Windmill Aeration

Windmill Aeration 101

2007-09-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Everything you Need to Know About Windmill Aeration!

Do I Need Aeration?
If your pond is old or new, large or small, clear or cloudy, weed filled and algae covered or yes, even weed free, aeration can improve and work to maintain the health of your pond and its inhabitants. Oxygen is the most important requirement for clean water.

What Will Aeration Do?
Aeration works to rid your pond of excess nutrients which cause unnaturally heavy weed growth. In keeping the water circulating, aeration will eliminate stratification (the temperature layering that often causes fish kill) and help control mosquito larvae. Aeration will oxygenate the lower levels of your pond and replace the dead water layer on the bottom with fresh oxygenated water. This helps keep anaerobic bacteria from forming which in turn helps rid the pond of undesirable algae. Fish health is also improved with the upgraded water quality that aeration provides.

How Do Superior Windmill Aerators Work?
It all starts at the fan blades. As the blades turn, a diaphragm moves up and down in the compressor taking in filtered outside air. The compressor in turn builds up pressure, which is then released through valves and into the air line leading to the pond. The diffuser, located in the deeper areas of your pond, then breaks the air into fine bubbles. These bubbles (the smaller the better) carry with them gases, pollutants and excess nutrients releasing them into the air as the bubbles reach the top of the water.

It is important that the Superior Windmill compressor develops a steady stream of air, not the part time pulsing air stream of other manufacturers. Equally important is the Superior Windmill's capability of developing more than 30lbs of pressure, enabling deep placement of the diffuser for maximum cleansing action.

What Size Tower Is Best?
More is better. The 20' tower catches up to 20% more wind than the 12' tower. The 20' tower is always recommended where possible.

What Is The Difference Between A Superior Jet Stream And A Superior Turbo Jet Stream?
The Jet Stream is a single diaphragm compressor designed for use in smaller bodies of water. It produces 1.5 cfm at 9 mph wind speed. The Turbo Jet Stream is a dual diaphragm compressor and produces 3 cfm at 9 mph wind speed.

Which Model Is Right For Your Pond?
Because of the diversity of pond sizes, depths, shapes and locations, selecting the correct Superior Windmill depends on a variety of factors. Please call 1-866-493-6953 and we can determine together which Superior Windmill is right for your application.

Pumping Water
Yes, Superior Windmills can also pump water. Two pump models are available. The VT-6 is a vertical pump designed for use in a 6” or larger well casing. The SW-16 is a horizontal pump that works well in the more shallow water of ponds and streams. Both models are built using PVC casings and brass fittings for longevity.

Why Use A Freeze Tank?
When air is compressed, moisture is formed. In colder climates moisture may accumulate in the air line causing the line to freeze. This can damage the compressor. Also, aerating a pond in the winter can be very beneficial for a number of reasons. Winter aeration eliminates winter fish kill, keeps an area of open water for wildlife and perhaps most important, helps the pond recover from the damage caused by Summer's high heat and low water levels.

How Much Maintenance Does A Superior Windmill Need?
Very little. The pivot tube and swivel bearing need to be greased once a year for proper operation. This is easily done in 15 minutes or less.

What About Assembly?
On average it takes two people 8 to 10 hours to complete the assembly process.

More Questions?
Please call 1-866-493-6953.

All Natural Product Could Help Our Pond A Lot

2007-04-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Terry at Windmillaeration,

I need to thank you for the excellent advice you gave us last summer. After installing a Superior Turbo Jet Stream for our 1½ acre pond we immediately noticed a huge improvement. By mid summer our pond was much clearer and 75% of the algae was gone, but we were not entirely satisfied with the results.

When I called with our concerns you spent a good deal of time asking questions about the surrounding environment. I must admit, when you advised me to get the pond water tested for contaminants I thought you were just passing the buck in hopes that I wouldn't call back.

Our local USDA representative came the following week and took water samples. He contacted us a week or so later with some surprising information. It seems that our pond was being contaminated from an abandoned manure pit almost ½ mile away and uphill from our place. Somehow it was seeping underground and found its way to our pond (and who knows where else). He said he was surprise that the pond looked as good as it did with the amount of contamination he measured. Actually, he was very impressed that the windmill could maintain the pond's current condition at all!

