Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? School me on what I need to do

I have started a post about my new pond and rather than post everything again to ask for help in aeration, I will just link it here for you to see what I am working with: New 1 acre pond in New York

I know nothing other than what I have been reading here on the forum so please school me as to:

Where to locate diffuser(s)?

How many would be needed?

Pond is about 275 feet from the house - do I run electric to a pump or run a pump at the house and airline to the pond?

I have a compressor on 24/7 now for my machine shop and sandblasting (175psi with 80 gal tank) - can a line simply be run from this compressor to the pond?

I also have a smaller 5 horse compressor on a 20 gallon tank that is not in use - would this be something to dedicate to the purpose or do I need to purchase something specifically designed for pond aeration?

What kind of pressure and cfm is required?

Thanks for the help!
Dan

Numerous people have used shop compressor systems as pond aerators. Most end up burning up the compressor because it is not designed to run continuous or run on/off to the amount needed to adequately aerate a pond esp if the pond needs aerated 24/7. Aeration duration is dependent on several things such as size of pond, shape of pond, size of aeration unit, number of turnovers needed per day, etc. Contact mfg engineers of the air compressor system you have and they will tell you they do not build these units for this purpose and to not do it - pond aeration. IMO your best approach is to get a continuous duty compressor. There are various good continuous duty compressors available new, used, and rebuilt. Normally these units are built to have real long life spans so a used rebuild pump is often a good buy for the money spent. An old customer came in to day and his original 21 yr old rotary vane pump still runs great but it needs a new start switch.

These aeration pumps (rocking piston - rotary vane) can easily push air 800-1000 ft if the tubing is sized properly. Electricity is not needed at the pond unless you want it there for other uses such as lights, bug feeders, tools, pond shed, etc. I much prefer to have the pump in a shed or barn instead of a small pump box; I won't spend lots of time explaining numerous reasons why.

The answers to your above questions have all been covered previously in earlier threads. Do some homework here reading old posts so you understand the basics of aeration, what it does, why use it, and how to set it up, and how others have done it if you want to do it yourself. If not then just buy a kit - package and install it. Lots of aeration companies will gladly tell you what you need.

Each individual diffuser head (sometimes as many as 5/head, but often dual or triple) needs at least 0.5cfm to 1cfm per diffuser or membrane or air stone. Diffusers can even be homemade. I made all my diffusers in the early days of pre 1988 before pond aeration was popular. PSI needed is 1/2 the total depth so if pond is 14ft deep diffuser at that depth needs 7 psi, those sitting at 10 ft need 5psi not counting the back pressure drain/resistance from tubing, joints, elbows, connectors and misc restrictions.

IMO and experience northern ponds especially newish ponds (1-20 yrs old) 1ac or less do not need to be aerated 24/7 if the aerator is sized properly or slightly oversized. There are many 1/4-1/2 ac ponds in my region that get aeration 2 to 6 hrs per day and DO stays very adequate proven by numerous testings.

Start your homework by reading info in these links to a simple DIY aerator.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=301146#Post301146

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=17814&Number=228882#Post228882

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=17828&Number=229082#Post229082


Scan through these threads for info of what to do and how to do it:
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=11&page=1

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=12&page=1

Pressure and CFM is much less than what you think if you have diffusers with many small holes.

If you want to do a DIY system:
1) You have to figure out how many gallons of water are in the pond.

2) You have to find out how many GPM of water the diffusers you purchase will lift. That is also dependant upon the depth that they are placed.

3) You have to find out the operating CFM of the diffusers.

4) You will need approx. .5 psi of air for every foot of diffuser depth.

With that said, you probably can aerate your pond with a 1/4 hp compressor that moves 2 CFM of air at the depth the diffusers are placed at if the diffusers are designed correctly.

Or you can get in touch with some of the vendors here to get a quote for your pond for a turn-key system. (Such as Vertex)

edit: Bill types faster than I do.

OK - I have read the posts and have now been "schooled" BUT I still have a lot of questions.

Having read the pros and cons in the forums I have mixed thoughts on what compressor to get. The idea of a less expensive pump (but could have a spare on the shelf for less than a higher priced unit) is luring but I used to work with and rebuild vac pumps in a development lab years ago and know there is a difference in quality that may make it worth the extra money up front. Also not sure if the lower end pump would be the best choice for the 14 ft depth.

Leaning towards the pricier pump, keep it in the garage and run the 275 feet to the pond, then splitting it for two diffusers - one at 14' and the other will be at 10'. Will I need to do anything to "equalize" the pressure/load between the two? If so, what is the best method?

I plan to run it off peak hours (night rate here is half between 11PM and 7AM). Monitor water temp for shutting it down in the fall/winter and starting again in the spring (unless there is a reason I should run it year round?) If I understood what I read about what happens in the winter, I don't think I need to run it then?

If I shut it down in the winter, do I need to worry about the ice damaging the tubing and cracking? Should it be removed in the winter for this reason?

I read that some use it to keep the ice open - is there a good reason for this? I want to use the pond for skating in the winter and possibly ice fishing so would want it solid.

Should the diffuser set up off the bottom like on a cinder block? I didn't read much that covered that - maybe it isn't too important?

How do you handle the airline from the garage to the pond - do you just bury it underground and if so does it need to be inside a pipe so it doesn't get damaged if driven over, etc..?

Thanks again for the help,
Dan

Dan, there is a LOT to do in order to properly use bottom diffused air.

You do want the diffusers off the bottom about a foot, or they will dig a hole and muddy your water. A minimum 4 square foot, flat bottom, solid base with your diffuser array set on top will help prevent settling and eventual erosion. You also need to know if there is soft silt where your diffusers are placed. It won't do much good to set a diffuser 12" above a base if the base sinks into 2 feet of silt...

