Beware of Some Warranty Programs for Pond Equipment and Pond Aeration Systems

Its that time of year again, Spring is in the air and Pond Owners are thinking about the many projects that lie ahead in preparation for the hot summer months.

One project many Pond Owners are entertaining at this time of year is how to prevent pond stratification, pond algae and/or fish kill.

The best way to do this is by aerating your pond. For those of you that have not heard of pond aeration – it is the process of adding oxygen to water in order to increase its levels of oxygen. By injecting air into the water you reduce the levels of phosphorous, nitrogen and other nutrients and organic matter that accumulate in a pond. These nutrients otherwise deplete oxygen levels and encourage pond algae growth.

There are two main types of aeration systems – electrical aeration and windmill aeration. Be sure to ask your vendor about the product warranties. There are many components to an aeration system – the compressor (critical component), the air line that transports the air from the compressor into the water, the air diffuser, the windmill structure etc…

Most electrical aeration systems come with a standard one year warranty on all parts. Windmill aeration systems seem to be a little more reliable hence we see a few manufactures with extended warranties passed the standard 12 months.

Koenders Windmills has a very straight forward warranty program – an industry leading 3 yr warranty on all windmill parts.

Superior Windmill is another manufacturer that keeps its warranty program very simple – offering an 18 month warranty program on all windmill parts second only to Koenders Windmills.

Caution should be taken when you talk to Windmill Manufacturing companies that only provide a 1 yr warranty on all windmill parts. Ask how long they have been in business – chances are not very long. These same manufacturers will be sure to let you know that they have extended warranties on items like the airline (since when did an airline ever break?). Beware of the marketing tricks like a industry leading 5-10 yr warranty on air line or a 2-3 year warranty on an air diffuser – these are very inexpensive accessories that a warranty is of very little value. These parts are extremely unlikely to break down in the warranty time lines and if they do the replacement value is very low.

What you want your extended warranty on is the windmill and the compressor. Make sure that you get more than a year on these essential windmill aeration components.

© 2007, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

Freezing Temperature in the East But Our Pond Remains Open

We finally received our winter a few weeks ago and I am sure glad that I installed my windmill aeration system in December. With temperatures well below freezing in Michigan our pond is frozen over – all except for about a 10 FT diameter hole in the middle of the pond that is being kept open from 20 FT tall windmill that is aerating our pond.

We ended up buying a Koenders Windmill for they have been around for a number of years and anyone that I speak to who owns one of their windmill products is extremely happy with the quality and reliability. It is working just as the company said it would.

We like to attract the birds to the pond in the winter and as many other animals as we can. The open pond seems to be attracting all sorts of wildlife who are all popping over for a drink of water or bath.

Windmill pond aeration will keep our pond open in the winter and allow it to vent off any gases or toxin that otherwise would be trapped in the pond during winter months. It is also cleaning the pond so that come spring we are hoping to be done with the ugly Algae that has plagued us for the last 5 years since the temperatures have increased.

As a pond owner we are extremely happy that we bought one of these Koenders Windmills and wish that we had not been so stubborn and bought one years ago.

Submitted by:
Sal Wenshi
Michigan, US

© 2007, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com