Any solar-powered aerator experience/advice?
 

I have a spring fed, 18,000 gallon, 17'x47' pond that I would like to
add a solar-powered aerator to. Googling found several.

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product....d=40-0072+MSTR
Thomas 1/10 hp air pump delivers 1.4 cubic ft. per min. (CFM) at free
discharge, or 0.8 CFM at 10 psi. It draws a maximum of 8.5 amps and can
be driven to full output by a pair of 75-watt PV modules.
Thomas 12V 1/10hp Air Pump Price: $260.00
Air Diffuser Price: $190.00
Solar Converters 10A LCB Price: $135.00


http://www.nwpwr.com/products/pumps/sp_bubbly.htm
SP-Bubbly aeration system.
Air line: 1/4" I.D.
Air Diffuser included
Maximum water depth: 6 ft.
Solar Module: 12V | 10 watts | 15" x 24.25" | Height 48" | 18 lbs.
Price: $385

Any experience with these?

Any others to recommend?

Any ideas?

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

"Stephen Henning" wrote in message
...
I have a spring fed, 18,000 gallon, 17'x47' pond that I would like to
add a solar-powered aerator to. Googling found several.


[snip]

Only 1 problem with a solar powered aerator. They don't work when the sun
goes down, which may seem like a duh! kind of response at first glance.
However consider that plants switch from photosynethsis to regular
respiration in the absense of sunlight, meaning they use oxygen instead of
create oxygen.

Snooze wrote:


"Stephen Henning" wrote in message
...
I have a spring fed, 18,000 gallon, 17'x47' pond that I would like to
add a solar-powered aerator to. Googling found several.


[snip]

Only 1 problem with a solar powered aerator. They don't work when the sun
goes down, which may seem like a duh! kind of response at first glance.
However consider that plants switch from photosynethsis to regular
respiration in the absense of sunlight, meaning they use oxygen instead of
create oxygen.

That's only a "problem" if you're actually relying on the aerator to ensure
that there's enough O2 for fish. In the first place, many of our plants
don't get their oxygen out of the pond - they take it from the air above
the pond - and secondly, if the pond is in an anoxic state to begin with,
it likely needs some source of aeration just to get plant growth started.
In the end, it's a good thing to get more O2 into the water, whether it all
gets used by plants at night, or not.
--
derek

"Snooze" wrote:

I wrote:
I have a spring fed, 18,000 gallon, 17'x47' pond that I would like to
add a solar-powered aerator to. Googling found several.

Only 1 problem with a solar powered aerator. They don't work when the sun
goes down, which may seem like a duh! kind of response at first glance.
However consider that plants switch from photosynethsis to regular
respiration in the absense of sunlight, meaning they use oxygen instead of
create oxygen.

They actually do run in the dark. The better ones have a battery that
will keep them operating in snow, at night and with heavy clouds. They
are usually timed so they don't need to run more than 8 hours a day
anyway. They don't need full sun light to run. When the pond is cold,
the oxygen level is up and fish are down and the plants are down so it
really isn't much of a problem then. In the spring is when I seem to be
getting my anaerobic bacteria. There is enough sunlight to keep the
batteries charged up. When the plants are going gangbusters, the
anaerobic bacteria isn't much of a concern.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Stephen Henning wrote:

"Snooze" wrote:

I wrote:
I have a spring fed, 18,000 gallon, 17'x47' pond that I would like to
add a solar-powered aerator to. Googling found several.

Only 1 problem with a solar powered aerator. They don't work when the sun
goes down, which may seem like a duh! kind of response at first glance.
However consider that plants switch from photosynethsis to regular
respiration in the absense of sunlight, meaning they use oxygen instead
of create oxygen.

They actually do run in the dark. The better ones have a battery that
will keep them operating in snow, at night and with heavy clouds. They
are usually timed so they don't need to run more than 8 hours a day
anyway. They don't need full sun light to run. When the pond is cold,
the oxygen level is up and fish are down and the plants are down so it
really isn't much of a problem then. In the spring is when I seem to be
getting my anaerobic bacteria. There is enough sunlight to keep the
batteries charged up. When the plants are going gangbusters, the
anaerobic bacteria isn't much of a concern.

I wouldn't want to count on that without a pretty big battery. I have no
experience with solar aeration, but my whole home runs on solar power, with
a small wind turbine assist, and it takes a whopping load of batteries to
do the job (1500Amp-hours, for a total electrical load of about 1.5KWh
daily).

Once you get into that sort of technology, you're talking
charge-controllers, batteries and significant wiring, as well as the solar
panels. It's getting expensive...
--
derek