Your shopping cart is empty!
Categories
- Pond Sealant
- Aeration Systems
- Air Pumps & Compressors
- Algae Control
- Algaecides & Herbicides
- Bacteria & Clarifiers
- DC Compressors & 12V Pumps
- Diffusers & Airstones
- Dock Bubblers & Deicers
- Dyes & Colorants
- Fountains
- Large Ponds & Lakes
- Muck Removal
- Pond Liner
- Slide Gates & Water Control
- Tubing & Accessories
- Water Treatments
- Windmill Aeration
- Commercial & Industrial Supplies
- Solar Aeration
-
Information & Articles
- - Aeration: The Key To Success
- - Air Compressors: Rotary Vane
- - Air Pumps: Linear or Diaphragm
- - Airline & Tubing for Aeration Systems
- - Algae Control
- - Aquatic Plants & Weeds in Ponds
- - Building A Dock Bubbler System
- - Building A Pond: The Basic Steps
- - Calculating Dissolved Oxygen Levels
- - Compost Aeration & Compost Tea
- - Diffusers: The Key To Efficient Aeration
- - Dock Bubblers & Deicers
- - Duckweed Control
- - Fountain For Ponds, Lakes & Small Gardens
- - Grease Trap Bacteria & Enzymes
- - Mosquito Control in Ponds
- - Muck: Removing Sludge & Pond Muck
- - Pond Aeration Systems
- - Pond Dyes: Aesthetics & Growth Control
- - Pond Liners
- - Pond Pumps: Submersible & External
- - Pond Winterization: Prepare Your Pond for Winter
- - Septic Bacteria Treatments
- - Solar Aeration, Solar Pumps & Solar Systems
- - Solar Aerator Parts List
- - Solar DC & 12V Pumps
- - Weeds & Eurasian Milfoil
- - Windmill Aeration & Windmill Pumping
- - Windmill Reviews
- - Winterization of Ponds and Lakes
- - Beneficial Bacteria: Helping A Pond Naturally
- - Algae: Basics of Pond Algae
- - Oxygen Transfer Rates, SOTR & Pumping Rates of Aeration Systems
- - Pond Weed & Algae Control
- - Questions & Answers
- - Waterfalls: Building a Waterfall
- - Weighted Airhose, Airline & Tubing for Ponds
- - Links to Suppliers & References
- - PondKeeper Products
- Consultations & Design Assistance
-
Books & Guides
- - Pond Building Books
- - Water Gardens: Building & Maintenence
- - Waterfalls: Building Water Falls and Cascades
- - Koi: Koi Ponds & Koi Care
- - Goldfish: Maintaining Healthy Goldfish
- - Algae, Aquatic Plants & Aquatic Weeds
- - Trout Ponds & Bass Ponds
- - Swimming Ponds: Natural Swimming Pools
- - Watershed Conservation & Management
- Links & Resources
Building A Dock Bubbler System
|
What
you need for a bubbler de-icer for a dock, boathouse or marina. A step by
step guide for setting up your dock bubbler Amazon 2018 Sale Prices on Dock Deicers & Ice Eaters  ** Bubblers are for dock areas less than 6 feet deep usually and deicers and thrusting agitators are for dock and marina areas that have more than 6 feet of depth. The principle of a keeping a dock or marina clear of ice is to ensure that the natural crushing pressure of ice is not able to squeeze the structure. Ice is so powerful that it can literally lift lake bed pilings out of their footings and toss them about like sticks. I have seen large yachts tied up in large Eastern Seaboard marinas suffer thousands of dollars of damage due to ice. While ice usually forms in shallow or areas in lakes and ponds without circulation it is important to remember that early ice formations can occur in November in some areas. While typical ice thickness will not maintain a constant spread until December in most Northern Latitudes the freezing of ponds can occur without warning so it is better to buy an inexpensive dock bubbler or build a dock deicer before it is in January and the ice is thicker than you'd like! Step 1: Install the compressor in your boathous or shed. Build a simple wooden box if you don't have a nearby shelter handy. Step 2: Connect the weighted airline to the valve outlet that is supplied with the compressor. Tighten clamps firmly but do not overtighten. Step 3: Connect the weighted self-sinking airline to the bubbler tubing. Do not bend it sharply as it can kink. The lead keel can be cut with metal shears. Make sure the end of the bubbler tubing has a plug on the end! Step 4 : Start the compressor. Having airflow running through the line during submersion helps ensure your placement is correct as you can follow the bubbles at the surface and ensure the water movement is uniform. Step 5: Install the diffuser de-icer line around the area you want to keep free from ice. Usually the tubing, which is weighted, is placed on the outside edge of the structure you are trying to protect. The tubing should be kept on a fairly consistant depth or you will lose bubbles in deeper zones. The tubing can also be attached to the pilings of the dock or fixed to suspended stakes which are attached to the dock to ensure the tubing is at a consistant depth. Step 6: You're done..there is no Step 6!
