Windmill Aeration Systems are great systems for where you do not have electricity or where you don’t want to spend money on electricity. You do need to have access to an area where there’s some wind to turn a windmill. Typically, each windmill will need 3-6 mph of wind to turn. For a windmill to be effective, you would need an average of 6-8 hours of wind each day. On some days, there might not be any wind. On others, you might have 24 hours of constant wind. But, if you can average 6-8 hours a day, you can get enough wind to aerate and circulate your pond.
Electric Aerators – There are many good electric aerator options out there if you have access to electricity. You can then aerate 24 hours a day or put the aerator on a timer and aerate 12-14 hours if you want. Most electric aerators are one of three types – linear diaphragm, rotary vane or rocking piston in design.
Solar is also a viable option but is about 2-3 times more expensive than using electricity or wind for a given CFM output.
Another option is to integrate a windmill aeration system and an electric aerator into the same system. Both would share the same airlines and diffusers. A control box as sold by Outdoor Water Solutions could be used to manage the two by turning on the electric aerator when the wind isn’t blowing and shutting it back off when the wind starts. This option allows you to aerate 24 hours a day and to do it as cost effective as possible given you’re using wind energy as often as possible.
The existence of algae in you pond may be a fact of life, but it is good to know that there are ways to prevent excessive growth of it and there are ways to control it with some patience and the right tools.
Outdoor Water Solutions manufactures a wide range of pond and lake products including all of the products mentioned here for algae control. You can learn more at www.Outdoorwatersolutions.com or by calling 1-866-471-1614 for a free catalog.
