It is nornmal to not see bubbles right away when pump starts. Once bubbles are released it takes 1 sec per foot of depth for bubbles to rise to the surface. When it takes longer than that the pump is probably pushing water out the airline - unneeded and over stress for the compressor. A low pressure guage (15-30psi) at the pump lets you monitor lots of things including when the air is released from the diffuser. I always suggest a low psi guage at the pump. The membrane diffusers almost always have a build in check valve to prevent water back flow when the air flow stops. Clogging of diffuser can eventually result in clogging of check valve. It depends. Diffuser check valves can be cleaned.
I would be very interested to hear about the life span of these compressors when used for deep pond (6-15ft) aeration. Users please report back as your systems age.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 04/24/11 03:55 PM.
