EPA SepticSmart Week September 16-20, 2024

The EPA has designated this week in September SepticSmart week! SepticSmart week is dedicated to educating homeowners on maintaining their septic systems. Knowing how to dispose of chemicals, household hazardous waste properly, and wastewater can all prolong your septic tank’s lifespan.

SepticSmart Week is an annual event that occurs in the third week of September. Communities, local groups, and state governments can bring attention to the importance of caring for and maintaining septic systems by organizing homeowner education events, sponsoring workshops, or sharing social media from the SepticSmart program.

Read more about being Septic Smart on our website!

There are many types of septic systems (wastewater treatment systems), including advanced systems such as ATU’s (aerobic treatment units).  HIBLOW septic aerators are the “heart” of ATU’s breathing oxygen into the tank which is “food” for the “good” bacteria.  That beneficial bacteria treats wastewater substantially better than a conventional system and helps prevent drain fields from clogging among many other benefits.   Regardless of the type of system, the following tips are good for anyone not on a municipal sewer system.

Available Now: Portable Pressure Gauge Kits

HIBLOW Portable Pressure Gauge Kits are designed to help service providers and homeowners monitor system pressure for septic aerobic treatment systems and pond/ lake aeration. The 0-5 PSI kit is perfect for most residential septic aerobic systems and ponds below 8’. The 0-10 PSI kit is ideal for ponds and lakes up to 20’ and larger commercial aerobic treatment units.

Measure and document pressure readings periodically. Is the pressure trending higher or lower? Proactively troubleshoot to find the root cause before it’s too late and the system is down, and expensive repairs are necessary.

Visit our website to learn more!

Pond Aerator Maintenance

Managing a pond is no small task.  There are many variables that can impact the ecosystem and the pond’s appearance.  While mother nature is certainly in charge, adding a subsurface (bottom diffused) pond aeration system increases oxygen levels creating an environment for fish to thrive while improving water clarity. Maintaining the system to maximize results is the next challenge.  

Pond Aeration System Maintenance Steps:

*Although most of this information is relevant for rocking piston systems as well (often used for subsurface aeration of deeper ponds/ lakes) – the following focuses on linear diaphragm air pumps.  

1. Check the air filter every 6 months.  Clean/ replace as needed. 
2. Measure and log the pressure and water depth of your system periodically.     
3. Visually inspect the diffusers.  Clean or replace wear components as needed.
4. Balance the aeration system’s manifold if running multiple diffusers
5. Inspect the enclosure and clean it as needed
6. Repairing a linear diaphragm air pump

Read the full details on our website! 

A pond aerator is likely the only piece of equipment running 24/7 at your house.  Eventually the diaphragms will rupture.  the valves inside of the casing blocks (attached to the diaphragms), will also wear.  No need to buy a new pump when the diaphragms rupture.  Rebuild kits are available and can be installed in 20 minutes with a few tools.  We suggest rebuilding the pump 2 times.  Kits are available on our website.  Inside the product listing is an instruction video.  https://shop.hiblow-usa.com/

Over time, especially in hotter climates, gaskets may also deteriorate, especially the lower housing gasket that seals the upper and lower housings.  Gasket along with all other spare parts are available on our web shop. 

• What Size Air Pump Should I Buy?
• DIY Pond Aeration
• How to Calculate Backpressure
• What Type of Diffuser
• How Water Depth, Pipe Size and Diffuser Type Affect Longevity
• DIY Solar Pond
• For all HIBLOW pond aeration content click here

Help Us Support Kids Through Make-A-Wish Michigan!

We’re excited to announce several members of the HIBLOW team are taking part in the Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour benefiting Make-A-Wish Michigan!

“The Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour is the single-largest fundraising event for the Michigan chapter, started in 1987 with four friends who challenged each other to ride 300 miles from Canton to Mackinac. This event has continued to grow from these humble beginnings into an amazing, heartwarming journey of dedicated cyclists and volunteers. You can help make transformational wishes come true for Michigan children battling critical illnesses by joining us for the 37th annual Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour happening July 26-28, 2024.”

