One HydroChamber™ Equals ...
Two Slotted Pump Vaults, Two Water Matrix Blocks,
Underlayment, Liner, Rock, and Gravel

The problems with slotted pump vaults
  • Slotted pump vaults don't hold water - HydroChambers™ does
  • Slotted pump vaults don't have threaded connections -  HydroChambers™ does
  • Slotted pump vaults are not pre-fitted for multiple pumps - HydroChambers™ are
  • Slotted pump vaults are not pre-fitted for an overflow pipe - HydroChambers™ are
  • Slotted pump vaults are not-pre-fitted for an auto fill valve - HydroChambers™ are
  • Slotted pump vaults require water storage matrix blocks - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • Slotted pump vaults require rubber liner to hold water - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • Slotted pump vaults require underlayment to protect the rubber liner - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • Slotted pump vaults require tons of rock and gravel to cover it all - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • All this requires a large excavation - HydroChambers™ don't
  • Slotted pump vaults must always be at the base of the pondless water feature - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • Slotted pump vaults cannot be moved anywhere else - HydroChambers™  CAN
  • Slotted pump vault gravel basins CANNOT BE CLEANED - HydroChambers™ CAN
  • Rock and gravel filled slotted pump vault water reservoir basins grow excessive and unsightly algae -HydroChambers™ do NOT!
  • Rotting debris in slotted pump vaults fowls the water
  • The slotted pump vault gravel basin eventually clogs - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • Slotted pump vault gravel basins eventually get replaced via a Pondless Basin Ectomy - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • Slotted pump vaults have a lower purchase price - but require purchasing water storage matrix blocks, rubber liner, underlayment, and rock - HydroChambers™ do NOT
  • Slotted pump vaults have a much higher total cost  than HydroChambers™ 
  • Slotted pump vaults have a higher cost of ownership than HydroChambers™ 
  • Need we say more?  We will anyway (because you need to know) ... please read on ...

Conventional Pondless Waterfall Basins Require Large Excavations

Conventional pondless water feature basin with multiple pump vaults, water matrix blocks, rubber liner, underlayment and tons of rock

 

Why would anyone want to dig a huge hole in the ground - only to fill it back up with underlayment, liner, multiple pump vaults, water storage matrix blocks, and tons of rock? The cost of the rock, gravel, pump vaults, matrix blocks …. AND the labor to dig the gigantic hole and to place all these things in it is much higher than HydroChamber™ All-in-One Pondless Pump Chamber Water Storage Tanks.

Conventional pondless basin

 

The HydroChamber™ is designed to house up to two pumps AND two matrix blocks worth of water storage in one single unit. It is also a direct burial tank so underlayment, liner, and rock is NOT required.

 

HydroChamber can be installed away from the pondless water feature

 


Unlike the slotted pump vaults shown in these photos at the base of the water feature, the HydroChamber™ can be installed in a remote location away from the water feature.

The HydroChamber™ is designed to house up to two pumps AND two matrix blocks worth of water storage in one single unit. It is also a direct burial tank so underlayment, liner, and rock are Not required. Unlike slotted pump vaults at the base of the water feature, the HydroChamber™ can be installed in a remote location away from the water feature for the most natural appearance.

With the combined pump vault and water storage tank configuration of the HydroChamber™ and HydroSieve™ pre-filter, the pondless waterfall water storage excavation can be significantly smaller than conventional pondless waterfall basins. A smaller pondless water storage excavation requires less labor, saving you installation time and money.  

 

HydroChamber is a better value


The HydroChamber™
is a Better Value
.

Slotted pump vaults  cost around several hundreds of dollars each. One HydroChamber™ replaces two slotted pump vaults.  The water storage matrix blocks cost around $65.00 each. One HydroChamber™ replaces two matrix blocks. When you add the cost of two pump vaults and two matrix blocks  – that brings the total price of the pondless basing to more than double the price of a single HydroChamber .

But don’t forget, you have to add the price of a 10’x10′ liner and the price for a 10’x10′ underlayment – adding even more to the total price. Now add the cost of ton of river rock with delivery. The grand total for a conventional pondless water storage basin is way more expensive than a single HydroChamber™.

