Deicer and bubbler question

[Ramm36]

Hello, I have a deicer and a bubbler system installed in my pond. I think I’m in zone 6? Northeastern PA. I’ve noticed the last time it was super cold that the deicer actually collected snow and had no opening on top like I had expected. I also thought that I had read somewhere that I should have it directly above the bubbler. When I did that, the bubbles just pushed it away. What is the correct way to do this? The past few days have been pretty cold and the top of the deicer was frozen. I broke of the ice and moved it closer to one of the bubblers. Kinda seems like the bubblers do more than the deicer does. I have attached some pictures of the deicer and the bubbler that I have and also how it is in the pond currently. Am I doing this right or should I make some adjustments? Any help would be great. Thank you

 

[Angel]

sounds like the deicer might be bad.

put in your freezer for a few hours deicer unplugged naturally. then after 4-6hrs take it out and plug it in while inside. you should feel it starting to warm up by its heat with in minutes. you will be ok with just the bubble.

S NJ here

 

[Ramm36]

sounds like the deicer might be bad.

put in your freezer for a few hours deicer unplugged naturally. then after 4-6hrs take it out and plug it in while inside. you should feel it starting to warm up by its heat with in minutes. you will be ok with just the bubble.

S NJ here

I do believe that it is working, when I pull it out of the pond it steams

 

[mrsclem]

250 watts might not be enough. I have 100 watt heaters that handle most of our winters in southern Maryland but with super cold weather, the water freezes solid around them. Thats when I plug in the 1500 watt heaters.

 

[teeemkay]

With this kind of cold, you might need a more powerful de-icer, as suggested. The one I use is 1000 watts and it's the only thing that works when we hit 0 degrees or lower.

 

[Tula]

With the size of your pond, you could easily cover it , which pretty much keeps the pond from icing over. I agree with others, de icer probably isn't strong enough.

 

[qclabrat]

Mine is over a 1000 watts and I think it is a bit over kill as my 10x12 pond is more than 50% deiced on top. Planning to get one under 500 watts. Can some one recommend a reliable make/model? I live in Northern NJ, 6a/b zone

 

[brokensword]

Mine is over a 1000 watts and I think it is a bit over kill as my 10x12 pond is more than 50% deiced on top. Planning to get one under 500 watts. Can some one recommend a reliable make/model? I live in Northern NJ, 6a/b zone

I believe the deicers only activate when the surroundings get below a certain temp, and then deactivates upon a different limit. I think it's like 32-34 F, if I'm not mistaken. So, wouldn't really matter in that case how many watts; the higher would just work faster. That said, an under-specced unit might never keep up. Have you investigated a pond breather? I think it's a better/easier solution...all you really need is a hole to allow any toxic gasses to escape. Even if your unit has snow over it, the ice itself should be melted. The snow will still allow the gas escape. Just be sure it's working. With a pond breather, it's an easier 'inspection' to confirm this as the inner tube shows a thin stream of moving water.

 

[qclabrat]

I believe the deicers only activate when the surroundings get below a certain temp, and then deactivates upon a different limit. I think it's like 32-34 F, if I'm not mistaken. So, wouldn't really matter in that case how many watts; the higher would just work faster. That said, an under-specced unit might never keep up. Have you investigated a pond breather? I think it's a better/easier solution...all you really need is a hole to allow any toxic gasses to escape. Even if your unit has snow over it, the ice itself should be melted. The snow will still allow the gas escape. Just be sure it's working. With a pond breather, it's an easier 'inspection' to confirm this as the inner tube shows a thin stream of moving water.

do you need to use an aerator along with with a bubbler?

 

[brokensword]

In my vernacular, they're one and the same. Do you mean an aerator and a DEICER? It helps on the especially cold days. I first used an aerator only but one winter, the line got pinched and I lost the hole. That's when I used the deicer--to reclaim the hole (actually, I have a cattle trough heater, but the purpose is about the same except my unit does not turn off between specified limits). I then added a new aerator/line. When it gets really cold, depending on how much air is being pumped, the ice can actually close over the hole just the same. I now use a pond breather and don't worry about it as the 'hole' is always going to be there as long as the pond breather is working. The thin bit of heater wire helps along with the small pump (housed down below the ice/surface). Search for pond breather threads and you'll find many of us use one.