Through the rest of May and June, we’re gearing up for the event and we need your help! Every dollar helps kids across Michigan. Our fundraising goal is $10,000!

Please visit our fundraising pages below!

https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/team/TeamHIBLOW

https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/participant/TimSmith

https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/participant/Eric-Valentine

https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/participant/Kyle-Carter

Check back to see our progress and follow us on social media to see how our racing team members are doing when the race kicks off in July!

How to Size a Pond Aerator by the Number of Diffusers

Every pond is unique in size, shape, and depth. 

Figuring out the number of diffusers needed to mix the entirety of the pond and working backwards can be a prudent strategy. For example, if you have a kidney shaped pond, you probably need at least 3 diffusers. Some ponds may need 4 if they have multiple coves.

Pond Aerator Sizing Steps:

1. Choose the number of diffusers based on the shape and size of your pond.
2. Identify which model diffuser you are going to buy. Manufacturers typically publish how much air flow is needed to “self-clean” – the amount of air flow that will keep the pores open and free of biological growth. Somewhere in the 30-40 LPM (liter per minute) is common and creates good circulation.
3. Figure out the back pressure of your system (water pressure + diffuser backpressure + tubing friction loss). For a detailed step-by-step process, check out our article: https://www.hiblow-usa.com/2022/06/07/pond-aerator-how-to-calculate-backpressure/
4. Once you have figured out the backpressure of the system, review the pond aerator performance curves to determine the total amount of air flow. Start with the aerator recommended in the Pond Aerator Sizing Recommendation Table and bump up to the next size if needed. Pressure and flow have an inverse relationship – if one goes up, the other goes down. Performance curves are available on our website and are explained in the backpressure article.
5. Divide the number of diffusers needed by the total air flow. Choose the pump that exceeds the amount of flow per diffuser suggested by the manufacturer.

More examples are on our website!

If you have any questions about choosing the right size pond aerator, please give us a call at 734-944-5032 or email us at info@hiblow-usa.com.

What Size Aerator Should You Buy?

Subsurface aeration is the best way to mechanically initiate the transfer of oxygen into a pond. Although micro bubbles – created by air flowing through a diffuser – add some dissolved oxygen, the greatest transfer occurs as water circulates to the surface. Water at the surface absorbs oxygen from the atmosphere and then circulates back to the bottom of the pond. Turning over the pond – the process of moving the entire volume of water to the surface periodically – creates an oxygen rich environment at all depths. In turn, fish can thrive, and conditions are right to break down organic matter and reduce/ prevent algae blooms.

Given the importance of water circulation, choosing the right size pond aerator is critical for getting the best results.

 Need help? We recommend two methods for choosing the right pond aerator - using our pond sizing recommendations chart, and sizing your aerator by the number of diffusers.

Visit our website to read more about each method!

Your Source for Pond Aerators and Aquaculture 

If you have any questions about choosing the right size pond aerator, please give us a call at 734-944-5032 or email us at info@hiblow-usa.com.

Aquaculture America – San Antonio, Texas – Feb 18-21, 2024

Come see us to discuss your aeration needs!

The Aquaculture America 2024 conference includes the largest tradeshow in the Western hemisphere for the aquaculture industry. Stop by our booth #805 and check out our HP, XP, and WG series air pumps. Whether you are aerating single tanks or larger ponds, our air pumps and manifold systems are a durable, energy efficient, and quiet option. Every air pump we manufacture is oil and lubrication free, so no worries of contaminating your water. We engineer and build our pumps for continuous duty operation, and they are approved for installation outdoors. You and your fish can depend on the reliability of HIBLOW linear air pumps.

For more information about the convention, click here: https://www.was.org/Meeting/code/AA2024

We hope to see you there!

We have manufactured air pumps for the pond and aquatic industries for over 30 years. We know that reliability, energy efficiency, and low sound levels are all extremely important for your aquatic systems. Our pumps provide aeration and water circulation for water gardens, koi ponds, backyard/ farm ponds, aquaculture, hydroponics, and aquaponics.

Learn more about the aquaculture industry here, and contact us today to find the best pump for your application.