Journeyman - For pond aerator life span and rebuilds for the Hiblow - get back to me after 20 years of operation and then we can talk about rebuilds and pump reliability. I know Hiblow makes quality compressors because I have one, but I am not sure yet that 8ft+ depth is their designed or engineered intended usages. If you look at the link you provided, the company specification charts and in the user feedback Hiblow recommends the 100 and 120 pumps operate optimum at 5.14 feet deep(2.57psi). The pumps will operate in deeper water but they suggest they will not perform as well as at 5.14ft.
Bill, I'm not sure where you got the 5.14ft from. HiBlow 120LL specs call out 'Max Cont. Operating Pressure of 30 kPa (4.35psi). Mine has been running near 4 psi for almost 4 years now and still running strong, only maintenance has been - Clean the filter once a year. It's running three diffusers quite well.
If you ever get to Wisconsin, look me up I'd be happy show you what I got here. Come to the dark side Bill. LOL
For the 20 year comparison, we don't need to wait.
Here's some operational cost figures on the HiBlow and the so popular Gast 0523;
HiBlow 120LL -
Power draw = 100 watts x 24 hrs = 2400 watts hours or 2.4 Kilo Watt hours x 365 days = 876 KWh per year x .12 cents per KWh (average cost of electricity) = $105.12 per year x 20 years = $2,102.40 to run this pump.
Gast 0523 -
Power draw = 4.7 amps x 115 volts = 540.5 watts x 24 hrs = 12,972 Watts hours or 12.972 KWh x 365 days = 4,734.78 KWh per year x .12 cents per KWH (average cost of electricity) = $568.17 per year x 20 years = $11,363.47 to run this pump.
Energy savings on running the HiBlow over the Gast is $463.05 per year. That pays for a lot of rebuilt kits. I have one on the shelf waiting to be used, almost 4 years now, it cost $140. The Gast rebuild is $80, seems cheaper, but only if you look at the price of the kits.
I estimate that I enjoyed an $1,800 energy savings in four years now, minus the $140 kit, which is still new.
The Gast pump puts out 10-15psi, that's a lot for a diffuser, so people add a regulator, to bring the pressure down. It wastes money to to do work that's not needed. It makes no sense to me that a guy would ever put one of these units in a small pond.
I've been sharing the news of the HiBlow success for years, but It's unclear to me why some of our members here are slow to embrace the information.
note: I'm not affiliated with the HiBlow company in any way, just trying to give back to the forum where I learned so much!
