Refurbishing pond aerator

[czechsonofagun]

My aerator stopped working; I mean the compressor was still running, but the cauliflower of bubbles was not there anymore. I pulled it out of the pond to clean it and improve on it. I use a commercial membrane diffuser, I tried to make my own but the profi grade - mainly bubble size and overall performance - is impossible to replicate at home.

I had this concrete cast of a flower pot and it fits the aerator like a glove, all I had to do was to drill the hole and cut a grove for the tubing.

 

[czechsonofagun]

All the connections are 3/4" NPT.

 

[czechsonofagun]

The diffuser itself screws in. Now I need to figure out how to sink it to the bottom keeping it upright.

 

[the old grind]

My mfr says to set diffusers in a 5 gal bucket, weighted as needed, tho' my diffusers are ceramic vs membrane. Inlet screens for my 2" pump setup have always been set in buckets with a fist-sized rock for weight and the bails lashed to the hose to keep things in place. I can hook up to either one where they lay every few yrs, and the only maint is when a wire bail rusts, the screen/hose floats out, and I replace a bucket. (Getting 'em with plastic handles anymore.)

btw, I bought weighted hose (300') for the two underwater airlines. Advice NOT to set diffusers at the deepest point makes perfect sense when you understand why. Windmill is an American Eagle 18'.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I used bucket for 10 years, this seems to be cleaner solution. To weight down tubing I use three hole bricks.

 

[the old grind]

Could you imitate a bucket handle with a poly rope and lower it with a gaff or on a rope with a hook.

'Yellow' (also white) rope floats and would be easy to spot or grab for future svc w/o having to pull up by airlines.

Metal anchors in the 'crete would corrode too soon, but a guy could tie up a 'basket' of rope with a few clever wraps.

I'd use 1/4" twisted polypropylene for all the above vs say nylon. (Both make good anchor ropes but nylon sinks & gathers more gunk over time.)

btw, props for a thread title that searches will find easily from anywhere. More folks will see what you've put together. :thumbsup: jon

 

[czechsonofagun]

Could you imitate a bucket handle with a poly rope and lower it with a gaff or on a rope with a hook.

'Yellow' (also white) rope floats and would be easy to spot or grab for future svc w/o having to pull up by airlines.

Metal anchors in the 'crete would corrode too soon, but a guy could tie up a 'basket' of rope with a few clever wraps.

I'd use 1/4" twisted polypropylene for all the above vs say nylon. (Both make good anchor ropes but nylon sinks & gathers more gunk over time.)

btw, props for a thread title that searches will find easily from anywhere. More folks will see what you've put together. :thumbsup: jon

I have some copper wire - grounding from old electrical poles - I will use it to make the hook up for a rope. I don't want to leave the rope there, we shall see.

But you lost me on props. What do you mean by that?

 

[czechsonofagun]

The compressor is housed right by the pond. I used to run water fountain from there too, but that thing died and I need to buy new pump for it.

 

[czechsonofagun]

The filter needs to be replaced, but the plastic cap directly by the compressor is cracked, I guess the vibration done it in. I will try to sandwich it between some plates with rubber cushions.

 

[the old grind]

You already had me thinking I'd want some kind of air cleaner for my windmill pump, as the air intake is just the threaded inlet of a check valve. Gotta keep the bugs out.

btw, "props" = :thumbsup::thumbsup: in words.

 

[cqaigy2]

props is: An abbreviation of "propers" or proper respects

 

[hslogger]

My difusers are rectangular air stones. Four of them attached to a single manifold. The diffusers and manifold are connected to the plastic pipe air hose.
I have a poly rope connected to the manifold with radiator clamps and knots to insure it doesn't come undone.

The poly rope is twenty feet long and connected to a one gallon plastic bottle. It is my buoy and marks general area where the diffuser is, and aids me in pickup of the whole assembly in the fall.

The air stone assembly is attached to a flat piece of semi rigiid plastic with a hefty amount of cable ties that go around the manifold and through holes in the semi rigid base. I lower the whole shebang with the poly rope onto the bottom of the pond, deepest area. The plasic hose has a couple six foot metal fence posts without the "V" attached to it with electrical tape. That keeps the hose down and assures the assembly stays put.

