Diffuser Placement Recommendations

By: Matt Frey, International Account Manager | Originally Posted: Oct. 22, 2018 | Updated: Aug. 23, 2022
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Diffuser Replacement Recommendations

As summer turns to winter, there are many things we do differently to adapt to the outside conditions. For example, we turn off the A/C and switch to heat, we retire our sun-shielding baseball caps for warm, knitted hats, and we even swap out outdoor barbeques for hearty soups. To make it through the different seasons, we need to adjust our lifestyles. The same can be said for the placement of your RobustAire™ diffuser(s). Their underwater location can drastically change the outcome at the surface.

Summer Diffuser Placement

In the summer months, we recommend positioning diffusers long distances from shore to ensure they are at the deepest points of your pond or lake. The deeper you place a diffuser, the more it will help improve water quality. This is because diffused aeration oxygen transfer efficiency increases with pond depth and the amount of contact time the air bubbles have with the water column. This allows the bubbles more time to move the dead, bottom water up to the surface and vent off harmful gases, replacing it with oxygen.

Kasco Underwater Diffuser

At Kasco, we advise placing the diffusers at least 8 ft. deep, but the further you go, the better the results will be. A diffuser placed at a depth of 15 ft. moves about 4.5 million gallons of water per day, whereas at 30 ft., it will move about 16.7 million gallons per day. These numbers prove just how much more water can be moved the deeper a diffuser is placed.

Winter Diffuser Placement

As a general rule, in the winter, a Robust-Aire diffuser will keep a 3 ft. diameter of water open for every 1 ft. of depth. For instance, in 10 ft. of water, you can expect a 30 ft. diameter of open water. However, local conditions and a variety of factors may alter this.

POTENTIAL RISK  

Keeping the diffusers placed far from shore, like in the summer months, can be dangerous for people and animals. It would be all too easy for someone to fall through thin ice or into open water without an easy way out. If this is something that concerns you, there are two easy ways to prevent it.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

First, you can simply turn off the diffusers in the winter. However, this does come with a risk to your fish as preventing open water can lead to a winterkill situation. The second method is to move the diffuser(s) closer to shore. This solution allows you to maintain your thermal mass in small, shallow ponds by not mixing the deepest, warmest water. Additionally, the open water is in contact with the shore, meaning anyone or anything that may fall in can simply walk out.  

Kasco recommends installing several warning signs next to the pond or lake that has areas of open water. It is also a good idea to check with local regulations for what steps are necessary in your part of the country.

If you have any questions about the placement of your diffuser(s), please email us or call 715-262-4488.


 

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