I put together an "industrial strength" pond bubbler that doesn't use much electricity. It consists of a 3" poly tube with ends and air compressor couplings.
I have a 2 cylinder, 3.5 HP, 20 Gal air compressor. This works SPECTACULAR! The compressor comes on about every 30+ minutes for one minute. Little energy use. The bubbler works spectacularly.
If I could do one thing different the ONLY thing I would do is not drill so many holes. I had WAYYYYyyyy too many holes and had to use electrical tape to plug some up...
Anyway, here it is and it really, really works well... Total investment, if I include the cost of the compressor I *already* owned, is about $350. If you have a good compressor, about $50. However your price will DEFINITELY be different depending on how much air hose and how many fittings you need.
STILL, such a great deal and does a spectacular job!
Great questions. Let me try to answer and I will post a picture of the "bubble" tomorrow.
1. How big is the pond, probably about 1/3 of an acre. 2. Compressor watts? No idea, 3.5 HP. I have it on a cheap, Walmart timer that runs a few hours in the evening and early morning. Runs for ONE MINUTE about every 30 minutes (roughly 2x an hour). 3. The compressor will last for years, and years, and years, and years. The compressor might last longer than me!
As for bubble strength, the compressor standard settings are rated at ~ 6 cfm @ 90 psi. The compressor (as most larger compressors do) has an output meter. I'm probably letting it bleed off at about 3 - 4.5 PSI constant (had cfm before, not correct though). The compressor automatically kicks on once it drops to 80 psi until it hits about 125 psi. That takes LITERALLY 1 minute to come up to full pressure. It takes about 30 minutes to bleed off. Cylinders never get hot.
I respectfully think you're fooling yourself. And no i don't sell compressors for a living so i don't have a pony in the race.
There's a reason why the compressors that are used for aeration are completely different than the compressor you're using.
Cfm for cfm you're using more watts (which is what you're paying) and your compressor is not designed for continuous use. Sure you're saving money in the short run but losing money in the long run.
I doubt your diffuser can match the performance of a membrane diffuser and self cleaning ability either.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
How deep is the pond, and is your home made diffuser in the deepest part? If not, how far is it below the surface?
Bubbles at the surface just means that there's air going thru it, not necessarily that it's "working".
The only way to tell if it's working is if you can test for dissolved O2 at that depth. You can get an idea by temperature differentiation from top water to bottom water, but the best way to tell is by actually checking for dissolved oxygen levels.
Thanks Cecil for the feedback. Reality is the compressor I am using is a 2 piston, high output compressor. They use these in construction ALL the time. It is common for them to be in rough environments, heavy use, and run for 20-30 years. Durability is **not** the issue. As for continuous use, there is no need to run constantly.
Energy use? Maybe. Won't dispute that. However, I have the compressor output dialed back far enough that it only comes on about 2x an hour, for ONE minute each time. It goes from its 80psi trigger point back to the 125psi. It has a 20 gallon tank and a pressure regulator on the line. I also have it on a timer so that it comes on in the evening and early in the morning for a couple hours each.
As for a membrane type diffuser, I'm sure you're right. But that would kind of defeat the purpose of a true "DIY" bubbler.
The pond is about 7 feet deep and the bubbler is in the deepest part. As for the amount of O2? All I can say is anecdotally the stench from the main body of water is gone.
For the first day I ran it (about a week ago) I had the pressure up too high. Compressor would come on about every 15 minutes and it was creating so much lift that a lot of debris was getting pulled to the surface in the water column created by the "boil". So I dialed it back to where there is a nice, steady, fine bubble stream that "boils" about 12-15" around at the surface.
You can get reconditioned vacuum pumps to run a aeration system on ebay all day long from 45-75 bucks. I have 2, one is a spare. Paid 110 for 2. Air hose is cheap and I bought 2 diffusers online for less than 20 each. I also have a cheap timer and I run mine about 10 hours a day, 5 around noon and 5 around midnight. I think 350 is high for a DIY setup, especially when using equipment not designed for the task and probably not as efficient in the long run. The point of the aeration system is to turn your pond over and if you are not doing that then the pond can still stratify. That being said I hope your system treats you and your pond right for many years to come. tz
One of the reasons you were seeing debris at the surface is the diffuser was siting in the light fluffy muck and lifting it to the surface. Muck was probably deep/thick where you had the bubbler&weight. Bubbler needs to be separated from the muck by height/distance (on a frame) or with it lying on a shield/plate. It wasn't because you were using too much pressure and getting too much lift.
tz makes a good point about turning the pond over. One cannot feasibly and completely turn over a pond using short aeration run times. Short run times with just partial circulation and improper aeration can actually do more long and short term harm than provide benefits.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/14/1308:15 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
While there may be reconditioned, continuous run compressors available, my compressor has a 20 gallon tank. It is constantly bleeding off air and the bubble is continuous as long as the air tank has some pressure. The compressor pump only kicks on for about one minute to COMPLETELY fill the 20 gallon tank (from the bubbler continuous flow) about every 30 minutes.
As for the regular, continuous run compressors, when I checked for the size pond I have, and to run the amount of air I need to, the prices I saw were > $1K and some as high as $2.5K.
Do you have a link to the ebay pumps you are referring to? If they are that cheap then of course buying a $300 compressor doesn't make sense (even though I already had mine, and the air hose).