A single HydroChamber™ All-in-One Pondless Pump Vault Water Storage Tank replaces two slotted pump vaults, two water storage matrix blocks, 10’x10′ underlayment, 10’x10′ liner, and the river rock for just half the cost of typical pondless waterfall basin! Saving you Real Money! Go ahead and do your own research - you will see.

You could purchase a HydroChamber™ with nothing but the money you SAVE over buying two slotted pump vaults, 2 matrix blocks, underlayment, liner, and tons of rock!

Smaller excavation


Another cost savings is the time and money you will save by digging a much smaller hole in the ground. The HydroChamber™ requires only a fraction of the excavation space of the conventional slotted pump vault and rock pondless waterfall basin. That alone could add several hundred more dollars in labor costs to the typical pondless basin – raising the total cost by a $1,000.00 or more!

You Save Money with JUST ONE HydroChamber™!

One HydroChamber replaces two slotted pump vaults, two water matrix blocks, rubber liner, underlayment, and rock



The HydroChamber™
All-in-One Pump Vault and Water Storage Tank
Completely Eliminates:

  • Large pondless basin excavations
  • Impossible to clean gravel filled pondless basins
  • Hours and hours of installation labor
  • Pondless basin underlayment
  • Pondless basin liner
  • Slotted pump vaults
  • Water storage matrix blocks
  • Pondless basin river rock
  • Pondless basin pebbles

HydroChamber is multi-pump and auto fill valve ready with no modifications required


Slotted pump vaults are configured for just one pump, and they are NOT configured for an automatic water fill valve. To add an automatic water fill valve, you would have to modify the slotted pump vault – at additional expense for tools and labor. If your pondless design calls for two pumps, you must use two slotted pump vaults or make modifications at additional expense for tools and labor. The HydroChamber™ is pre-configured for two pumps AND an automatic water fill valve with no modifications required.





In doing your research on which pump vault to purchase
or  have installed for you

You absolutely must know the real costs of the pump vault you’re about to purchase. There are so many choices out there, it can become confusing which one is right for you. We hope that we're doing a good enough job here of giving you as much information as possible to help you decide (subliminal hint: HydroChamber™), but if we haven't yet .... again ..... please read on.

Cleaning Pondless Water Features

HydroChamber pairs with the HydroSieve-PF easy to clean prefilter

Slotted pump vaults use river rock as the pre-filter to the matrix blocks under gravel water storage. HydroChambers™ use a HydroSieve-PF easy to clean prefilter. The force of the moving water forces debris deep down into the rock and gravel - or into the HydroSieve's stainless steel filter basket.  Which do YOU think would be easier to clean?  Anyway, ask these questions:

The questions you need to ask before
purchasing a slotted pump vault: 

  1. Am I required to also purchase rubber liner?
  2. Am I required to also purchase underlayment to protect the liner?
  3. Am I required to also purchase water storage matrix blocks?
  4. Am I required to also purchase purchase rock and gravel to cover the water storage basin?
  5. Can I move the water storage basin away from the pondless water feature?

Quite possibly the MOST IMPORTANT
questions to ask before purchasing or having a slotted pump vault installed for you:

You can only clean slotted pump vault gravel filled pondless basins by hand

  1. How do I CLEAN the rock and gravel of the water storage basin?
  2. What happens if I don't?

The answer to the first question is: By Hand!


The only way to remove leaves, tree needles, mulch, grass clippings, flower blossoms, windblown seeds such as cottonwood and dandelions, bird poop, dead insects and worms, bathing bird feathers, and other debris from a slotted pump vault gravel filled basin is by hand

 

Slotted pump vaults with gravel filled pondless basins grow algae like crazy

 

Algae is gross to look at in slotted pump vault gravel filled pondless basin

The answer to the second question is: 
Algae ... 
and lots of it!
  

 

 

Slotted pump vault gravel filled pondless basin grows algae like crazy

Debris decaying down inside the rock of a conventional slotted pump vault pondless basin smells terrible and grows algae.

