Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Winter Management / De-Icer or Aerator

Okay, here's Cody slant on this topic.
1. You will only need to allow air to escape after the compresor shuts off IF you have a rocking piston compressor. They have a hard time restarting if there is any back pressure. This will be no problem if you have a rotary vane which you have.
2. If you had heavy wall selfweighted air line the diffuser could be EASILY pulled toward shore with no fear of kinking the hose. Otherwise it may be best, cheapest and easiest to use an old garden hose to deliver air to the stone in winter.
3. If you use the stone and plan on running the compressor intermitently during winter then it is paramount to have a reliable check valve attached to the stone. Otherwise you will have lots of problems during this winter. If you plan to run the compressor continously the check valve is less of a necessity but you have to HOPE the electrictiy does not go off during freezing weather. Water will fill the hose during power failure and ice blockage will develop to prevent air passage through the hose. Insurance for the compressor during winter operation is an adjustable pressue relief valve which is set to blow off at 12 to 15psi if air blockage occurs.

4. Personally I would run the diffuser vs the deicer during winter. Diffuser will produce a larger open water area and when run for a few hrs per day will be cheaper than the deicer.

5. One stone will work with your compressor; a 9" stone is better than a 6". Two stones will produce a larger opening than one stone. Three stones even larger open water area. One 6" stone w/ your pump will just produce bigger bubbles but all the air will be able to escape. If you want to first check/verify this just hook up the stone to the compressor, and with the stone out of water read the pressure. It will be zero and indicate that all the air is escaping out the stone and none is building up back in the pump as back-pressure. This assumes the air supply line is 1/2" - 5/8" dia. Smaller dia hose w/ your pump will cause a back-pressure.

6. When running air diffused aerators in winter you have to take some precautions that are not as necessary during the ice free season.