In the fall when I decommission it all, I pull on the rope from a canoe or kyak. I lift it and go ashore and disassemble the whole works and winterize it.
I take the stones from the manifold and soak them in the kind of acid used to clean swimming pools. The stones are filthy and after a soaking, they clean up almost perfectly in clean water. Sometimes the fittings need replacement or new epoxy when I take it apart for the winter.

 

[czechsonofagun]

You already had me thinking I'd want some kind of air cleaner for my windmill pump, as the air intake is just the threaded inlet of a check valve. Gotta keep the bugs out.

btw, "props" = :thumbsup::thumbsup: in words.

Thanks.

This is Purolater brand air filter, I tried to use standard pieces I can find easily in local stores.

 

[czechsonofagun]

My difusers are rectangular air stones. Four of them attached to a single manifold. The diffusers and manifold are connected to the plastic pipe air hose.
I have a poly rope connected to the manifold with radiator clamps and knots to insure it doesn't come undone.

The poly rope is twenty feet long and connected to a one gallon plastic bottle. It is my buoy and marks general area where the diffuser is, and aids me in pickup of the whole assembly in the fall.

The air stone assembly is attached to a flat piece of semi rigiid plastic with a hefty amount of cable ties that go around the manifold and through holes in the semi rigid base. I lower the whole shebang with the poly rope onto the bottom of the pond, deepest area. The plasic hose has a couple six foot metal fence posts without the "V" attached to it with electrical tape. That keeps the hose down and assures the assembly stays put.

In the fall when I decommission it all, I pull on the rope from a canoe or kyak. I lift it and go ashore and disassemble the whole works and winterize it.
I take the stones from the manifold and soak them in the kind of acid used to clean swimming pools. The stones are filthy and after a soaking, they clean up almost perfectly in clean water. Sometimes the fittings need replacement or new epoxy when I take it apart for the winter.

I never thought of buoy, that's a great idea. Also the acid for cleaning, but I feel eventually I will have to replace the diffusor because the rubber ages.

I run the aerator year around with the exception of dry summer, when the water gets low and I don't want to pump in warm air - in that case I set up timer to run from midnight to 6AM. Virginia winters are mild unlike summers but last few years August was nothing but dry.

 

[Ford850]

The filter needs to be replaced, but the plastic cap directly by the compressor is cracked, I guess the vibration done it in. I will try to sandwich it between some plates with rubber cushions.

That's quite a bit of weight hanging way out there for that filter. Maybe mount the pump to a longer base that also supports the filter so it all shakes as one solid assembly. Or you could keep the filter assembly sitting next to the pump and not bolted to it, and connect it to the pump intake with a short rubber hose. Or, use a schedule 80 cap to replace the schedule 40 that cracked.
That's a pretty cool setup by the way. :thumbsup:

 

[czechsonofagun]

That's quite a bit of weight hanging way out there for that filter. Maybe mount the pump to a longer base that also supports the filter so it all shakes as one solid assembly. Or you could keep the filter assembly sitting next to the pump and not bolted to it, and connect it to the pump intake with a short rubber hose. Or, use a schedule 80 cap to replace the schedule 40 that cracked.
That's a pretty cool setup by the way. :thumbsup:

Thanks!

And thanks for the fresh eyes approach :thumbsup: Detaching the filter is a great idea, much better than my old solution.

 

[the old grind]

Advice against setting bubblers too deep is to maintaain cooler deep water (more O2) for fish to gather in when weather is hot and surface water is too warm to hols sufficient oxygen for their nature.

Here in MI, when ponds are frozen too tightly and gases of decomposition accumulate fish kills can be startling.

I have ~2" of ice right now. When fully installed, one reason for the aerator is to keep the ice open. Clearer water is the other.

 

[SharpFran]

Thanks.

This is Purolater brand air filter, I tried to use standard pieces I can find easily in local stores.

Nice job, finally!

 

[czechsonofagun]

Back in business. Seems like detaching the filter cut down on the compressor noise, too.

 

[Ford850]

There you go! That looks like a much better setup to relive the stress and vibration.