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#402888 03/05/15 08:00 PM
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As mentioned in my introduction post, I recently purchased some property that has a small, roughly 1/8 acre pond.

I'm currently deciding on the best route to expand it to about twice its size, but the other thing I am moving forward with is an aeration system.

I'm going with a windmill, simply because I don't want the electricity costs.

My question is, does anyone know of an economical windmill system? The ones I've been looking at seem to be for much larger ponds. The one I posted below is the one I'm leaning towards buying, but is that overkill for a 1/8 acre pond?

I can see hooking this thing up and my little pond becoming a sauna...

16' Windmill Pond Aerator Kit

Last edited by edit7279; 03/05/15 08:02 PM.
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Sorry, I just realized I probably should've posted this in "Systems Questions".

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Consider this FYI. A small 1/4 ac pond will not need a lot of continuous aeration compared to a larger 0.7 to 2 ac pond. You can DIY very good aeration systems for smaller ponds of 0.1-0.5ac for less than $300-$500. The price difference of ($1425-300= $1125) will buy one a lot of electricity over the years. Be aware that windmills when needing maintenance is harder and more difficult maintenance than that for a small 1/4hp bench top air compressor. All aeration diffusers windmill or electric should have annual check and cleaning. An electric compressor will also generally provide more aeration hrs & not need to run daily continuous, and often stronger aeration per year than a windmill esp during low wind periods of dog days of summer. Often for small 'normal' ponds one good daily mixing of 2 to 4hrs is all that is needed to keep small ponds 'healthy'. As usual it always depends.

On the side of windmills; they are great for pond aeration if you don't have electricity.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/06/15 12:18 PM.

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Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
Often for small 'normal' ponds one good daily mixing of 2 to 4hrs is all that is needed to keep small ponds 'healthy'. As usual it always depends.


Bill,

Great to know! I will go 6 hours a day (just to be safe) from now on with my 1/4. Is there a "best" time of day to run? I've read that lowest DO ocurs at night, so would Midnight to 6 AM be a good choice for run time?


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Thanks Bill. I'm wondering if any of those windmill systems come with a "disable" feature. I doubt it, but I'm sure it would be fairly simple to rig up something to keep the blades from spinning and just let it run every other day or something.

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No disable feature that I am aware of for pond aeration windmills. I used to sell these pond aeration windmills until I lived with one for several years and had time to compare them to quality electric aeration. FYI I still have a windmill operating in a small remote pond. IMO when you have a windmill you do not want to operate it only part time. The wind is too sporadic speed and direction wise that for monitoring when you need aeration for varying pond conditions is beyond just about everyone's practical capability.

IMO pond aeration should be operated to provide slight "overkill" operation daily to maintain oxygenated conditions throughout the water column and most importantly adequate DO (1.5-3ppm) on top of the highly oxygen consuming sediments (BOD - biochemical oxygen demand). This is almost a pond by pond variable. Thus most "expert" aeration advice is to operate it 24/7 to cover all 'bases' in all parts of the country. IMO the warmer the climate, and older, more eutrophic the pond, the more the need for 24/7 aeration. But one has to be ecologically wise enough to assess this important variable.

The other main thing one has to realize with windmills is they need a minimum wind speed to operate the diffuser. As wind speed increases the air flow to the bubbler increases until you get optimum air flow and good bubbling and upwelling by the diffuser. One does not realize the wind needs to be blowing pretty good above 5mpg to get good bubble flow compared to an electric compressor. And the deeper the diffuser is the more wind speed is needed to blow air out at that deeper depth. The deeper the diffuser is the greater the wind speed needs to be to create useful bubble boil. My windmill spins often in a breeze but not fast enough to produce bubbles at the surface.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/06/15 07:23 PM.

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Quote:
I will go 6 hours a day (just to be safe) from now on with my 1/4. Is there a "best" time of day to run? I've read that lowest DO occurs at night, so would Midnight to 6 AM be a good choice for run time?


