Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Power Source for Aeration System

Any good "rules of thumb" for evaluating the best power source for running a remote aeration system?

(Sorry, I don't have any good system sizing data to put into the discussion yet, still evaluating what is possible while the pond itself is still in the planning stages.)

I believe the Pond Boss consensus is AC electricity > solar power > wind power.

My new pond location is approximately 2300' from my AC electricity. I have priced underground electrical wire, and I think a small solar or wind system is significantly cheaper.

My newbie research indicates that solar power is more "predictable". The solar power maps for the U.S. are fairly accurate when averaged over several years.

However, I may actually be able to gather significantly more wind power over the course of the year for approximately the same system cost. (My location in south-central Kansas is just within the major wind energy belt of the U.S.) I also understand that wind power is dependent on the local topography and obstructions on the ground of the subject property, and is therefore less predictable than solar.

My concern with wind power is the high pressure heat domes that cause our extended periods of 100+ temperatures also occur with very light winds. Right when a pond is at maximum water temperatures, a wind-powered aeration system would not function for 4-5 days!

Any comments from the experts would be appreciated on wind versus solar. Also, would a hybrid system of wind AND solar be a net benefit, or would that require a newbie to try to optimize TWO different systems? (And just investing the money in more solar panels and batteries would be the more prudent course?)

Finally, is just running an air line over from my AC electricity truly the best option? 1" poly water line (100 psi) is still less than $0.40/foot. Larger diameters are also fairly affordable. I just need to trench through prairie grass roots in top soil with no rocks. For the people with real world experience on long-run air lines, have the pressure drop calculators you have used to evaluate your system been reasonably accurate? (I don't know if I can trench below "pocket gopher" depth. They have chewed up the black poly line lying on the surface from some of my drip irrigation systems.)

Any advice would be appreciated on comparisons, or just what worked or didn't work on your system. Further, if I have any errors in my assumptions above, please correct them so I can avoid some newbie design flaws.


Thanks,
FishinRod

I have a question for you. With the wind turbine, if it needs maintenance, how will you do that? What type of annual maintenance will it need? If it fails, what equipment will be needed to facilitate the repairs?

re: Black Poly. You don't need 100 psi rated, if there is a less expensive, lower psi rated tubing, you could use that. Remember, you will only see roughly 1/2 psi for every foot of water depth.

I have contracted with a landscape company that installs underground sprinkler systems. They used a vibratory knife to put 1" black poly tube underground for me. They installed it as fast as the operator could walk, and the next day you had a hard time seeing where it was installed.

Thanks, esshup,

"I have a question for you. With the wind turbine, if it needs maintenance, how will you do that? What type of annual maintenance will it need? If it fails, what equipment will be needed to facilitate the repairs?"

I was looking at designs for a lay-down tower with guy wires.

I think your questions are implying that DIY wind maintenance is much more difficult than DIY solar maintenance? Further, there are many larger wind turbine and tower combinations that require expensive contractors with specialized equipment just to perform maintenance or repairs?

"re: Black Poly. You don't need 100 psi rated, if there is a less expensive, lower psi rated tubing, you could use that. Remember, you will only see roughly 1/2 psi for every foot of water depth."

The 100 psi rated is for water pressure. My experience for that type of piping is that it must be de-rated somewhat when transporting gases. Further, the 100 psi pipe (SDR 19) is so thin that it is trying to kink if you don't handle it correctly.

"I have contracted with a landscape company that installs underground sprinkler systems. They used a vibratory knife to put 1" black poly tube underground for me. They installed it as fast as the operator could walk, and the next day you had a hard time seeing where it was installed."

Thanks for the confirmation. That was also my plan for "trenching". I can rent a Ditch Witch with the vibratory plow that can install at a depth of 12", or get the bigger unit that can get down to 26". I think getting deeper would be worth the extra money?

Rod:

Even with the guy wires, how do you let it down slowly without heavy equipment once it breaks "center"?

The SDR 19 pipe doesn't give any problems kinking if unspooled with a rotating "unspooler". The one the landscaping contractor kept the spool vertical and he did the 900' run with one piece - no connections underground.

As for the depth, it's a two edged sword. Shallow is easier to repair, deeper gets it further away from any surface disturbing equipment. I have yet to see a 1" poly line freeze in the winter, whereas a 3/8" line was nothing but problems freezing.

I had to diagnose where the 3/8" line was leaking. No air to the pond, but the compressor was running and it could build pressure. How do you trace/find an airline that was buried 10+ years prior? No metal, so a metal detector won't work. The pond owner had no clue which route the line took from the pond to the building. Luckily I can use a set of dowsing rods. Why? I have no idea. How do they work? Again, I have no idea. BUT I was able to find the 3/8" buried airline and trace it from the pond to the building where the compressor was located. The line was buried 12"-18" below grade.

Is there such a thing as trace wire that you could unspool and have them pull that along with the airline so a metal detector could be used?

Thanks for the additional feedback!

"Even with the guy wires, how do you let it down slowly without heavy equipment once it breaks "center"?"

The easiest way is to weld a gin pole onto the base of your tower pole. It needs to be welded perpendicular to the axis of your pivot rod at the base of the tower. It should be at least 33% as long as the height of the tower. (Even better to go 40-50% if feasible.) You then put a winch (and perhaps a snatch block in the line) and pull your gin pole downwards to raise the tower. The gin pole also gives you control when letting the tower back down.


I also agree with you that finding leaks in buried poly pipelines is not any fun at all. I have successfully found leaks using the sewage contractor "smoke bombs" and then pumping air at a high rate to force out the smoke. That worked well on a calm day.

The other option was to just start pumping water and hope some of it eventually collected enough at the surface for us to find it! I don't think that would work in baked clay ground that has big contraction cracks.

I definitely like your idea for tracer wire, and didn't realize it was so cheap. I see tracer wire is offered on Ebay at $0.04/foot for 500' rolls. Instead of making underground connections, I think I would have a riser every 500' for wire access. (I think that is about the length limit for easy locates.) The expensive part would be buying the line locator. You need to put a signal on the wire and then walk the line with the detector. I think the utility contractor detectors are $700-800. The cheap retail ones say they go 1,000 feet, but I am skeptical for $60.

(Think I could successfully vibrate in the polypipe and the wire at the same time? Might be an entertaining video for Pond Boss!)