Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Winter Management / De-Icer or Aerator

jb - Questioning is very good. Everyone is welcome to question anything I say. If I didn't make a mistake, I can easily defend all my comments and I can be wrong (I am human), but I make it a point to try and not provide information that has not reliable or has not been tested.

Now to your question. Yes you can run your diffuser in winter. BUT move it shallow to preferably 4' to 6' deep so the boil is not pulling most of its water from the pond "belly". Circulation at the shoreline area should not extend real far under the ice or to the other end of the pond and should provide a somewhat warmer refugia area at the other end of the pond. Fish can move back and forth between two extremes to seek their comfort zone.

Reread my previous comments to make sure you understand all the precautions. Start by running the diffuser 3 to 4 hrs per day after the ice is 1" to 2" thick. This should keep a hole mostly open at one end. Also keep in mind that CLEAR ice is just as good as open water for allowing sunlight to stimulate the photosynthesis for oxygenation by microalgae in the pond. So your open area can freeze closed with clear ice over the opening and this is also very beneficial and almost as good as running the aerator for oxygenation. Sunlight penetrating in shallow water will also stimulate bottom algae which also make quite a bit of oxygen.

Not sure what Ken means by "cost 25". Your compressor consumes 1KW of electricity in abt 5hr operation or 200Watts per hr. You shouldn't need to run it more than 3 to 4 hrs per day. And you may want to only run it right after snow falls to open a hole and allow it to freeze over with clear ice. Make sure your check valve works good and keep an eye on compressor start up pressures. They should not exceed 6 to 8 psi in shallow (5'-6'deep)operation. Higher pressue (15psi+) for a minute or continuous at start up indicates sticking/leaky check valve and frozen water plug.