Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Trying to Put Together an Aeration System

Hello All:

This is my first post on Pond Boss. What a great resource. As I type, my pond is being dug. Though not finalized, it will most likely be in the 1/2 acre range. The depth remains to be seen. When I get home this evening, I will learn whether they hit ledge or not. But my sense is that with the dam, I will be able to get 12 feet easy.

Based on what I have read here regarding aeration equipment, I have put together a proposed system. I would greatly appreciate any feedback you may have.

Gaust 1/4 HP rotary vane compressor
Vertex XL2 Coactive Airstation
100' BottomLine self-weighted aeration tubing

As for a housing, I love George1's Igloo cooler idea and plan to copy.

I think I can pull it all off for around $750.

Thank you for your thoughts, opinions and suggestions. They are greatly appreciated.

PM sent

I used my Kreg Jig and made a wooden bench that covers mine.

Whatever you use for an aeration shelter, these are my two rules. 1. Have some sort of ventilation openings in the floor. Get the shelter off the ground (on blocks) so air can flow into the shelter. Put screen over the openings to keep bugs and critters out. 2. Have screened vents up near the roof for hot air to exhaust the cabinet. Heat build up is one of the negatives for long term good operation of compressors. Keeping the pump relatively cool lengthens the life span of compressor. Best plan is to put the compressor in some sort of shed, barn or garage. This provides very good protection and plenty of free air flow and you don't have to have the pump exposed to weather conditions of hot sun and moisture of fog, dew, rain, snow. You can easily put compressor 400ft or more from the diffuser depending on size or diameter of underground air line. The further it is from 400ft the more you need to increase dia of airline. Moisture is the 2nd negative to reduce pump life span. Keep pump dry as possible.

Excellent idea!

Sounds very cool.

Might you have any photos or building advice?

Thanks Bill. I never thought of this. I have a barn that is less than 300ft from where the middle of the pond will be, so I could probably do it.

Are there any rules/tricks to running air hose underground? I suppose I could hold off on the expensive, weighted stuff until it got to the pond's edge. Is there a recommended depth? Will cold affect it?

Thanks again.

The main thing you want to do is keep the airline at a slight down grade so water condensation does not collect in valleys of the tubing and freeze a plug in the airline. Some may think that for northern extreme winter conditions it my be better to have a short airline run to the pond to reduce chance airline freeze up. It is debatable - pros & cons. Other northern pondowners may weigh in on this. For your application use 1/2" or 3/4" ID black irrigation pipe (Lowes, Home Depot, many local hardware stores). The 3/4" is less likely to have frozen water plugs due to larger ID. When you get to the pond then use weighted hose.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Advanced-Drai...78#.UhUOherD86U

http://www.lowes.com/pd_248743-13598-061010P_0__?productId=3136515&Ntt=plastic+water+irrigation+pipe&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dplastic%2Bwater%2Birrigation%2Bpipe&facetInfo=

Great information. Thank you Bill.

Another thought: If I want to run 2 separate diffusers (as has recently been suggested to me), then I am looking at double the airline cost, correct? At some point, does it become more cost effective to run power to the pond, instead of running air hose to the pond, even taking into consideration the additional wear and tear on the pump by it being outside, albeit housed properly?

Again, much thanks.

The underground poly pipe is relatively cheap ($0.10 -0.13/ft) . You will need a dual manifold with valves to regulate air flow to each diffuser. Air hose is cheaper than electric line. Although some day you may want power at the pond for various reasons besides aeration. If you don't plan on keeping some snow off the ice for ice skating and if you have significant autumn tree leaf inputs then aeration in winter might be a good idea especially as the pond approaches 6-10 yrs old when fish winterkill becomes more likely. Normally keeping 20% of the ice snow free allows enough oxygen production under ice for adequate oxygen production. I don't like to see snow lie on all the ice for longer than 3-4 weeks.

What fittings are used to piece together the 100 ft sections of poly pipe? I have a Gast 1/4 hp pump so what fittings are used to transition from the pump to the poly? Also, would the 3/4 inch poly be ok for a 500 ft run?

For that length run, I'd feel more comfortable running 1" vs. 3/4". There are barbed connectors that push into the poly to connect 2 sections together. Use good clamps on them tho. I had laid out poly in the hot summer sun, buried it, and next Spring it was pulling apart at the connectors. If I could, I'd dig the trenching and lay the poly when it was cool out, and cover it when it was cold out - close to freezing to make sure it was contracted from the temps. You'd be amazed at how much a long run of plastic poly contracts and expands with temp changes.

esshup is correct, If that is a vane compressor the larger line will help on a 500 ft run. Also on your connectors use a pvc glue like Oatey waterproof and the a 100% stainless steel band clamp (be sure the worm gear is stainless too) and your connection will not let go. When coming out of the compressor the temp will be in the 200F range so use a 24 inch piece of heater hose also to lower the heat so your poly does not melt. Good luck !