Michael

 

[barryian]

FYI - My pond is 2000 gallons. Everything is shut down except my skimmer running through the main drain, returning through the waterfall. Hard to believe but it works every year ( zone 7 Long Island ) with 11°F last night, my 1000 watt de-icer is directly in front of the standard Savio weir. The water runs through and heats just enough to keep the water temp at 45F - 50F depending on temps. During this extended cold snap, the water temps dropped to 43F. Running a 2nd 1000 watt temporarily on other end. Fish are moving! haven't had a death or illness as long as I can remember. Just uploaded pics as one has to see it to believe it. Temp is now 49F so I pulled the 2nd de-icer power until temps hit 4F Friday .... BTW - My de-icer is on a temperature controller I built so temp goes on at 34F air temp and off at 37F air temp ...

 

[poconojoe]

I'm also in Northeastern PA. Mount Pocono to be exact. My pond is 1500 gallons with many koi, shubunkin, comets and goldfish. I currently use a 250 watt deicer also from K&H that works fine every year. I previously owned the same one that was 750 watts and it was actually too strong. It would keep a large area of open water.
Right now 1/3/2018, as you know, we've been having a long very cold spell. Single digits or even subzero at night for some time now and my deicer has been keeping a nice hole in it's center. Maybe your's is defective.

 

[MoonShadows]

As most of you know, my pond is a small raised pond of just 425 gallons. In addition to leaving my submersible filter running and raising my two air stones, I also covered the entire pond with a Sunbubble. If you haven't seen my other posts, this is a Sunbubble.

The Sunbubble does a great job of trapping solar radiation and keeping the water temps up. (Think pond in a greenhouse.) However, with all this unseasonably cold weather the past week of subzero and single digits at night, the pond finally got about 1 1/2" of ice on top. I still had two holes where the air stones are and where I aimed the flow of my submersible on the other side, but with no relief in sight, and even colder temps predicted for Friday and Saturday, I was concerned, so I bought an Allied Precision Floating Deicer 1500W on Tuesday just like the ones in @barryian's post above. I made a big enough hole to put the deicer in feeling much better that this would definitely keep a hole in the ice. Yesterday morning I couldn't see a thing, but that's normal after a very cold night. The Sunbubble gets so much thick frost on the inside at night from the warm condensate hitting the cold bubble. I went out and open the bubble to find no ice at all. I thought, this is great. Then, for some reason, it dawned on me to check the water temp. In less than 24 hours, the water temp went from the low 30's to 55 degrees! I was shocked. I thought this thing would just keep a hole in the ice, not warm the water so much. I unplugged it and will only plug it back in...for a while...if I need it again. Talk about over kill!

 

[MoonShadows]

I think I’m in zone 6? Northeastern PA.

I'm also in Northeastern PA. Mount Pocono to be exact.

Stroudsburg here, right on the Bartonsville border.

 

[barryian]

As most of you know, my pond is a small raised pond of just 425 gallons. In addition to leaving my submersible filter running and raising my two air stones, I also covered the entire pond with a Sunbubble. If you haven't seen my other posts, this is a Sunbubble.

View attachment 107494

The Sunbubble does a great job of trapping solar radiation and keeping the water temps up. (Think pond in a greenhouse.) However, with all this unseasonably cold weather the past week of subzero and single digits at night, the pond finally got about 1 1/2" of ice on top. I still had two holes where the air stones are and where I aimed the flow of my submersible on the other side, but with no relief in sight, and even colder temps predicted for Friday and Saturday, I was concerned, so I bought an Allied Precision Floating Deicer 1500W on Tuesday just like the ones in @barryian's post above. I made a big enough hole to put the deicer in feeling much better that this would definitely keep a hole in the ice. Yesterday morning I couldn't see a thing, but that's normal after a very cold night. The Sunbubble gets so much thick frost on the inside at night from the warm condensate hitting the cold bubble. I went out and open the bubble to find no ice at all. I thought, this is great. Then, for some reason, it dawned on me to check the water temp. In less than 24 hours, the water temp went from the low 30's to 55 degrees! I was shocked. I thought this thing would just keep a hole in the ice, not warm the water so much. I unplugged it and will only plug it back in...for a while...if I need it again. Talk about over kill!