Running at night could be a good use, but that depends on what goals and needs are.

Shutting down in the winter will mean slow restarts the following spring, but in your area, you could supercool your water if run deep.

Winter aeration in your area would probably be a good idea. Just set a diffuser in about 3-4 feet of water to keep an open area. If you ice fish, set the diffuser near a dropoff if possible to still allow for thick ice except near the bubble boil.

You can use simple ball valves to restrict air flow to your shallower diffusers to "balance" both deep and shallow sets. Use a valve on each diffuser feeder line.

Ice WILL block air flow in the winter unless the line is on a steady, steep, downward incline. Burying below a frost line is best as compressed air will create a lot of humidity and condensate in your lines.

The entire pond is rock hard clay so silt is currently not an issue but I can easily do something for a solid base.

For all this free time & money saving advice why not make a contribution to the PBoss forum using the Donate button at the top of the page?.? Keep this forum viable for others like yourself.

With a firm bottom of a new pond, separate the diffuser from the sediment with either a flat plate or on some sort of stand. Stand height depends on conditions and needs. I have pics of all sorts of DIY diffuser bases if you email me. Weigh down the diffuser with just enough weight to keep it on the bottom. Some diffusers are self weighted and some that 'balloon up' require weight of 8-25lbs. Excess weight makes lifting and cleaning of diffuser more difficult an a big pain if it even can be lifted. IMO all diffusers need annual cleaning even if it is just the check valve which can become sticky with 'snotty' or calcium types of materials.

You might want to set a diffuser in the middle of the old pond to aid in optimum water circulation and decay of all that old pond sludge and plant material? Consider at least one 9"disk membrane or 2"x24" tube diffuser for that area. I would have completely eliminated that whole old pond if it were my project. It will result in more future problems than it is worth. A sunken hump would have been okay but not that organic, mucky plant mess in the new pond.

Night time aerator operation is just fine for your region and pond conditions.

Quote ""Shutting down in the winter will mean slow restarts the following spring, but in your area, you could supercool your water if run deep.""
Shutting down in winter does not require a slow restart IF restart is during or soon after the spring turnover 44F-50F of surface temps and prior to thermal stratification usually around 50-55F. Supercooling the water is not all that troublesome I have discovered unless you have RES or some temperature sensitive warm water fish such a CNBG etc. Many northern fish can tolerate supercooled water, although they are a little healthier if not supercooled.

For winter aeration, if and when you need it either: A. pull diffuser into 3ft of water at one end away from ice fish or skating area and run just it, or B. float - suspend a diffuser in 2-4 ft of water near one shallower end. Esshup and I are preparing a winter aeration article for PBoss magazine. You better subscribe to it for that and all sorts of good pond management info. If you keep 20%-30% of the snow off your ice you will not need to aerate your new pond until yrs 5-8. Remove snow in strips if wind does not keep a good size section blown clear of snow.

Ice will not damage most airlines including good to high quality garden hose as airline, been there done that numerous times in the last 14 yrs.

For two separate diffusers you can either bury 2 airlines (1/2" irrigation pipe) from compressor to pond or build a 2 valve (gas line valves) manifold at the pond edge and split and control air flow there. Put manifold in a box or in a bucket - barrel or sump area buried in the ground.

Compressor - pump. Since you are very familiar with compressors use your best judgment for brand, condition, and budget. You want a continuous duty rated compressor with at least normal 10psi operating rating (15-30psi is okay) and best if it can produce 3-5cfm at 10psi to operate 2 to 4 diffusers. Best overall compressors for pond aeration are rotary vane or rocking piston. For 1 ac or less 1/4 to 1/3 is overall best size hp. Gast and Thomas Brands are the most commonly used compressors for aeration. Brookwood, Sweetwater and others are used by some aeration pros.

Thanks for the heads up Bill but I am one step ahead of you - I donated using PayPal first thing this morning before I even posted on the forum today.

Great - now all you have to do is play catch up on your aeration knowledge. When you DIY you much better understand the system and can easier trouble shoot problems. There will be problems - eventually since there are mechanics involved.

10X have you read through this from the Archives?
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92494#Post92494

And this for some aeration related pond thermal - dissolved oxygen characteristics.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92639#Post92639

Ditto what Bill said. I've seen pond bottom temps in the mid 30°F range with bottom aeration in the wrong place in a pond during the winter. I've also seen Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Papershell Crayfish and Fathead Minnows survive last winter in a pond that had approx. 18" of water under 14"-16" of ice with a bottom diffuser aeration system running all winter. That is correct, before the ice formed there was maybe 36" of water in the pond.

I've also seen a pond winterkill because snow covered the ice and the windmill aeration system wasn't working for 2 weeks in late winter due to weather conditions. Open hole from the diffuser froze shut then was snowed on. Other ponds nearby that were almost identical, but had electric aeration didn't winterkill.

10x

Your getting some GREAT feedback right here! Just remember try not to take it all in at one time. Setting up air like Bill says can be tasking and there are a lot of things to do/remember and know when doing it, but if you lay it all out step by step it will start to come to you pretty easy after a bit. It's kinda confusing at first but then all of a sudden a light bulb will come and bingo you will be rolling in no time!

Good Luck and keep us posted,

RC

To be honest - I am a bit overwhelmed. I am trying to slow it down a bit and get things in order - too much to do all at once and we are supposed to get some snow on Saturday.

With your new pond I would not worry about getting aeration installed before winter. Next spring in April is okay for installation. Your pond's clean bottom lack of organic matter will result in very low DO consumption over winter. Your new pond with its depth and lack of organics will tolerate a very severe winter okay.