When I called you back you recommended a product called the Pond Care Pack. I was skeptical that an all natural product could help our pond very much. As you can see from the picture I sent, the results are nothing short of spectacular. Thank you so much for your help.

R. Alexander
New York

Clear, Odorless Ponds

2006-11-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Terry,

Since I have been running my Superior Jet Stream windmill, my wife has allowed both our Labrador Retrievers to come in the house. Before our windmill my pond was weedy and caused the dogs to stink. Now our pond is clear, odorless, and my children swim in it many times during the summer.

Jeff Hibbard
Hilton, NY

Windmill Aeration You Can Bet On

2006-11-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Terry,
The Turbo Jet that I ordered two weeks ago is up and running. My wife
and I had a ball putting it together. Purchasing from someone that has
actually assembled these windmills is also a real bonus. When we called with a question you knew exactly what we were talking about.

My neighbor, who works for a pond maintenance company, told me there was
no way that windmill would pump air in 37 feet of water. As a matter of
fact he bet a steak dinner on it. He was standing next to the quarry when we
connected the two diffuser's air lines to the windmill. He couldn't
believe the amount of bubbles that he saw coming to the surface. "When do you want your steak?" was the only thing he said! Thanks very much for everything.

J. Williamson
New York State

Irrigation of Acre Size Ponds

2006-11-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks

Our acre + pond always had irrigation water in it along with algae, weeds, etc. I spoke with some pond caretakers and they advised me to aerate the pond, in order to improve the quality of water, especially for the five different types of fish that we have. Found this outfit in New York (my home state) that sold Windmills that pump air and water. Talked my neighbors into buying one and
proceeded to build this giant erector set. Spent two additional days
preping it for painting, selected the color of the trim of the house - Dark Green, Joyce gets credit for the idea and color.

That me sitting down tighting the hold down bolts. It's a dual-head pump,
so we aerate two sections of the pond, the deepest part is 12 feet deep and
goes up to 6 feet.

Of course I much rather be playing with an old Classic vehicle, but hey,
this is fun too. The Valleys trees are turning all different colors, this
is one of the best times of the year. Plenty of clean crisp air and the best
drinking water, bar none.

When I finish landscaping our front acreage next spring, I'll send some
pictures. Already had our first frost, so planting comes to a halt.

Have a good week and thanks for such a great product.
John

Cleaning an Acre Sized Pond

2006-10-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks

Our acre + pond always had irrigation water in it along with algae, weeds, etc. Spoke with some pond caretakers and they advised me to aerate the pond, in order to improve the quality of water, especially for the five different types of fish that we have. Found this outfit in New York (my home state) that sold Windmills that pump air and water. Talked my neighbors into buying one and proceeded to build this giant erector set. Spent two additional days preping it for painting, selected the color of the trim of the house - Dark Green, Joyce gets credit for the idea and color.
That me sitting down tighting the hold down bolts. It's a dual-head pump, so we aerate two sections of the pond, the deepest part is 12 feet deep and goes up to 6 feet.
Of course I much rather be playing with an old Classic vehicle, but hey, this is fun too. The Valleys trees are turning all different colors, this is one of the best times of the year. Plenty of clean crisp air and the best drinking water, bar none.
When I finish landscaping our front acreage next spring, I'll send some pictures. Already had our first frost, so planting comes to a halt.
Have a good week.
John

Windmill Aeration Testimonial

2006-09-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Terry,

Our Turbo Jet Stream - Windmill Aeration System is up and running. It looks beautiful out next to the pond and many neighbors have stopped by to have a look. After aerating our pond and having it running for just two weeks we can already see improvements in the water.

Thanks so much for the friendly advise and service. Its nice to be able to talk with someone that has actually assembled and installed these windmills aeration systems. The "Installation Tips" that you emailed us were a great help and gave us much more confidence when we started the project. Thanks again.

P.S. Our neighbor Gary will be calling you to find out about windmill water pumping from the creek to his pond using these windmills. Just a heads up.

Allan and Deb,
Syracuse NY

Windmill Testimonial

2006-08-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Terry,

Since I have been running my Superior Windmill, my wife has allowed both our Labrador Retrievers to come in the house. Before installing our windmill aeration system in my pond it was weedy and caused the dogs to stink. Now our pond is clear, odorless, and my children are even swimming in it many times during the summer.

