggest problem is there wouldnt be a way to access anything but the prefilter for cleaning. Everything else would be unaccesable except for in the case of complete and udder tear apart.
Do yall think this would work if I used a really really good prefilter?
Thanks and God bless!

 

[HN1]

Sounds like a really neat idea! I doubt the machine is internally water tight though. You'd also need a way to return the water.

 

[GodFan]

Sounds like a really neat idea! I doubt the machine is internally water tight though. You'd also need a way to return the water.

I figured I could put a tupperware container full of water in the bottom with a powerhead as a return pump. It would only need to go up maybe 18 inches. But it would have to be small. It would also not be accesable unless you took the whole kit apart.....
I will be siliconing the tube to make it water tight as well because it definetly is not. I thought it might be cool to be able to see the filtration happening in the tube!

 

[HN1]

The entire interior of the chute won't be water tight though. I don't think a tupperware container will do it. A PH might work, but what about the return plumbing? Don't mean to come off as a downer.

If you want to see filtration happen, I'd suggest a microscope.

 

[GodFan]

The entire interior of the chute won't be water tight though. I don't think a tupperware container will do it. A PH might work, but what about the return plumbing? Don't mean to come off as a downer.

If you want to see filtration happen, I'd suggest a microscope.

A microscope? And no your not being a downer thats why I posted on here I plan to seal the tube. I dont want it filled with water so even mediciocore seal jkb should work.

 

[jtez]

I think that's a pretty neat idea. And I think I understand what you mean about your sealing job. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you only want say, half of the spiral chute filled with water so you can see it rushing down, rather than having the bottom half of the machine completely full of water?

You'll have to be very careful about getting your flows right:
- Too much outflow from the tank = flooding of the chute
- Not enough tank outflow = poor filtration
- Too weak of a return pump = overflow of Tupperware container and filling up of the spiral chute
- Too strong return pump = drying up, possibly you'd end up forcing the water halfway up the pipe, then running out of water in the Tupperware container to get it all the way out

And you'd only get one shot at it really, because once you flood the tank and the water starts coming through down to the chute, everything is packed away inside and you won't be able to touch it without making a huge puddle!

I'm not entirely sure about the power head you plan to use. If it's a submersible pump, do they burn out if they pump air instead of water? Because if its too strong you run the risk of that occurring. But at the same time it'd have to be strong enough to provide adequate filtration.

A couple of photos of the chute could be helpful as well!

 

[GodFan]

I think that's a pretty neat idea. And I think I understand what you mean about your sealing job. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you only want say, half of the spiral chute filled with water so you can see it rushing down, rather than having the bottom half of the machine completely full of water?

You'll have to be very careful about getting your flows right:
- Too much outflow from the tank = flooding of the chute
- Not enough tank outflow = poor filtration
- Too weak of a return pump = overflow of Tupperware container and filling up of the spiral chute
- Too strong return pump = drying up, possibly you'd end up forcing the water halfway up the pipe, then running out of water in the Tupperware container to get it all the way out

And you'd only get one shot at it really, because once you flood the tank and the water starts coming through down to the chute, everything is packed away inside and you won't be able to touch it without making a huge puddle!

I'm not entirely sure about the power head you plan to use. If it's a submersible pump, do they burn out if they pump air instead of water? Because if its too strong you run the risk of that occurring. But at the same time it'd have to be strong enough to provide adequate filtration.

A couple of photos of the chute could be helpful as well!

Yes thats the gist of it. Ill try and get some pics later. I have bought a powerhead yet so siggestions are welcome!