Ponds are complex dynamic always hourly changing ecosystems similar to the human body. Stuff is always happening even during sleep (dark) periods. There are all sorts of recommendations for length of partial run times for aerators and when to run the aerator. Some advocate to operate a few hours twice a day. There are pros and cons of each opinion. One of the main things for aerator run time length is how much 'overkill' or extra mixing potential that you have built into your aerator system. For many package or custom designed systems, the system is designed to be just adequate or it is even under sized (mostly in bigger ponds) and thus it needs to run 24/7 to get the proper number of pond water turnovers per day. Generally you want a minimum of one turnover per day. If in a smaller pond, I can get that turnover in 2 to 4 hrs, then running the aerator 6 hrs/day provides very adequate turnover - pond mixing of 2 maybe 3 turnovers. I specialize in smaller pond management 1 ac or less.

For most 'normal' ponds with adequate or extra mixing potential it does not make much difference when you run the aerator. However, if you are trying to run the aerator less per day and your system is just adequate and not oversized, then night or very early morning (2-4am) or pre-daylight mixing is best. This is because the DO starts to get consumed after dark and DO loss continues or progresses toward daylight. Mixing and reoxygenating late night before the DO drops too low is best. Thus nightly running the aerator is a good time to operate it on a limited basis. I often suggest when nightly running that aerator to have it shut off after you get up so you can verify that it did run that night.

At daylight sunlight stimulates DO production by the planktonic algae, benthic algae, and other underwater plant life. DO continues to build or increase during the day with maximum daily DO usually near sunset. Several of the factors that influence the DO production are temperature, water clarity, condition of the bloom, predominant type of plant life, and brightness of the sun vs a cloudy and or rainy day and pond dye. Pond dye inhibits the ability of aquatic plants to produce DO. A dying plant bloom at night is consuming (respiration) more DO per minute than a healthy plankton bloom. This is because the bacteria decomposing the dying plankton has more respiration (DO consumption) that just regular night respiring algae. Plus the dying bloom will not make as much DO in daylight as a healthy or growing bloom. FYI the algae (plants) also use DO during the day (respiration), however they usually (sunshine) make excess DO that then dissolves into the water increasing the DO.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/06/15 08:09 PM.

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Bill, Thanks for taking the time to give the great detail. Exactly what I was hoping to get.


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Great info. Thanks guys.

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With my experiences with both windmill and electric (grid) systems, I'd go with electric every time. Ease of maintenance, more reliable operation, etc. all push me to the electric systems. They are more consistent in operation too. Climbing 20' towers to do repairs in the middle of the winter just isn't a good idea..........


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esshup explains why I stopped selling windmills. Too many problems to contend with for the average pond owner. For me it was not just about making a sale and profit.


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Hey edit I set my first air system up for about 350 bucks! Like Bill said! If you have electric near by here is one other thing to consider. Do that math like Bill was doing. Lets say that WM cost you 1500 bucks let say you can get into a small electric system for 400 bucks.

Well my system ran 8 to 10 hours a day cost me about 9 bucks a month.

Ok so 1500 - 400 is 1100. 1100 / 9 is 122 months. That 10 years of running your electric air system before you get to what is cost for just the windmill!!

Just saying! Your bill may be a buck or 2 more you never know but still!! It's a loooooooong time!!

RC

Last edited by RC51; 03/13/15 07:44 AM.

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In addition to what RC said the electric system when built correctly will move about 5-15 times more water per day than an average windmill. The windmill is the best choice if the pond is remote.


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Originally Posted By: RC51
Hey edit I set my first air system up for about 350 bucks! Like Bill said! If you have electric near by here is one other thing to consider. Do that math like Bill was doing. Lets say that WM cost you 1500 bucks let say you can get into a small electric system for 400 bucks.

Well my system ran 8 to 10 hours a day cost me about 9 bucks a month.

Ok so 1500 - 400 is 1100. 1100 / 9 is 122 months. That 10 years of running your electric air system before you get to what is cost for just the windmill!!

Just saying! Your bill may be a buck or 2 more you never know but still!! It's a loooooooong time!! RC


RC, I was dead set on a windmill till figured out just the same thing as your example.


Last edited by snrub; 03/13/15 10:00 AM.

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Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
In addition to what RC said the electric system when built correctly will move about 5-15 times more water per day than an average windmill. The windmill is the best choice if the pond is remote.


Maybe not much longer. wink

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New guy here....but is there not a viable solar powered option ?

Sean

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N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)




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Originally Posted By: Boburk
New guy here....but is there not a viable solar powered option ?

Sean


Welcome!!

Solar is what it is and very dependent on location and how you set it up. (2) neighbor guy's might be trying to catch some ray's to produce juice, but they may not work the same.


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