Jeff Hibbard
Hilton, NY

Corporate America: Wake Up and Smell the Water

2006-04-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Look almost anywhere in a populated area and you can spot one. They're everywhere. Retention ponds have spread across North America unchecked in just a few decades. There are tens of thousands of these ponds in the United States alone. Maybe more. Some heavily populated areas have as many as four hundred in a single county. No one really knows the total number. Google retention ponds and you'll find over 1 million search results. Government agencies, studies, pond equipment and contractors are just a few of the results from which you may choose. From designing and constructing to maintenance, there are now companies that specialize in the recent phenomenon of retention ponds.

The reason for these retention ponds, also called retention basins, is simple to understand. The surface of any developed area ( asphalt, roofs, concrete etc ) sheds water faster than natural undeveloped land. As this water flows unchecked from developed areas serious environmental damage can occur. This damage can include soil erosion, the leaching of minerals from the soil and sedimentation. Retention ponds are designed to hold runoff water during heavy rains, then release it back to a natural surface at a slower controlled rate thereby eliminating any negative impact on the environment.

The variety of these man made ponds is as diverse as the areas you'll find them in. From the 100ft diameter shallow pond located out of sight at a small business to the multi acre small lake used as a landscape centerpiece at a condominium complex, the diversity of retention ponds is almost endless. In some areas these ponds are so numerous some studies show a change in wildlife habits. Canadian geese now make their home in many developed locations and as their numbers rise become a nuisance.

I have always had an interest in small bodies of water. Maybe this fascination dates from my childhood when I couldn't walk past a mud puddle without getting my feet wet. As a child I spent many hours in and around the pond in our back yard. When not at our pond I could always be found near the small creek that ran across the farm behind our house. Possibly this causes me to pay extra attention to streams and ponds when I travel. Whether near to home or several states away the results of my ongoing survey are usually the same.

From these observations I have come to a general conclusion regarding retention ponds. As unscientific as it is, from my limited experience there seems to be a direct correlation between the physical appearance of these ponds and the extent they can be seen by the general public. Travel around to the rear of a business or development and chances are if the retention pond can't be easily seen you will find a algae covered, weedy, mosquito infested detriment to the environment. On the other hand if the pond is in front and in full view to the general public this pond is usually well maintained and benefit's the landscape, environment and wildlife. In these cases the business owner or public's opinion may be the deciding factors. What's being overlooked is the negative effects on the environment. Poorly maintained, algae and weed covered ponds are also a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry the threat of West Nile virus.

I applaud the many responsible business owners who maintain their ponds whether they be retention or decorative, in full view or out of sight of the public. Maintenance regulations often absent in older zoning laws are now being written and enforced in the larger metropolitan areas. However, in rural locations where poor water quality impacts wildlife the greatest, maintenance regulations for small bodies of water are often lax or nonexistent.

The single most cost effective way to keep small bodies of water healthy is aeration. Aeration rids water of excess nutrients that cause algae and weeds to grow unchecked. Chemicals and residues contained in runoff from parking lots are greatly reduced. Stagnation and stratification are eliminated as well. In short, a body of water that is aerated is healthier and more attractive in every way.

Two companies, Superior Windmill and Koenders Windmills are the world leaders in wind powered aeration. Both companies offer a wide selection of time tested products, technical support and excellent warranties. These windmill aerators are perfect choices for retention ponds, whether existing or still in the planning stage. Their products are quiet, reliable, low maintenance and require no electricity to operate. They also look great in any setting. Koender's does however offer electric powered alternatives for those who wish to use them.

With great products like these on the market there is no excuse not to maintain your retention pond. The wildlife and your neighbors will thank you.

© 2006 Windmill Aeration

Windmill Aeration Helps Cattle Farmers

2006-04-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sending you this letter because I lost a bet, but I will get to that in a minute. I own a beef cattle farm on 900 acres. Like my father and grandfather, farming is all I've ever wanted to do and after 40 some years thought that I knew everything there was to know about raising beef. That is until Rick came along to work for us.

Last spring I had to advertise for a little extra help and when Rick came to apply I knew right away he was the man I wanted. Not that he said much mind you. It was more the way he carried himself and seemed genuinely interested in our farm. Said he had been working on a ranch out west for seven or eight years but wanted to move back home to be closer to his family. I hired him on the spot.