Types
of deicers, ice eaters and dock bubblers
For the small
and medium sized applications we have built two all inclusive packages
that include all the componants you need including compressor, tubing,
bubbler line, clamps, connectors, caps and hardware. The small system
includes 100 feet of self-sinking bubbler hose and 100 feet of weighted
airline while the larger system has 250' of bubbler hose and 100
feet of self-sinking airhose. When a dock is in shallow waters the popular deicer or ice eater may not work as well because this sort of motor needs to push warmer waters to the surface in order to be effective. When waters are 6 feet deep or less there is less temperature stratification in the water and even the water at the very bottom can be too cold to effectively melt surface ice. While the agitation of the water will keep a small hole open even when trying to deice a shallow area the diameter of the hole is typically smaller. In shallow waters the most popular system is called a bubbler or a dock bubbler. This sort of system involves an air compressor on the dock or shore mounted that blows air into diffusers or a diffuser line like a diffuser line, de-icing hose or bubbler line or deicer tubing which is a weighted perforated tubing that releases tiny bubbles down the length of the tubing. The long linear length of bubbles creates a constant movement of water and this steady flowing curtain of bubbles ensures that there is no ice formation along the dock structure or boat slips. Previous generations of weighted tubing were lead-lined stiff plastic PVC tubing with die cut slits ever 12 to 18 inches. I have found this tubing to be susceptible to kinks and ruptures not to mention the lead metal keel that was designed to keep the tubing on the pond bottom actually used a poisonous metal which has since fallen out of favor with anyone concerned about the potential health effects of heavy metals in our water. Newer developments in diffuser tubing have seen improvements in efficiency and safety by using all PVC diffuser tubing that contains zero metals. PVC is a polymer of vinyl chloride and is insoluble in most organic solvents. Such diffuser line, de-icing hose or bubbler line, being constructed of vinyl resins, which are used in soft flexible films for food packaging and in molded rigid products, such as pipes, fibers, upholstery, and bristles, is a more environmental choice. Plus, the ability of such new diffuser tubing to remain flexible in cold temperatures makes it's use as a deicer tubing much more practical. While the installation of such a dock bubbler system can be more labor intensive than the relative ease of installing a dock deicer, there are advantages. A dock bubbler, because it uses an air compressor or regenerative blower, will cost less in electrical consumption compared to an ice eater agitator. Submersible motors run from 3 amperes to over 20 amperes depending on the horse power of the motor. An air compressor for a dock bubbler will run between 2 and 10 amperes. When using diffuser lines to protect your dock from ice damage there will be some fairly common installation procedures: place the air compressor in a ventilated cabinet or shed. Some turnkey deicer systems come standard with a lockable cabinet designed to resist salt water and rust but some cheap deicers or homemade deicers do not include or even mention the need for a protective housing for the compressor. In our northern climates where winter temperatures near the Great Lakes can be a bone chilling minus 30 degrees for weeks on end it is essential to protect the compressor. I have seen some inexpensive dock Bubblers that appeal to the do it yourself deicer types that claim that the compressor can sit on the dock without worry but that is a recipe for disaster! The compressor could be damaged by severe weather or in the case of a power failure could be destroyed by the freezing of any condensation in the compressor housing so don't be fooled into thinking a small dock can use a small linear air pump that sits on the end of the dock. From the blower or air pump a weighted line runs into the water. The line can be buried but if you are using a thick walled and high bore airline you can often get away with surface layout. At the end of your airline you attach the diffuser line, de-icing hose or bubbler line or diffuser line which typically runs the length of the dock in need of protection. I sometimes recommend running multiple lines of tubing or a perimeter loop depending on the layout of the boathouse and boat slips involved. Remember that variations in depth can affect the bubble flow of the diffuser tubing so it is better to use multiple lines if there are major deviations in depth around the marine or private dock. Sometimes even a variation of a few feet can inhibit the correct flow of air in a tubing. Since one PSI is equivalent to 2.3 feet of depth a difference of few feet could mean that air flow in the weighted tubing is restricted