When Mother Nature can’t maintain a sufficient amount of oxygen in the water naturally by means of sunlight, wind, or wave action, man-made aeration is needed to keep the water body clean and healthy. A pond or lake that is suffering from unsightly algae growth or odor problems can be improved and maintained via environmentally friendly mechanical aeration and mixing equipment, reducing or eliminating the amount of chemical treatment. The bottom mounted diffused aeration system creates a healthy pond by taking oxygen to the pond’s lowest depth.
“In ponds or lakes that are deeper than 10 feet with a heavy influent of organic material, oxygen is required near or at the bottom,” explained Roy Watkins, Air-O-Lator president. “A subsurface pond aeration system breaks up organic material that sinks to the bottom, therefore increasing life in that area.”
The Deep Aire diffused aeration system by Air-O-Lator is a fine bubble diffuser. As the air bubbles are released, oxygen is added to the water. When the bubbles rise to the surface, the water from the bottom of the pond is dragged to the surface breaking up the thermal cline and the stratified layer of water to the surface. The bottom layer of water is aerated and mixed into the entire lake or pond no matter the depth. Surface aerators do the same thing but are less efficient at providing oxygen and mixing at depths greater than 10 feet.
The Deep Aire system utilizes an air compressor, located on the shore, which delivers oxygen through a hose to a special diffuser lying on the pond bottom. Depending on the body of water depth and shape, various motors and models are available with a deluxe kit that includes a lockable cabinet with electrical box/outlet, shock mounts, pressure gauge, and cooling fan. Landowners, golf course superintendents, and water managers utilize aerators to keep bodies of water clean and healthy but the popular surface aerator is not always the best fit.
“More and more, golf courses are wanting a natural aeration setting for their water features. A submersible aerator like the Deep Aire keeps the pond or lake clean and healthy without a large spray pattern,” Debbie Hendrickson, Air-O-Lator vice president, explained.
Watkins said that surface aerators are a good first choice to improve and maintain the oxygen levels and keep the water surface clean. He recommends, however, a Deep Aire subsurface aeration system over a surface aerator when the application calls for, or requires, no above surface water spray, surface obstructions, or installations that prohibit the use of electricity in the water.
“The Deep Aire subsurface aeration system is also an excellent choice for ponds or lakes that have decorative type fountains installed to provide increased mixing and oxygen levels for improving the water quality and ecosystem at a minimal cost,” Watkins said.
Installing the correct aerator type for your application is important, but what about the number of units you need? The pond and lake management experts at Air-O-Lator guide individuals using customer data, onsite evaluation, or Google Maps to analyze the body of water to determine placement and number of units.
