The Ideal Insulator

Dry Process Ceramics

Ceramic Injection Molding

Wet Process Ceramics

Machined Ceramics

Investment Casting

Sand Casting

Standard Products

Design Guide

Quality Systems

Ceramic Home page

Ceramic Water Filtration Spheres

The Akron Porcelain & Plastics Company serves the Water Filtration Industry by supplying ceramic spheres for Wheeler filter bottoms. Akron has NSF Certification and is a member of the American Water Works Association. (AWWA)

The Wheeler Filter Bottom for gravity filters has been recognized for many years as a most efficient and durable filter bottom.

The Wheeler Filter Bottom, monolithic type, consists of a reinforced concrete floor slab,
or "false" floor, supported on piers about 22 in. above the floor of the filter box. Inverted pyramidal
depressions located at 12 in. intervals throughout the Wheeler Bottom each contain five 3 in.
porcelain spheres and nine smaller porcelain spheres. A porcelain thimble having ¾ in. diameter
clear opening permits passage of water through the Bottom.

Operation

Water being filtered flows downward through the sand and gravel, past the openings between
the spheres, through the ¾ in. thimbles, and into the chamber below the filter bottom, then
into the
effluent pipe and through the Venturi Rate of Flow Controller.

During backwashing, the direction of flow is reversed. The water flows from the wash water
pipe into the chamber at the bottom of the filter up through the ¾ in. porcelain thimbles and
diffused by the porcelain spheres before entering the lower gravel layer. Absolutely uniform
wash water distribution, for which the Wheeler Bottom is noted, is of utmost importance
in maintaining clean, efficient filters, free of mud balls and caking.