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jimbob1603 · 02-03-2005, 09:02 AM

Hi ITD,

I started off with a system from dockbubbler.com. The linear compressor is excellent (I have their #DB150L), but I did not like the perforated poly-hose they supplied; the slits were too small; preventing proper air flow. I chucked theirs and made my own from PVC pipe (it is cheaper and performs better).

My linear compressor emits a slight hum which is inaudible @ 20 ft. An underwater circulator probably makes no noticable noise (unless you're a fish).

The whole 'dock de-icing thing' relies on two premises: moving water can't freeze; and, the lake water below the ice is warmer than the ice up above (lake ice is typically formed from the top down). Keeping these two postulates in mind: while you don't want to create waves, you do want to keep the water circulating. If you can't see any small surface currents resulting from your circulator or bubbler, its not properly installed.

I would not put too much faith in 'rated' power consumptiom. The stated numbers usually include the starting load and are high; probably to cover the manufacturer's butts from a legal point of view. Its been my experience that if a tag says a motor consumes X amps or watts, you can expect reality to be about 1/2 of X.

Its also wise to understand the differences of the many different types of air compressors available to the American consumer: screw, reciprocating, linear, oiless, regenerative blower etc.; and their respective pros & cons. I believe that only a linear compressor is practically suited for dock de-icing purposes because it has low power consumption, its quiet, and it is designed for 24 x 7 x 52 use.

There is one significant caution with dock bubblers. If you have an extended power outage, water may enter the air line and freeze; preventing any future 'bubble action' until spring thaw. However, prudent installation and a pneumatic check valve will virtually eliminate this risk.

I'll be going up to the lake in a few weeks, just to check things out. I'll bring an amp-probe and get the low down on power consumption of my linear compressor. I beleive that it was listed at 125 watts, but I can't be sure.

With a little research, I found out that www.dockbubbler.com is actually a retail front-end for a manufacturing company called LMI (http://www.lmimg.com/silent_air_pumps.asp). And LMI is an OEM supplier of linear compressors for Gast. I trust anything Gast sells.

j

02-03-2005, 09:02 AM	#9
jimbob1603 Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 71 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Cost of Electricity .... the nuts & bolts of the question Hi ITD, I started off with a system from dockbubbler.com. The linear compressor is excellent (I have their #DB150L), but I did not like the perforated poly-hose they supplied; the slits were too small; preventing proper air flow. I chucked theirs and made my own from PVC pipe (it is cheaper and performs better). My linear compressor emits a slight hum which is inaudible @ 20 ft. An underwater circulator probably makes no noticable noise (unless you're a fish). The whole 'dock de-icing thing' relies on two premises: moving water can't freeze; and, the lake water below the ice is warmer than the ice up above (lake ice is typically formed from the top down). Keeping these two postulates in mind: while you don't want to create waves, you do want to keep the water circulating. If you can't see any small surface currents resulting from your circulator or bubbler, its not properly installed. I would not put too much faith in 'rated' power consumptiom. The stated numbers usually include the starting load and are high; probably to cover the manufacturer's butts from a legal point of view. Its been my experience that if a tag says a motor consumes X amps or watts, you can expect reality to be about 1/2 of X. Its also wise to understand the differences of the many different types of air compressors available to the American consumer: screw, reciprocating, linear, oiless, regenerative blower etc.; and their respective pros & cons. I believe that only a linear compressor is practically suited for dock de-icing purposes because it has low power consumption, its quiet, and it is designed for 24 x 7 x 52 use. There is one significant caution with dock bubblers. If you have an extended power outage, water may enter the air line and freeze; preventing any future 'bubble action' until spring thaw. However, prudent installation and a pneumatic check valve will virtually eliminate this risk. I'll be going up to the lake in a few weeks, just to check things out. I'll bring an amp-probe and get the low down on power consumption of my linear compressor. I beleive that it was listed at 125 watts, but I can't be sure. With a little research, I found out that www.dockbubbler.com is actually a retail front-end for a manufacturing company called LMI (http://www.lmimg.com/silent_air_pumps.asp). And LMI is an OEM supplier of linear compressors for Gast. I trust anything Gast sells. j Last edited by jimbob1603; 02-04-2005 at 09:19 AM.