Hello. I have a 1/4 acre pond, approximatly 12' deep in the middle. Mostly circular. I currently have a windmill powered aeration system with a single diffuser but I have a large woods to the west of the pond that blocks most of the wind, so I don't get very steady output from it. I was looking at installing a second system. Was originally looking at solar (though the costs have started to scare me) and now am wondering if I should either run power to the pond or bury an air line from my barn. My barn is about 600 feet away from the pond. I could run power or an air line from it. I would love advice on what system may be best for my needs as well as any equipment recommendations. Here are my needs (in order of priority):
I would like to run the aerator 24x7 throughout the summers months. I don't need to run it over the winter as the windmill does a good enough job of keeping it from freezing over.
I would like a system that is reasonably quiet. In particular I suspect this will get into pump types as it seems that rocking piston types can get quite loud, though perhaps with a decent enough box I could muffle that some.
I would like a system that has low operating costs (less than $100 annually if possible)
I wouldn't mind having power down at the pond for the occasional use, but this is more of a nice to have and not a big deal if I don't have it. I'd prefer and efficient low/cost system over this.
I've looked at solar systems and while they sound appealing at first, the battery cost/lifespan has started to turn me off a bit. I've also looked into direct powered solar, but that doesn't really allow me to run 24x7 but I'd still be open to the idea if anyone has good experiences they can share.
My main questions are around pumps. I know you can get linear diaphragm, rocking piston and rotary vane, but I'm not entirely sure what the pros/cons and limitations around each are. For example, linear diaphragm were originally what I was looking at (primarily because that is about the only thing a reasonably sized solar system would power), but I like the low power consumption (<100 watts) and nearly silent operation. However, it appears that most people recommend them only in ponds less than 8 feet deep (though I see some manufacturers advertise up to 12 feet). Couple this with the option of running a 600 foot air line from my barn and I don't know if I'd get enough psi to work at 12 feet without destroying the pump. The noise and wattage requirements of a rocking piston give me a bit of hesitation and I really know nothing about rotary vane.
Running power to the pond would be more expensive than running an air hose and I would also be slightly concerned about the voltage drop and loss of efficiency for a run that long and am not really fond of the idea of buying 600 foot of 6 awg wire. I am considering a hybrid where maybe a bury both an air line and a power line to get the efficiencies of running the pump from the barn and convenience of having a small power supply at the pond.
Any advice would be most welcome. Thanks!
Last edited by kramedt; 06/05/18 12:42 PM.
