waynefrcan
19 years ponding and hopefully 4 more!
Lets see....NOT! I paid $129 + 30 shipping, plus another $180 to get all the tubing, 2 air stones and connectors and shut off values. That b^$#h is going to stay on this winter!!!!!!!!
Aerator and bottom heater?
- Thread starter waynefrcan
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Lets see....NOT! I paid $129 + 30 shipping, plus another $180 to get all the tubing, 2 air stones and connectors and shut off values. That b^$#h is going to stay on this winter!!!!!!!!
waynefrcan
19 years ponding and hopefully 4 more!
Ok Lowes had a digital thermometer with 10ft line probe. I tested it inside first and it's top notch accurate to my digital honeywell wall thermostat in the house.
Ok outside temps at deep end 4ft with heater at bottom and air pump close by is 35.7F. Surface water temp is 32.9F This sound right? I'm going to shut off the heater and see what bottom temp will be tomorrow.
Ok outside temps at deep end 4ft with heater at bottom and air pump close by is 35.7F. Surface water temp is 32.9F This sound right? I'm going to shut off the heater and see what bottom temp will be tomorrow.
callingcolleen1
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Hope that volcano "b
callingcolleen1
mad hatter
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Those numbers sound better.
Don"t know the model # but will look tomorrow and see if I can see one. Yes it uses batteries and I had it outside last winter. I had it in a plastic storage bin with my air pump. Both were protected from the outside elements and did fine.
Last winter I was trying to do the same with a floating thermometer. I sunk it to the bottom of the pond and when I pulled it up and tried to read it the temp went down real fast so it was not an accurate way to get a good temp of the bottom of the pond.
waynefrcan
19 years ponding and hopefully 4 more!
Went to manufacturer website and your model is not pictured. They no longer have a display with a probe line.
waynefrcan
19 years ponding and hopefully 4 more!
I think this guys method is not holding up to the claims he makes, that the bottom temp with the aeration drawing extra heat should be at 6C or 43F. It's not even close. I'm going to disconnect the aerator and go back to surface pump and see what that does to the bottom temp. Will the aeration lines freeze up?
Aeration lines won't freeze up unless water gets in the lines which can happen if you have a power failure for any extended period.
I'm interested to see the results when you move the air to the surface. I'd also make sure the air to keep the ice open is in the shallowest end of the pond, I.e. Above a shelf. That will help prevent water from the deeper bottom sections from being pulled up into the air column. I'm even thinking a clay chimney pipe that sits on the shelf and ends a few inches below the surface might help if the airstone is placed inside the pipe. That will help prevent disturbance even more and assist with stratification.
Craig
I'm interested to see the results when you move the air to the surface. I'd also make sure the air to keep the ice open is in the shallowest end of the pond, I.e. Above a shelf. That will help prevent water from the deeper bottom sections from being pulled up into the air column. I'm even thinking a clay chimney pipe that sits on the shelf and ends a few inches below the surface might help if the airstone is placed inside the pipe. That will help prevent disturbance even more and assist with stratification.
Craig
waynefrcan
19 years ponding and hopefully 4 more!
Ok, today I tested the water again. Only aeration running, no surprise to me, 32.7F top and bottom. Thing is now we have thin ice on the pond. Moving the airstone and tubing around to a surface location and tubing is near impossible. I can still pull the airstone up from the bottom and place it at the 2ft mark. Thinking to just turn off the aerator for 24 hours and run the surface water pump as I have done in past years and then check if warmer water settles. If not, then to keep up the aeration.
What bugs me is this guy says this method works and has worked for many years with no problems. However he is wrong about the bottom temp going to 43F with aeration drawing heat, and that the heater will shut off at that point reducing the electrical use.
What bugs me is this guy says this method works and has worked for many years with no problems. However he is wrong about the bottom temp going to 43F with aeration drawing heat, and that the heater will shut off at that point reducing the electrical use.
What's your definition of thin ice in Alberta? LOL Mine is like 1/4" (3-5mm), which you could melt with a large pot of boiling water and then move the tubing and airstone. You might be talking 3" as thin!
I don't know if I would ever shut you air down all the way. Water will fill the tube and freeze. Can you put in a splitter so that you can meter the air flow rate to just a bare amount, like a bubble every second? Just enough to keep the airline from filling with water.
Craig
I don't know if I would ever shut you air down all the way. Water will fill the tube and freeze. Can you put in a splitter so that you can meter the air flow rate to just a bare amount, like a bubble every second? Just enough to keep the airline from filling with water.
Craig
waynefrcan
19 years ponding and hopefully 4 more!
Good idea to keep air at min just in case. 1/4 to 1/2 ice now. My shallow spots are on the edges which is no good for aeration. Needs to be in center of pond. And now have no way of getting to center and with ice and freezing temps to prop it up higher. I will test with the water pump and do aeration at 1 bubble per second lol, and check temp. If warmer at bottom I might just discontinue the aeration and keep water pump going with a surface heater to keep spot open.
waynefrcan
19 years ponding and hopefully 4 more!
If air pump is shut off and water rises in the lines it would only be to the water pond level correct? If that's the case some boiling water at that point should open them up again?
Last winter I had my defuser sitting on the side of my pond on a shelf and it did a good job. At first I had it on the bottom in the middle and thats when my bottom temp got real cold. After raising it to the shelf the bottom of pond started slowly warming up.
No, the airline does not have to be in the center of the pond. IMHO you want it in the shallow parts, at the edge should be fine. Like what MT did by moving it up on a shelf where they saw a difference.
The objective is simply to keep a small hole in the ice for gases to escape, not actually aerate with oxygen. Winter kills aren't typically due to oxygen levels but due to poisionous gases from decomposition of organic mater which I don't think you have any from seeing your last pics!
A pond clean of debris, small hole at shallow end and as still water as possible at deep end. Nothing that makes a current in the pond. That has always been my objective and advice.
As far as your air line, yes, it's the portion in the water up to the water level that will freeze. But once frozen it could be hard to thaw. I don't know at what temps the plastic hose melts at. Never tested it. I don't know if a hot pot of boiling water could melt the tubing or not. I'm thinking not, but I don't know.
Craig
The objective is simply to keep a small hole in the ice for gases to escape, not actually aerate with oxygen. Winter kills aren't typically due to oxygen levels but due to poisionous gases from decomposition of organic mater which I don't think you have any from seeing your last pics!
A pond clean of debris, small hole at shallow end and as still water as possible at deep end. Nothing that makes a current in the pond. That has always been my objective and advice.
As far as your air line, yes, it's the portion in the water up to the water level that will freeze. But once frozen it could be hard to thaw. I don't know at what temps the plastic hose melts at. Never tested it. I don't know if a hot pot of boiling water could melt the tubing or not. I'm thinking not, but I don't know.
Craig