Good luck! That might clear it. If it doesn't, get a nice big rag or a couple of filter brushes. Tie a strong string to it and send the string through the drain into the settling tank. When it comes out the other end, pull the filter brushes through the drain. It's always a good idea to have a long string on the pond=side of the drain too, in case it gets stuck in the drain line. That way you can pull it back.

Thanks for the advice ccoombs. My settling pond is three feet away from the pond so I think it might be a challange to get a sring thru. Or do you think it would come thru with the draw of the pump? Perhpas use a strong pump for an occasion like that if needed?

Well it went well....kinda. I used two pumps to drain the settling pond because my strong pump is in the skimmer. I burned up my little mag drive pump. The impeller got clogged and when I unclogged it - it did not revive. Sigh...that is my winter pump so gotta buy a new one now.

After isolating and draining the pond to about 4 inches off the bottom (it is too much of a draw for the pumps after that and they just stop pumping) I used net to dredge the bottom. First a net with big holes and then a fine one. I had cleaned the SP a little over a week ago but still.......ick.

I decided to get in the SP to get out two rocks I could not get out with a net. Isn't it hard to get rocks out with a net? Sheesh! So in I go and while there I take a bucket and get out that fine sludge. Ick! Next I take a good look at the screws on the clamp that serves the pipebooted 4 inch drain coming thru the SP and it's Fernco fitted elbow that helps me isolate it for cleaning. I had heard warnings of them rusting and was pleasantly surprised to see no rust. So almost 4 years (?) and no rust. That was a very pleasant surpise indeed.

Now after all that I need to get out of the SP. It is 4 feet straigh down and I am 5'3". It takes a little bit of upper body strength to get out of that situation since there is no water in there at at that time to help me fight gravity. Another pleasant surprise to find it no problem. That was a little confidence builder. :)

So after all that little clog is cleared and the settling pond is clean as a whistle. Cleaner then it has been since the pond was new. It must have been more then a little clog because the draw down on my settling pond is not even an inch now. After that I was hot as it is 86 degrees today so I jump in the pond and annoy the fishies! Stopped to smell a yellow water lily bloom that I swear smells faintly like lemon pie. Mmmmm.......

Lisa

Hi Lisa. Don't know exactly how your pipe works are between bd and sp but maybe you could blow the line out with a shop vac or suck it out? I do that in the fall with my waterfall lines--suction not blowing. I also find with the bd if I close the valve off (have a knife valve on the one line) then let the pump run a minute or two before opening up the bd line it cleans it out. I usually do this twice--once with the sc empty (and pump not running!) and again after I refill the sc.