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Do - It - Yourself Aeration Systems: Here's Where to Start

Do - It - Yourself Aeration Systems: Here's Where to Start

Building your system
The heart of your aeration system is the compressor. Our line of PPM compressors are quiet, small, energy efficient compressors that pump a steady and reliable flow of air to your bottom-mounted diffusers, via the appropriate length of self-sinking tubing, providing aeration to your pond. Once you have accurately measured the size of your pond you can calculate the most affordable compressor, the length of torpedo tubing and the number of diffusers necessary to maintain your pond or the length of bubble tubing required.

Before you begin
In order to properly gauge the size of the compressor and the number of aerating discs you will need there are two important factors to consider: the true depth of the pond and the shape of the pond.

Pond diagram
This pond has a regular shape and a single deep area so the recommended aeration system would be the appropriate sized PPM compressor, a single AirStation diffuser and the required length of self-sinking tubing. If you prefer to have your compressor further from the pond then simple run a line of regular tubing from the compressor and then connect the more expensive self-sinking tubing at the pond edge. The compressor may be placed up to 1 km away from the diffuser.

Choosing the right sized compressor
In order to choose the right compressor the accurate depth of your pond or lake must be measured. Guessing or approximating may result in an over or undersized compressor being used which may affect the quality of the aeration and the life-expectancy of your compressor. If your pond has varying depths then try to find the deepest point and use that as your guide. Poor results may be encountered if you do not begin with an accurate measurement of your pond depth as the depth of your pond determines the number of aeration discs or assemblies you require.

Diffusion systems: Bubble tubing or Diffusion Airstation
You have a choice between diffusing air with linear bubble tubing or a diffuser station. Bubble tubing is used in all applications, deep, shallow, or when diffusion is required around a dock or other structure. It is easy to insall, covers a large area, requires little maintenance and works well with any compressor. For steep sloped and deep basins diffusion airstations are best. Diffusion discs are not recommended for shallow applications. These circular discs constructed of robust plastics and reinforced rubber components that vastly outperform the last generations of air-stone diffusers. Our preferred diffuser is the CoActive Airstation which is an easy-sinking assembly with two 9" diffuser discs attached to a practical footing that is easy to install and connect to your compressor. They are simple to install and require no additional weights, tied bricks or buckets to position them in strategic locations. Due to the fact that this assembly is easy to anchor, self-uprights and keeps the discs raised from the pond bottom we have found that they outperform the single discs in ponds of depths greater than 4 feet.

Once the depth is known you must consider the shape of your pond
A circular-shaped pond with a single deep area and an equally proportional interior grade may require only one diffusion disc or AirStation placed at the deepest point. An irregular shaped pond with many variations in depth and bank slope may require the installation of one or more diffusers. While the addition of any aeration is better than none, we have found that optimum benefits are attained when a pond is correctly fitted with a system conforming to accurately measured dimensions and the placement of the correct number of aerating diffusers..

Limitations of the compressor and diffusers
Our CoActive diffusers operate best between 1 and 3 CFM. Every 2' 3" (2 foot 3 inch) of water equals 1 PSI. Use this information to help calculate which compressor is best for your pond. Generally a pond requiring one AirStation with depths up to 9 feet will require a compressor in the PPM 80 to PPM 150 range while a pond of up to 12 feet deep requiring 2 or more airstations will require a compressor ranging from the PPM 160 to the PPM 330. This is only a general guide and a pond with an irregular shape, steep slope or many depth variations will require adjusting the optimal compressor choice accordingly. Contact us for help.