Weighted and Non-weighted Airlines
Basically, the difference between weighted and non-weighted airlines for aeration is where you’re using the airline. If you are running an airline above ground, use a non-weighted airline. If you are running an airline from the shoreline to your Airstone or rubber membrane, you need to use a weighted airline. The weighted airline will stay in place under the water as opposed to the non-weighted airline, which will float. Investing in a weighted airline will make your life much easier than trying to wrestle a non-weighted airline into doing a job it was never meant for. When running an airline from your aeration system to the water’s edge, we recommend you bury it. The last thing you want is to have to deal with a cut airline. The airline can be cut by a careless landscaper, broken when large equipment drives over it or damaged by animals. To save yourself the headache of discovering your airline has a hole, you should bury it when installing it. You do not need to bury it deeply; just 4-6 inches is sufficient to protect the line. If you feel your airline may be extra vulnerable, you can encase it in PVC before burying it.