#1. Gravity Fed

A gravity fed vortex system provides the greatest efficiency with the least amount of maintenance. Water is supplied to the filter from the bottom drain with large bore PVC pipe. Since the collected wastes do not come in contact with the pump, the vortex portion of the filter can remove large solids (leaves, feces, etc.) very easily. This application requres the water level in the filter chambers and the pond to be at the same height.

#2. Pump Fed

For situations that cannot place the filters at pond level, a pump fed system can still provide afequate filtration. However, since the water is being pumped off the bottom of the pond, a strainer basket must be placed in front of the pump to trap larger debris, reducing the efficiency of the vortex chamber.

#3. Combination

Since the vortex chamber is the only part of the filter that gains efficiency from being placed at pond level, the vortex chamber can still provide primary solids removal before the water is pumped to the main filter system. This setup allows for a multitude of chamber sizes and filtration types to be used.