Let me get to the point here. We have six ponds on this farm and depend on all six to keep the cattle supplied with drinking water. If the ponds go dry, grow pond algae and pond scum, or just get really skunky - all of a sudden, we have a full time job on our hands hauling and pumping water. There is a stream down back that runs full time and all the water has to be hauled or pumped ( with a portable gas pump ) from there. It's a long way back, its time consuming, and expensive.

Well late last summer it turned pretty dry and sure enough , the lower the ponds got , the greener the water and we started hauling before they even dried up. That's about when Rick asked me why I didn't aerate our ponds like the place he worked out west. I told him running power to the ponds would cost too much and I didn't much like the idea of giving more money to the power company either. That's when he told me about Aeration Windmills. That night he brought over some Xerox copies with all the products that you sell. Told me he looked all over and we could get everything we needed right there in one spot. We could aerate the ponds to keep them from greenin up (growing pond algae).

Rick said we could pump pond water into troughs so the cattle wouldn't keep contaminating the ponds and eroding the banks down getting in and out to drink. On a dry year we could even pump from the creek and stop running those gas pumps. He had some pond aeration - government studies that he got from you to show me what other farmers had done. I didn't think the price was bad either and told Rick to order whatever he thought we needed.

"But if this doesn't work we're taking the thing down and sending it back" I told him.

"What if it does work the way its supposed to" Rick asked me.

It was right then that I told him "I bet it wont, but if it does I'll buy two more".

That's why I'm writing you this letter Terry, I need two more of those windmill aeration systems along with the water pump setups. I guess I don't need to say anymore.

- Taylor Stillwell
Western New York

© 2006 Windmill Aeration

Ponds A Main Source of Water

2006-03-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

There are well over 2 million ponds in North America supplying the most precious resource humans require for survival. Water is a basic need for every organ of our body to function and at least 35-45% of our body's cells consist of water.

On a daily basis the average person sweats out about .5 of a litre of water per/day. We breath out about .35 liter of water and finally we discharge over 1 litre of water a day through our urine.

To give you an idea of the fine balance between intake of water and discharge consider the following.

1-2 % change in the balance our bodies react in pain or thirst
5-6% of a bodies water we will feel, dizzy, light headed or hallucinate
15% can be fatal

So if water is so important to our bodies than why is it that people do not take care of the pond water that lies right out side their doors, on their properties.

Water that we drink needs to be clean and healthy but even if we are not drinking the water from our ponds - the wildlife is and many a time you and your families are if you swim in the pond.

Many successful companies have emerged over the years providing chemicals like chlorine, copper sulphate and various other chemical compositions to keep ponds clean but in reality if you are not aerating your ponds then no matter what you add to your pond it is not going to be a healthy one.

There are so many cost effective aeration systems to choose from today that there is no excuse to have an unhealthy pond on your property. As a matter of fact, visitors to farms and homes who see unhealthy looking ponds consider this a direct reflection on the land owners. Pond aeration is an excellent first step in cleaning up your pond water and preventing smelly odor filled ponds from polluting the communities we live in.

If you do not want to spend money on the operation of a water aeration system then buy a windmill pond aeration system instead of an electrical one. There are even pond aeration systems that are operated by solar panels.

Install a pond aeration system today, we owe it to the environment to keep our ponds clean and healthy. Lets not take clean water for granted.

© 2006 Windmill Aeration

Golf Courses Trade Chemicals For Aeration

2006-03-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Golf course ponds are one of the biggest users of pond chemicals in the country. Greens keepers want to ensure that all water hazards beautify the golf course. The unfortunate reality is by making these ponds look pretty they are also destroying any wild life that could possible survive in it.

Cost savings has been the main driver for greens keepers to look at alternative ways to keep their ponds clean and looking good. Instead of buying thousands of dollars per/year in chemicals they are replacing pond chemicals with pond aeration.

Water aeration systems come in two main forms electrical and wind powered. Windmills are being used more and more to cut down on the energy costs that electrical aeration systems produce.

The average water hazard is approximate 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size and by using an water aeration system that produces 1.5 CFM (cubic feet per/minute of air) the chemicals essentially become a thing of the past.

The other important benefit to aeration is safety. Preserving our ponds is one thing but ensuring the survival of our wildlife is as important.

© 2006 Windmill Aeration