Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Aeration questions

I have a couple questions for the experts on aeration.

1) Can you turn over the pond too much?
2) Can a shop type compressor be used if a good painting
quality oil/moisture seperator is used?

I can get a good deal on an 18cfm pumphead and thought since I would need less than 10psi, I would hopefully power it with a 1/4-1/3hp motor (pump is rated for 5hp). Is this just a reaaly bad idea with oil contamination? I currently run 3 pods of 3 9" disc diffusers.

Thanks
Rex

You ask 1) "Can you turn over the pond too much?". Sure you can,
if you get the water churning like that in a food blender. It all depends on what you are trying to do or accomplish with aeration. Sewage plants aerate water so it physically churns and obviously this is not the best situation for a fish pond. I have seen aerators in small ponds in operation where the resultant currents from the upwelling boil cause neutrally bouyant small plant leaves to gradually move in the water column near shore. I considered this amount of water movement not too much in this small pond (0.18ac) since the aerator was only operated for 1-3 hrs a day.

The final resultant amount of water movement in the overall pond from the 18cfm will depend on the size of the pond. The amount of water movement in the entire pond from the 18cfm will in your case depend primarily on the size of the pond (total volume). More water movement will occur the smaller the pond's total volume. Put that outfit in a 0.05 ac pond and you have sewage plant water movement conditions - likely too much. Put that outfit in a 20-30 ac pond or a 2-3 acre pond with an island or extension arms and it may not be adequate.

Typically shop type compressors are, as designed by engineers, to pump up and reset, pump up and rest. Those engineers tell me using them for aeration is not what they are designed to do and use as an aerator severely shortens their life span plus voids the warranty.

Unless you have some special design you will not get 18cfm from that 1/4-1/3 hp motor connected to that pump. I would be interested to see metered air volume test results of the resulting cfm.

Oil should definately not be added to the air entering the pond. If you get all oil adequately filered out then I don't see a big problem with the oil issue.

Have you ever seen the "Red Green" Show on PBS?

Thanks for smacking me back to reality Bill. I knew there had to be a simple reason why shop compressors were never used. Not that I will consider the idea anymore, but since the compressor was rated for 18cfm @ 90psi, I made the...uhh.. "assumption" that <10psi would require far less power for the same cfm. I always seem to forget about assumptions.

BTW, can duct tape seal dam leaks??? I know it makes a helluva backhoe!

God bless the PB Forum and Merry Christmas to all!!!

Take a look at the Thomas rocker piston compressors (Wobl. They are oil-less, last a long time, start and run well under pressure, quiet, and the 1/3 hp still puts out 4.5 cfm @ 15 PSI. They are also cheap and easy to rebuild. I recently saw a thread on this site for a sale on these pumps at $309 which is an absolute steal. Even cheaper than we can buy them for, but I can't remember or find where that post is.