Proudly Made in Canada Since 1979
FAQs for Floating Aerating Fountains, Aerators and Dock De-icers
We are often asked about safety measures for dock bubblers. Arbrux Limited recommends that precautions be taken around open water and thin ice. Please install appropriate signage, lights, fencing, or other safety notices or devices to inform the general public of any potential danger.
Please be aware that alternate safety measures may be required by law in your area.
Unfortunately, de-icing is not an exact science as every body of water is different. If you’ve already tried different mounting depths and locations without success, then additional dock bubblers may be necessary to achieve the desired amount of ice-free area.
The sling method is the most stable way to mount your dock bubbler. It involves having both ropes fastened to the dock or boathouse about 5 to 8 feet apart. They can be tied off to cleats that you already have on the dock.
The following formula can be used to figure out power cost for your area.
Cost per hour= Kilowatts x cost per kilowatt/ hour.
Example: If your bubbler consumes 0.91Kw and you pay 5 cents per kilowatt/ hour then the cost per hour would be 0.91×0.05=4.55 cents per hour or if run for a full 24 hours it would be $1.09. In areas with time of use hydro rates the same formula will work if you calculate the cost for each block of time and add them to get your daily total.
Our old style Aerators used to get some comments that they were a bit noisy. However, we have changed the design of our floating aerators and now they are very quiet. They move just as much water as before, but all you hear is the splashing of the water now! The smallest model moves 500 gallons per minute, that is 5000 pounds of water!
If your pond or lake is near a location where the sound of water is objectionable, then a different aeration solution or a lake fountain may be a better choice.
Managing debris in some ponds and lakes can be an ongoing maintenance issue. If the water body has excessive vegetation, then mechanical harvesting or chemical methods may be required in order for the fountain or aerator to work effectively.
In most cases, if the debris is garbage, minor vegetation or organic matter then simply adding an intake screen will suffice. In some instances with string algae or smaller vegetation, adding a finer screen material which can be installed to the outside of intake screen will solve intake plugging issues.
Arbrux manufactures pond aerators from ½HP to 3 HP, therefore its important to properly size an aeration system for your specific pond. Sizing is not an exact science since ponds vary in shape, depth and water quality, all factors to take into consideration when your are choosing the size and number of aerators required to aerate your pond.
The overall shape of your pond will dictate the number of aerators needed to keep your water sufficiently aerated. Regular shapes like circles, squares or triangles can all be aerated the same way. However, as they spread out or become irregular in shape, more aerators are typically needed. For example, a circular pond would only need one aerator whereas an irregular shape would typically require more than one.
The last and probably most important factor to determining the proper aeration system is the overall health and water quality of your pond or lake. A newly constructed pond will typically need less aeration than an older pond of the same size.
If you have additional or specific questions on water aeration, please fill out our Contact us form or call us toll free 1-888-211-3548!
Our customers use our floating aerators in a variety of settings, including:
- Golf Courses
- Fish or Fowl Ponds
- Mining
- Cities or Municipalities
- Paper or Pulp Industry
- Retention Ponds
- Conservation Parks
- Cemeteries
- Amusement Parks
- Residential Properties (lakes or ponds)
Floating surface aerators add oxygen into the water by first pumping it into the air with a propeller, and then disturbing the water surface as the water comes crashing back down.
Due to the high volumes of water being pumped, pond aerators induce water flow and circulation over a large area of water in your pond.
For example, the Arbrux 1/2HP aerators move 500 gallons per minute while adding 2.3lbs of oxygen into the water every hour.
The advantage of a floating aerator is that it not only provides the functionality to improve your water quality but it also offers a pretty feature to your pond or lake. Add an Arbrux pond aerator to your pond, get a quote today!
We use hybrid or plastic jacketed cables to minimize the possibility of animals chewing on them. If you’re in an area that requires additional protection from animals or other damage, then consider having the cable installed within a flexible PVC conduit by your electrician.
Customers can install a solar system to power our products, however the most cost effective method is typically permanent utility power unless you reside in a remote area.
120 and 240-volt single-phase power are two of the most common voltages available for lake or pond fountain power. This is generally what is available in nearly all residential properties. 240 volt is marginally more efficient but the main advantage is that your wire size is substantially smaller when compared to a similar rated 120-volt unit. The smaller wire size can result in savings on your fountain installation.
Any fountain that sprays water into air will aerate the water, however fountain manufacturers such as ourselves often differentiate aerating and lake fountains. The main distinction of an aerating fountain is it moves a substantially larger volumes of water than a lake fountain. An aerating fountain is often called a surface aerator, floating aerator, aerating fountain, display aerator, pond aerator and many other variations. If you have been told you need an aerating fountain, it is probably because you’re experiencing water quality problems, such as algae. Arbrux pond aerators use a propeller to move large volumes of water to help solve water quality problems.
Overloads are used to protect your lake fountain or pond aerator motor from higher than normal running current. They can trip even on a motor that is in good running condition.
A couple of common reasons for overloads to trip are if you experience a power surge or sag in power or if a pump becomes cluttered with debris. Once the problem is corrected and power is off you can reset overloads by pressing the reset button(s). Some reset buttons will have a need to be pressed firmly until an audible click is heard.