I think I see what Wood is saying. The pressure in his tank is keeping his bubbler running all the time. As it lets pressure out of his bubbler holes in his fuser his pump then kicks in and at a certain pressure to fill tank back up to keep said bubbler running. So if I get this his pump / compressor comes on in a 24 hour period 48 times for 1 minute each time for a total of 48 minutes run time in a 24 hour period versus runnning a actually air pump 1,440 minutes in a 24 hour period.
At least I think thats what he is saying....
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
Yes sir, you hit the nail on the head. A "regular" air compressor, like the kind used in business or construction, has a large air tank. As the tank pressure drops to a certain point the compressor kicks on.
My particular 2 cylinder compressor can fully recover at the bubbler bleed off rate I'm currently using in 1 minute.
In my case I ran it for 3 days at 24 hours. The foul pond water smell was nearly gone. A bunch of the water meal and duck weed was churned around and seemed to stop growing too. I have now put a Walmart timer on the compressor so it runs for about 3 hours in the evening and 3 hours early in the morning. During that 3 hours it will kick on for ONE minute every 30 minutes. Total run time for the actual compressor is 12 minutes now.
I don't know how it would work with a regular diffuser. But, I did order a few of the membrane type diffusers. I will hook them up in a couple weeks and see how they work.
As for cost, I really couldn't say. That would be hard to measure. I also know that my rig is not that efficient because of the length of air hose I am running. From my garage (where the air compressor is) to the center of the pond area where the bubbler is, I have about 200' of air hose. I just wanted to try it to see if it would even work. Since it is working I'll probably get a smaller portable compressor with just 2-5 gallon tank(s) and run wiring down near the pond and run that one. I'm not in a hurry right now with it. I just want to get the pond aerated since it has been in such bad shape so long.
As for a membrane type diffuser, I'm sure you're right. But that would kind of defeat the purpose of a true "DIY" bubbler.
No problem on feedback and please don't take me as a know it all or being negative. I'm a big DIY fan myself but there are times when DIY doesn't cut it.
Best of luck and keep us posted.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
Even though I bought some diffusers and am waiting for them to be shipped, I am still sold on the idea of using a regular air compressor.
You can pick up a small, portable type air compressor for around $100 - $150 at any home improvement store. For that matter you can pick up a used 2 cylinder like I have on Craigslist for around $125 - $200 depending on age and condition.
Unlike the vacuum pumps I looked at, my compressor only runs when there is demand. If there is no demand it does not run at all. It ONLY recharges the pressure tank. It has a 3.5HP motor. It also has a separate line pressure regulator right off the tank. If you wanted you can get them separate and hook up a "T" so you could use the compressor at full pressure (for shop or tools) and have the pressure regulator on the air diffuser side. This provides the best of both worlds.
Also, I see a LOT of people getting started who need / want to know how big a pump they need, how much CFM, how much pressure, etc., etc., etc. This ability to manually control the pressure at nearly any reasonable range seems like it solves that issue. I have no doubt my compressor could run 10 or more commercially available diffusers at fair depths too. Might be a bit of a load but it could support it. Anyway, I had the compressor and figured it solves the problem. For those starting out it might, or might not work. Need to check the cost of air hose and here in MN where it gets REALLY cold in the winter you ONLY want rubber.
Hey Wood one question? Do you have a check valve in this line somewhere to stop water from coming back up into the tank? Say if you turned your tank off IE:(no pressure) Or is your tank up high enough where that is not a factor? I know the fusers I use have built in check valves in them to keep the water from coming back up my line just in case.
RC
Last edited by RC51; 08/16/1309:54 AM.
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
I wonder if moisture will be an issue? Most bigger, shop type compressors generate a certain amount of water. Perhaps the limited run time would mitigate the effect. Nevertheless, a water trap or drain might be a good idea.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
Hey Wood one question? Do you have a check valve in this line somewhere to stop water from coming back up into the tank? Say if you turned your tank off IE:(no pressure) Or is your tank up high enough where that is not a factor? I know the fusers I use have built in check valves in them to keep the water from coming back up my line just in case.
RC
My compressor is up high enough that is not an issue. Because of the winters here in MN I had planned on putting one in before the first snow however. I wouldn't want the water coming up in the hose.
I'm sure I'll make a few more changes but so far I'm pretty happy with it.
A FEW IMPORTANT DETAILS for anyone wanting to do this type of diffuser design:
1. You do NOT want to glue the two PVC caps on the tube. I just put them on really tight and put a small holder screw in. This way once a year I can pull it up, clean it out, remove any algae buildup, etc. Then you can put it back together.
2. On the bottom (the weight side), you will want to drill one or two small holes, just a HINT larger than the air holes. This allows the water to escape from the bottom when the pressure comes on after being off a while. That way you don't end up with a nasty water pool in the bottom.
3. My first pass I drilled WAAAAaaaaayyyyyy too many holes. That is why you see the black electrical tape on it. You only need a small band about 1/4" - 1/2" wide, with just a few small holes in it. I probably still have too many holes now.
4. Make the holes as close to the bottom of the tube as possible. This allows air to stay up in the top of the tube so that it floats off the bottom.
5. I used 3" PVC. If I do another one I would probably use 2" instead of the 3" pipe.
I used a very small, 1/16" drill bit for the air holes. However I used a 3/32" bit for a small relief hole on the bottom where the weight is. That allows any water that gets in to completely evacuate.
Just some design issues to consider if you were to try to do this type of a DIY diffuser.
Overall it seems to be working well and has pretty much a HUGE amount of flexibility in how much pressure I can run through it.
