Alright, what in the name of all that is holy...

[andyroo]

Can anybody tell me what this is?
Villa's previous owner(s, possibly multiple over years) had these on chlorinated water-feature/ponds around the property. They're apparently filled(?) with a plastic nurdle, though I don't know what type of plastic.
My colleague is about 6'4, so these things are kind'a huge.

 

[Midwater]

Not sure it is aquarium related. Think it might be something to do with a swimming pool.

Or is it some sort of diving bell for deep ocean trenches?

 

[andyroo]

found it, seems to be and ancient version of: https://astfilters.com/aquatic-systems/products/bubble-bead-filters/
Any comments/reviews? Should we refit & use, or replace?

Tucked into the landscaping it looked like an Easter Island Moai... maybe the company missed a trick by not setting a nose & eyebrows

 

[kendragon]

It's looks like a copy of the original bubble bead filter which the chamber is made of plastic. The beads inside are floating plastic the size of rice. When the pump is turned off, the beads will drop down through the neck while air rushing up. This tumbling action and gravity draining is suppose to save water during washing.
It does not wash cleanly and does cake solid if not maintained.

 

[andyroo]

that's about right according to the specs, Ken - your report of functionality is useful, thanks. Don't they all cake-up if not flushed regularly, though? We had a super-high-end one for a hotel up the coast & it turned to a feted blob inside because nobody was specifically tasked with the maintenance (so it didn't happen).

To this: 1) periodic "burps" of the system that crud shift/dislodge & sink into the lower chamber without formal backwash and/or between/outside of formal backwash period, and 2) addition of ostracods and/or scuds to continually move, consume & reduce the crud while shimmying the media so it (crud) rains down into the lower chamber between burps and/or backwashes.

 

[kendragon]

Industrial model incorporate a motorized propeller to breakup the media during washing.

This type of media traps a lot of debris. Thus, requires frequent washing of the media to not stop the flow.
This media evolved to the AquaUltraviolet media similar to the popular K1 media. This media is hollow which does not clog as bad.

So in essence, you can consider the bubble bead media as first generation and the K1 type as second generation.