Snakebite, one way I am "experimenting" with aeration is to start out keeping the cost low.
If your pond is not over about 10' deep, a linear diaphragm pump and a single or dual diffuser is a cheap way to get started. The pros will probably tell you these type pumps do not have the reliability of the rocking piston or vane pumps and they are probably right. But their one advantage is they operate on very low electrical current draw. If you are on a tight budget, it is not uncommon at all to figure the energy costs of one of the top of the line systems of 30 to 80 dollars a month to run them. The larger linear pumps run on about what a single 100 watt light bulb costs to run. Edit: with significantly lower cfm output - I wanted to make sure I was not comparing apples to oranges. Might take three of the linear diaphram pumps (depending on depth) to equal a rocking piston or rotary vane pump output.
They are probably not the ultimate solution, and maybe not even a long term solution, but the initial cost is reasonable and the operating cost is reasonable. Rebuild kits also seem reasonable.
I'll give you a link to the pump I started out with and the limited time I ran it last fall it worked fine with a double Matala 9" disk diffuser. Seemed to do a good job to me of moving a lot of water.
One key thing with these type pumps. They put out boo-koo air at shallow depths but if you look at a chart fall on their face with depth. The manual says 11.5' max depth but it would be almost stalled out at that depth and put out very little air. I have mine at 9' and 10' would be maxing it out in my opinion. 8' would put out a lot more air. So if you are going to have deep ponds, not the answer.
In one of my old posts somewhere on Pond Boss forum I put a chart that shows the air flow for the different depths.
Here is the old post that has links to the pump, a graph of output, and a link to the diffuser I used.
Old post about Pondmaster 100 Also read the posts above this link to learn about depth pressure and sizing diffuser with pump.
Pondmaster 100 I was dead set on putting a windmill up. Had it narrowed down between two different mfg's. Then started doing some cost comparison and came up with the conclusion that if I bought an electric pump system that kept energy costs reasonable, with the lower cost of the initial system cost I could buy electricity for years before the free wind cost would be cheaper. All the while of being able to flick on a switch when I needed aeration most, if the wind was blowing or not.
I actually am going to use three of these pumps with three double diffusers on my 3.5 acre pond. Three pumps gives me the flexibility of only running one, two or three as I deem needed. I don't have to run a big single pump if I only need a little aeration in the spring or fall. What I am guessing I will give up is the durability and trouble free long time life of buying a commercial top end system.
Here is my reasoning. I am putting in top quality diffusers and lines going to them. Only the pumps are cheap (give under $150 each for mine, just do a web search). If after a year or two of operation I feel like it was a mistake, I'm out $450 for the three pumps. All the lines and diffusers will still be there ready for any pump I want to use. Or maybe I'll get tired of the whole project and forget it all. I will install the lines and diffusers in such a way so at any time I can go to a high end system or even wind mill if I should ever want. I still like the aesthetics of a wind mill, and may do it for that reason only at some point in the future to supplement the electric.
So for a reasonable cost I can experiment, yet still have things in place so I can easily upgrade the system at any future point.
This is a DIY project. I will not have a company rep or dealer to hold my hand along the way. If I stumble and fall, I have to pick myself up. But 40+ years of farming and working on and operating equipment plus a fully equipped shop and service truck makes me pretty handy when it comes to projects. Not everyone has that available.
