I am in the process of making a decision about my pond aeration. Pond is 2 years old.....1/2 acre and 22 ft deep. I was quoted for a 1/4hp rotary vane pump, but had heard rocking piston was the way to go. any suggestions are appreciated. It is just making the final decision and doing it.

My barn is approx. 40 ft from the pond. can I put my pump in the barn so I don't have to purchase a case?

My electric is 15 cents KWH, I was wondering if I can run the pump on a timer and not run it 24/7?

Thank you

I'm no expert, just a man who has had a (Vertex) rocking piston pump running (in season, up to 18 hours a day) since 2007 with no problems.

What % of time you need to run your aeration is a function of pond and aeration system size, but it is certainly possible. I have a 240v pump and am on my second inexpensive 240v, 24 hour timer.

I would definitely put the compressor in the barn. Try to run the airline very slightly as a down ward grade to the pond. This allows water to drain out of the airline and not lay in a belly of the airline that can freeze during winter. Before buying the compressor make doubly sure to verify the water depth is 22ft by actual measure - with brick and a rope. Pond builders almost always have their final dig as 1-3 ft in error. I always suggest not to use rotary vane deeper than 18ft. I have installed rotary vane diffuser system with the bubber up off the bottom on some sort of stand so it sits 18ft deep. If you use a dual or twin head diffuser in Ohio you should usually need to only run the aerator 4-6 hrs per day. Two disks or tubes instead of just one diffuser with the twin head mounted together will move twice the amount of water per hr and shorten the run time to fully circulate the pond. A 3 head diffuser will shorten the run time to 2-3 hrs per day for one pond turnover.

PM me for questions.

Listen to Bill. Rotary vanes are a whole LOT easier to rebuild too.

Depending on how much ice/snow you get you might want one in 4-5 foot of water for winter aeration. You shouldn't run the in the deepest part of the pond during the winter.