The idea of a Windmill has been around since 500 A.D. and perhaps even before that. They were first used by the Persians as water pumps and grain mills, but the principle was the same; man, harnessing wind to do achieve goals in society. All throughout history, wind powered devices were engineered to ease the physical burden on workers when power tools and combustion engines did not exist. Today, man is using wind energy to help power the modern-day electrical grid. But, even the most cutting-edge wind turbine still uses the same basic mechanism to harness wind energy for pond aeration. If only there was a way to utilize the technology of our ancestors to help make your pond healthier and look aesthetically pleasing while do so. Fortunately, there is.
As previously stated, the windmill has been used as a water pump, but with modification, it has been engineered to be quite an efficient air compressor and pond aerator. In this case, every revolution of the blades on your windmill generates one pump of a piston that helps form the air compressor. This wind energy is then channeled into weighted tubing leading to one or two air stone diffusers, depending on the pond size. This agitation that a windmill aerator can provide is more than adequate in most ponds. Due to the compressors design, you can place the aeration windmill up to 1000’ away from the pond in case you want to admire it from your porch, while knowing it is benefiting your pond simultaneously. Here are some of the benefits this modernized piece of history can bring your property using pond aeration.
- Water Quality Health – In general, when there are no measures in place, a pond or lake will age just like everything else. Nutrients, sediment, and organic material will find its way into the waterbody and will start to accumulate over time. There are a multitude of factors that will affect the rate at which these things occur, but on a large enough time frame, it is always the same story. Ponds will become eutrophic (nutrient rich) and will lose depth overtime, making it easier for plants to grow and harder to sustain a healthy environment. All these things are made possible due to the anaerobic nature of stagnant water bodies. With bottom diffused aeration, the water column can be completely destratified and oxygenated. In turn, this halts and even reverses eutrophication due to aerobic decomposition of nutrients. With the introduction to oxygen at the depths of your pond, it becomes an environment suited to support healthy microorganism growth suited to decompose the organic matter that is contributing to the problem.
- Fish Health – Fish, like humans, need oxygen to survive. It’s just the mechanism in which they obtain oxygen is different. As you know, fish filter oxygen from the water via gills. So, it makes sense that fish will seek out and inhabit water with high oxygen concentrations. Without aeration, there are two ways a waterbody becomes oxygenated; contact with the atmosphere at the surface, or when plants release oxygen via photosynthesis. It should be noted that plants also take oxygen out of the water at night via respiration, so they are not a dependable source of oxygenation. And with no disturbance, the upper and lower layers of water do not mix, meaning the lower portion of water never touches the surface. With no oxygen in the lower portion, the fish are forced to inhabit only the upper portion. This decreases their foraging and growth potential, as there are fewer resources and less options. With aeration, as the bubbles ascend to the surface, they bring with them the surrounding water completely breaking up the upper and lower layers. This makes it to where the lower water rises to the surface and touches the atmosphere where it becomes oxygen rich. This vertical movement of water results in oxygen concentration that are suitable for aerobic life. So, if you want your fish to be at their full potential, bottom diffused aeration is essential, much like the oxygen it provides.
- Fish Kills – If you own a pond, you may vividly remember a fish kill you’ve had, as they can be quite unsettling. A fish kill can be caused by a myriad of reasons, but one of the most common causes is when a pond turns over. As mentioned previously, when a pond isn’t aerated it forms distinct layers. These layers have different properties about them, meaning they are two different environments that support forms of life. The upper layer is warm and aerobic, or oxygen rich, and supports life that requires oxygen. The lower layer is cold and anaerobic, which supports species of life that do not need oxygen to survive. This is mainly unicellular organisms, with a few exceptions. When the changing of the seasons occurs is when having two mutually exclusive environments in the same waterbody becomes devastating. For example, in the fall, a rapid cooling of the warm, upper layer can result in a violent mixing of the two layers. When this happens, the oxygen concentration in the water can plummet, making it impossible for the fish to find water with adequate oxygen. As you know by now, bottom diffused aeration breaks up these layers, solving the problem before it has the chance to happen to you.
- Mosquito Deterrent – As you may know, mosquito reproduction happens in stagnant waters, that have no movement and are synonymous with foul smells. It can happen in your bird bath, old buckets, and containers, but on a larger scale, can happen in stagnant ponds and lakes. With bottom diffused aeration, this problem can be remediated and cured! As the compressor pumps air to the bottom of the lake, the air stone is designed in such a way that it “splits” the air into many bubbles. In turn, these bubbles rise to the surface and make a disturbance to the surface of the water. Depending on wind speed and consistency, this disruption to the surface could be 24/7. Mosquitoes, in turn, will seek water that is not being disrupted, and will not choose your property as a breeding ground. This is especially helpful if your waterbody is close to your residence.
Why choose OWS Windmill Aeration?
There are several options you can choose from when shopping for a windmill aerator. What makes Outdoor Water Solutions’ stand out is our compressors’ unique design and sizing. The compressor in our aeration windmill is designed to produce maximum air flow due to the larger diaphragm, larger check valves, and larger airline than competing windmills. Our 73” windmill heads will catch more wind than our 65” Canadian competitors. These modifications have been shown to produce more airflow, ensuring that your pond will be properly aerated. Additionally, we offer a 5 years warranty vs. competitors 1-2-year warranties due our Balcam II technology. You can be sure that you are getting high quality and heavy-duty material for your aeration windmill. The upgraded ½” airline ensures that your pond is receiving optimal airflow. And finally, assembly of your windmill will be a breeze due to the offset holes in the tower. Ease of assembly and windmill efficiency were the top priority when designing our aeration windmills, so that customers have nothing but a positive experience with our product.