Size of pipe will also depend on how deep your diffusers are in the pond. It also depends on the operating pressure capactity of the compressor you have. Rotary vane (low psi) vs rocking piston (high psi). For rotary you want less loss psi back pressure compared to rocking piston which has excess psi to allow for pressure loss. If diffusers are shallow such as 8-12 ft you can safely have more psi loss of 1-2psi compared to if the diffusers are 14-17ft deep. As esshup says PSI loss will be significantly less with 1" ID pipe vs 0.75"ID pipe at 500ft. At 500ft for 0.75"ID, 3.5cfm, and 8psi, psi loss will be 1.6cfm whereas with 1" it will be 0.38psi loss.
See this for calculating air pressure loss.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pressure-drop-compressed-air-pipes-d_852.html

That's great info.

Ditto.

I got to thinking about it and my diffusers will be in 10 feet of water but the elevation change is probably 50-75 feet from where the diffusers are and where the pump will be after the 500 ft run. Does that matter or is it the depth under water that matters?

Water depth is where the main pressure loss will be in your situation. What type compressor do you have or plan to use?

Not a pressure loss Bill, but a pressure requirement.

It's a 1/4 HP gast rotary vane

Okay - pressure requirement for depth only is very close to 5cfm + 3.5 for 500ft of 0.75"ID tubing, + maybe 0.5 to 1psi for fittings, manifold, connectors, diffuser requirement = 9.0-9.5psi which is very close to the maximum operating pressure of 10psi suggested by manufacturer for a rotary vane. If possible, take Esshup's advice and use the 1" tubing for underground airline. When at the pond's edge reduce the 1"ID to the 5/8"ID airline; estimated final psi: 5psi (depth),+0.5psi (500' 1"tubing), + 1 psi (misc) = total 6-7psi. This 6-7psi will be easy 'work' for the compressor and should extend the life span of the vanes & motor bearings. Report back your final psi when you get the system running.

For our information whichever diameter tubing that you use, when you have the airline installed, please measure the air pressure of the system open flow with no diffuser attached at the end of the airline. It is best if you use a low pressure air gauge (often 30psi gauge). This will be the base psi needed to push air through the pump, manifold, connectors & 500' of tubing. Then when you add the diffuser, any extra pressure will be from pushing air through the diffuser and water depth. From these psi results we can learn if our calculations were correct.

Hello All:

So the digging is finally done, and the pond is slowly filling. I have also received my aeration system, consisting of two single disc stations. I was all set to sink the discs this morning, and then I took a good look at the water. It is VERY cloudy and full of suspended clay. I waded around in it yesterday, and the movement really makes the clay go to town. And I started wondering if I might be putting my discs in too early.

Setting them now would be much easier, since I can wade out there and put them exactly where I want them, run the hoses right were I want them, etc. But I am starting to worry about the discs getting buried in clay as the pond fills and settles.

Is there a recommended amount of time to wait before installing aeration?

Thank you very much.

Backstroke

I'd wait until spring or at least not crank them up until spring. Your pond clay should settle under the ice and running them now could circumvent that. However if you did install them now, and keep them off, the sediment that collects on them will be easily blown off when you crank up. That could cloud your water a little which is another reason to hold off.

And I wouldn't get in the water to install them. Attach some propoline rope (the yellow stuff they sell at hardware stores or big box stores) and attach one end to your diffuser. Slowly pull the diffuser in from the other side of the pond where you want it (with the air on). Then at some point you can cut the line and attach a float or something.

I mount my diffusers to plastic garbage can lids and easily pull them on the bottom with the rope. I've got five diffusers and two compressors in four ponds. In the winter I switch over to smaller compressors, and only aerate the ponds which have fish which is only two in the winter.

Hi Cecil:

Why wouldn't you just wade out and drop them? The water is only up to my waist. I would be so much easier to do it now.

I would not need to crank them up until spring, and the reasons you give regarding letting the water settle make perfect sense. I was just wondering...if I had some little leaks here and there, would it be of any benefit to crank up the diffusers in the spring and shake up the clay?

Backstroke

I'd put them in now when it's easy to do so.