in the deeper areas and no bubbles are being released. I have seen dock bubbler systems that include single lengths of tubing meant to be placed in a loop of over 400 feet and I have often seen large areas with no bubbles in such installations especially when undersized linear compressors are used. The temptation to buy a cheap bubbler are everywhere on the Internet but it is important to understand the limitations of the technology before leaning towards buying the cheapest system. Of course, in larger marina projects, where hundreds of boat slips are involved and the dock structure is hundreds of feet of complex maze-like boat stalls a larger, more professional grade system is required. In projects like these we will install large high pressure, high CFM compressors to feed multiple lengths of 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch diffuser tubing. 3 HP to 5 HP compressor are not uncommon using a series of control manifold valves to control the airflow into multiple lines of diffuser bubbler hose. Regardless of the system you choose it is wise to control the operation of the dock deicer or dock bubbler with a thermostat control that will only initiate operation of the motor when freezing temperatures warrant operation: usually when the air temperature is gist below the freezing threshold. These inexpensive thermostats measure the outside air temperature and engage the air compressor or submersed thruster only when it is required. Another benefit of using a thermo control unit are the savings in electricity costs associated with the deicer. Building your own deicer, do it yourself dock Bubblers Send us an email describing your dock, marina or boathouse and our design team will submit an affordable bubbler plan or deicing strategy or take a look at our dock bubbler packages Saving money is something most of us want to do and when confronted with the cost of a commercial de-icer I often hear people ask how they can build a cheap deicer or as me how to build a dock bubbler. It can be done but before you consider taking on the task ask yourself if it is really worth the time and effort to buy the parts required and, of course, the actual labor it entails to build a pond bubbler. If your goal is to protect your dock and eliminate costly repairs from winter ice damage then you should weigh the cost benefits of purchasing a pre-designed system from a local expert. If you are gung-ho about doing it yourself it is really not rocket science! Building a dock bubbler involves buying a cheap pump, adding some airline, and then adding a diffuser hose or even diffuser discs at strategic points under the dock or boat slips. I've seen small deicers built for less than $600 dollars but I've also seen such systems fail due to poor design and costly boat and major dock repairs resulting! Using standard PVC plumbing pipes and drilling holes with a hand drill is one way to avoid buying professional grade diffuser tubing but one errant drilling of a hole can result in catastrophic failure of the system. Pumping air through an open ended pipe, creating large coarse bubbles, will work to an extent but often the results are hit and miss. Today's systems have undergone years of testing and while the temptation is often there to build a homemade bubbler is often nagging at our thrifty instinct I have seen such desires lead to more expenses that would have been involved in buying a dock bubbler from a reputable and experienced supply store.
Dock
Bubbler & De-Icer Product & Website Reviews
Kasco Marine, Inc. De-Icers
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Our
deicing experts have years of experience with design and installation
of bubblers and de-icers in mining, stormwater, gas and oilsands
and tailings ponds, ski hills, municipal docks and marinas
and dam deicing and pumphouse deicing. Using the most efficient
systems we can design or recommend the ideal deicing or bubbler
system for any job, large or small.
The range of websites offering the ice eater shows that it is a
popular low-cost deicer system and our review team was quite impressed
by the construction presentation of the ice eater system. The Power
House, Inc. uses only the finest materials in our patented product.
By example, the end bell is made of solid brass, our housings are
stainless, and the venturi shroud, which not only directs water
flow, but protects the unit if it's dropped is made from schedule
40 PVC. The Ice Eater is actually more efficient to operate than
Kasco. The Power House Ice Eater can clear a larger area than Kasco
hp. for hp. The units don't require a dock mount, a cost saving
feature. The material used in these products are superior to many
other vertical lift unit. They one of have the best warranty return
histories in the industry with some units still in operation after
20 years of use (i.e.. Cutter Marine in Maryland). They have established
over the last 28 years a strong dealer-distributor network throughout
North America. 
