Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? Securing a 20' Windmill on Gravel/Sand

Hey Rowly,

I have done quite a bit of experimenting with air/airlines in the last little while. From my experience I would say go ahead and try with 200'. There are really two main determinants in friction loss in regards to moving air. The first is the texture of the pipe bore, the smoother the better. And the second major factor in air movement is the number of fittings and bends. Remember that a bend or corner can have the friction loss equivelent of many feet of hose. Pipe size would really be the third determinant factor in air movement, obviously the larger the diameter the easier it is to move the air, however there is a point at which friction vs. velocity becomes a factor. 3/8 inch line should be fine over a couple hundred feet, but do your best to keep the line straight and find a way to join the lines without decreasing the inside diameter at the fitting. Also bear in mind that a pumps ability to move air through an air-stone is also greatly dependant on the depth of water the stone is placed in... the deeper it is the more back pressure, the harder a pump must work to force the air out and the less flow you will get. For max flow I would try to keep an airstone 10 feet deep or less if you can do so.

As for anchoring your new windmill, it sounds from the posts above that for safety you would be best to put in concrete pillings or such. I would be inclined to trust a 3-5 foot anchoring stake on each leg if you were anchoring it into something other then gravel or if it had a wide base and the stakes where 'turn-in' type as Bill suggested, but best not to take chances and wreck your new purchase eh? Also as Bill said, installation short-sights would come out of your own pocket and nobody like that.