Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Time to get something installed.

Well after my big fish kill I'm looking at adding some aeration. I found a pump on ebay that looks like it might do the job. Has anyone had any experience with this item? It looks close to the one sold by Ted and a few other places.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7574322361&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:US:1

I will have a 220 outlet to make a plug for it and will then run pvc air line underground about 250-300 ft to pond shoreline then about 40 ft to bottom diffuser (about 14-15 ft down in the 1.2- 1.5 acre pond with an average depth of 9 ft) most likely purchased from Ted at this point. However, I would prefer a pump that isn't too noisy, but I might purchase one of those quiet boxes with the money save on the cost of the pump. Not sure at this point.

JM :

One thing to be sure about first. If your fish kill was a result of ag chems. from next door and they get into your pond bottom you need to be sure what the result will be if you stir them up again via aeration. Aeration should help your pond with problems from high productivity swings and DO problems. Good luck and let us know. You may want to run your situation by one of the aeration pros on the forum by email or they may see it here and reply.

After talking with the county agent I'm pretty sure that it was not due to chemicals. I've already sent out an email to Ted Lea, so hopefully I'll get some direct feedback from him soon. But thought I would post again here to see if anyone might respond quicker and possibly swing some business their way.

Thanks for the responses ewest.

That is a heck of a deal on a gast rotary vane. It should run quiet and cause a good boil in your pond. Also very economical, about $30.00 per month if run full time.

JM -
You can run more than one diffuser on that pump. Just hook that PVC into an underground vavle box and you can run upto 4 air lines. (Depending on what type of diffuser you want to use) To get the most out of your pump, you should consider housing with plenty of ventilation to keep the ambient temperature down.
I talked to Ted earlier today - he is in the field most of the day, but I'm sure he will get in touch with you this evening.

JM-

I ran the numbers on your pond and with the diffuser at 15 of depth & 400' of 1/2 tubing (300' buried & 100' in pond) your psi requirement will be 7.026 psi. The rotary vane you posted will do this.

Your pond I estimate contains 4,160,238 gallons of water. We size systems to make sure the volume is circulated at least 0.75 times per day. This typically ensures we meet the oxygen demand of most ponds and lakes.

Only one diffuser will be required to meet that turnover rate in your pond. Since you have air left over, you could install a second diffuser without any concerns other than increasing the circulation rate. With two diffusers your turnover/circulation rate will be 2.57 times/day.

As Sue mentioned above, regardless of what diffuser or compressor you choose, make sure your enclosure is well ventilated. These compressors are not big fans of heat. I do recomend you go with a weighted tubing in the water. It is well worth the additional cost in the long run! I'm sure Ted will go over that with you.

JM, I edited my post about the cost of running the compressor. It would actually be about $30 per month @12cents/kwh.

great compresser , mine has being running 4 years now , no problems. i think i will snag one for the future. that price is fantastic. another $20 for shipping , great deal. just buying replacement vanes is $50. my pond is an acre and i have the compresser on a timer. like Cary said you only need turn her over once a day. i have 2 diffuser's in kidney shaped pond. i run it noon to 2 pm , 8 pm to 10 pm , 2 am to 4 am. cost only 7 or 8 bucks a month. in the summer the water temp is 72 in 2 ft or 8 ft. i only run one in the winter in the 4ft end , it keeps a hole about 30 to 40 ft in the ice , on the same times. thanks for the info on the unit JM . i put the compresser 8' from the pond and put it under a fake rock , really cool. get the vents from home depot and paint them to match the color of the rock. one other thing the motor wiring can be chaged to 110v.

Thanks for all the info you aeration guru's and others who've chimed in. My only concern now is the cost per month, 30 seems high. I was hoping for a compressor that would run around 10 bucks per month. I wouldn't mind paying more for one up front.

For instance, if a compressor would work for me and cost approx $10 per month after 25 months it would have paid for it self in energy savings over this unit and then the months after that the savings would continue to grow. I'm not sure how many years this pump or one that was more efficient would last but I definitely would like to have one that will cost me the least over years of service. So if you all know of one that has these lower monthly costs, tune me into it especially if you sell it. Since, no one mentioned it after bm's comments I'm thinking that there may not be such a beast.

I may grab one of these pumps since they are so cheap just to have one as a backup. I guess that I wouldn't have to run it 24/7 but could put it on a timer?