Algae grows on waterfall rocks, rocks and gravel within a stream bed, and the basin rock itself. To control the algae, you’ll have to apply large amounts of expensive algaecides regularly. This drastically adds to the cost of ownership of pondless water features. 

Over time, not even algaecides can solve the problem. The river rock pre-filter required in front of slotted pump vaults -  no matter what they’re called – Just a Falls, Pond Free, No Pond, Zero Pond – ALL become clogged over time. When the river rock is clogged, water flow to the pump becomes restricted.

 

Gravel filled pondless basin quickly become an eyesore

Eventually the pump will pump water out faster than it can return – causing the pump to run dry and burn out. The cost of repeatedly replacing a pump significantly increases the cost of ownership of the typical slotted pump vault pondless water feature.

The only remedy to this problem is the complete dismantling of the conventional river rock pondless basin. This is known as a “Basin-Ectomy”. A Basin-Ectomy is the complete dismantling and removal of the clogged river rock, matrix blocks, slotted pump vault, basin liner, and basin underlayment and replacing all of those items with a HydroSieve™-PF pre-filter and a HydroChamber™ All-in-One Pondless Pump Chamber Water Storage Tank.

 

Pondless Basin-Ectomies are replacing hard to clean pondless gravel basins with easy to clean Hydro Sieve filter and Hydro Chamber pump vault/water storage tank

Replacing Obsolete Hard to Clean
Pondless Gravel Basins with
Easy to Clean Hydro Sieve™ Filter and HydroChamber™

Benefits:

  • A 2-man crew can complete the job in 2-4 hours
  • A 1-man crew can complete the job in 4-8 hours
  • Replaces hard-to-clean gravel basins with an easy-to-clean HydroSieve™ pre-filter and HydroChamber™
  • Requires minimal tools - shovel, level, and soil
  • Reduces the basin space
  • Completely modular to fit any application
  • Drastically improves water quality
  • Less Algae!
  • Allows owners to clean their pondless systems themselves in just seconds
  • Replaces gravel filled basins, water blocks, and perforated pump vaults that allow gravel to reach the pump
Pondless Basin-Ectomies make cleaning pondless waterfalls much easier
How It's Done:
  • Remove any aquatic plants from the gravel basin area
  • Remove the boulders
  • Remove the gravel
  • Remove the pump vault
  • Remove the water blocks (if installed)
  • Remove the under gravel pipe (if installed)
  • Remove the basin liner
  • Remove the basin underlayment
  • Now you're ready for the next steps
  • Reshape the excavation
  • Install the HydroChamber™
  • Install the HydroSieve™ pre-filter and connect it to the HydroChamber™
  • Install the optional auto fill valve
  • Connect the main plumbing line to the HydroChamber™
  • Install the pump inside the HydroChamber™
  • Backfill the HydroChamber™ and HydroSieve™ with soil
  • Fill in the remaining excavation space with soil
  • Contour the soil for the stream, pool, or waterfall in front of the HydroSieve™ inlet pipe
  • Attach the liner to HydroSieve™ inlet pipe
  • Install rocks or boulders
  • Replant any aquatic plants
  • Install gravel mixture
  • Fill the HydroChamber™ with water and turn the pump on
  • Cut off excess liner - roll extra under itself
  • Cover all remaining exposed liner with gravel mixture
  • Rinse the rock and gravel down towards the HydroSieve™
  • If you have a Hydro Vortex™ waterfall filter - perform a backwash
  • If not, perform a Filter-Ectomy™ so you can!
Pondless Basin-Ectomies make owning pondless waterfall less expensive and more of a joy.
Ultimate Pondless Basin Ectomies:
  • Features both mechanical AND biological filtration for the highest water quality
  • Super easy to clean: Empty and rinse the HydroSieve™ (60 seconds), rinse the stream and backwash the Hydro Vortex™ filter weekly
  • Leaves, grass clippings, needles, blossoms, bird waste, dust, pollen, dead bugs and worms can all be easily removed from the ULTIMATE pondless system before they can feed algae!
  • Gravel basins do not provide easy means of removing those organics
  • The ULTIMATE pondless system is the easiest to clean pondless system ever created! 

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