I did plan to have the 40 to 50 foot run in the water with weighted tubing and might start with one diffuser and add another one later.

30 per month is for 24 hrs a day. Run it at night and it is 8 dollars. You wont get a better deal.

Yep 1.5 amps at 220 or 3 amps at 110 I thought was about the lowest I'd seen...so perhaps some of the gurus can hook me up with all of the connections and fittings I would need to hook up to this compressor, as well as the weighted tubing and the diffuser. Was looking at the ATI AirPod Diffuser and the Vertex AirStation CoActive Lift or Vertex AirStation XL Extreme Lift. I like the idea of self cleaning, so I should only have to pull them up once a year to ensure they actually get clean.

Anyone feel free to give me a call at work 7 to 4 CST 1-800-522-6937 ext 4211

JM-

I sent you an email...

Great! Hopefully it will come in soon

I may attempt to give you a call if its not come in after another hour.

John Is that gast pump strictly vacuum??or vac and pressure Not sure if I received your mail or not as have been "swamped" for last two weeks,Thanks Ted

Your email sounded like you were rather very busy

After speaking with Cary on the phone this week, I'm leaning towards a piston type pump as I probably will not run it 24/7, but put it on a timer for most of the time. One like this:

http://www.candhsales.biz/cgi-bin/shop991/shop.pl/SID=55923190/page=REGS.htm#PC2101

But I also had the question about the pump being vacuum only and couldn't get a direct answer from the web post. However Cary mentioned it is an older model that he used to sell back sometime in the 90s.

Then there is this pump, probably been posted here previously and might choose to run it 27/4 at 2.75 amps at 220 VAC. I've got a 220 line to use, but It might be convertible to 110.

Every rotary vane gast pump I have looked at specs. on are pressure or vacuum. If the specs. list so many cfm at so many psi, that is for the pressure pump side, I believe, and someone plse correct me if I am wrong, that vacuum pumps are stated at so many inches of Hg(mercury) they pull. This pump rotary vane should be quieter and draws 1/2 the current both of which you said were important. It is probably a surplus from C & H sales or some other mil. surplus store. They are 90's ventage, but very similar to current production models. Just make sure the vanes are the same as current productiion, for replacement consideraations.

I am discussing your original pump that you posted. It delivers more air and runs at 1/2 the current of the second one. Either one will deliver plenty of air to your size pond.

Lots been going on since I was last on, but sadly non pond related

bm, I was under the impression that a 220 unit at 1.5 amps was like a 110 at 3.0amps as far as current draw, which would make the second one just .5 amps more.

But I've just got to decide on something to get. I'm looking at purchasing around July or August, after we do the pond survey in June.

I'm leaning towards just getting the whole system at one place, especially after speaking with Cary Martin. I could probably save a few hundred bucks in equipment price, but I'd also have to worry about the equipment I'd be getting elsewhere and all of the fittings to hook everything from the lines up to the electricity. Plus my time in hours looking all of these things up and driving to the stores, 30 minutes from me at least in any direction. Then there is the potential future problem arising and me hearing on the other end of the phone..."Well that wasn't a pump you purchased from me I see....etc. "

Yep I'm leaning towards the All-In-One ready to go setup a little more now. Of course this could change again if I find the right deal too I guess lol.

bm, I was under the impression that a 220 unit at 1.5 amps was like a 110 at 3.0amps as far as current draw, which would make the second one just .5 amps more.

Right, JM, I was looking at the one above that one. Go with one of the pros, you cant go wrong. Was just trying to help, since you were seeming to be lookimg to spend much less. Running around and 'making work' can be a lot of trouble. You may need it before July of Aug., though, the way the weather's heating up.

Boy I don't know JM. Those prices look too good to be true and they sure don't look like the models we see today. I think you really should go with one of the dealers that deal with ponds on a daily basis and you can get back to for questions. You know what they say about something that looks too good to be true.

As far as the hardware as in fittings etc I get that at my local hardware store or plumbing supply.

Additionally if you put in an aeration system that late in the year (July August) you could experience another fish kill if you are not careful.

http://www.thefountainguys.com/replacement-parts.php

I bought my weighted air hose and diffusser here and have not seen it anywhere else this cheap. I bought a gast 0523 new in packing off ebay around $100. Lastly I went to an old equipment salvage yard and got a stainless steel plc cabinet off an old piece of equipment for next to nothing.