Carnival Aerating Fountain

The general rule for a mains-powered Air-O-Lator Carnival Aerating Fountain is you halve the horsepower to get the aeration acreage. So, a 1hp motor can aerate a ½ acre water body. This is based on optimal conditions, however. For instance, sun exposure, water temperature, dam shape and depth, nutrient levels, surrounding land use etc all need to be considered. Solar equivalents are more like 1 to 3, e.g. a 1.5hp motor aerates a ½ acre dam. This is because the aerator only operates when the solar panels are catching the sun. We would need to look at your water body’s specs to provide a more accurate estimation. 

Yes and no. They pump the same amount of water when sunlight is optimal, but the sun is obviously not always out and optimal. And at night, a solar-powered aerator isn’t running at all. It means you need a larger horsepower motor to do the same job. So, if the ratio of a mains-powered surface aerator is 1 to 2 (1hp aerates ½ acre), then for a solar-powered aerator, the ratio is more like 1 to 3 (1hp aerates ⅓ acre). We would need to look at your water body’s specs to provide a more accurate estimation. 

Yes, you can. Here is a DIY installation video showing you how to do it. The kit can be put together with common tools like a spanner, screw drivers etc. We also offer an installation service for customers in the Melbourne area. Or we can put you in touch with a local installer. 

It’s best if the equipment is installed by a solar-accredited and licensed electrician. That said, if you’re familiar with solar equipment and setups, you may be capable of doing the bulk of the setup yourself (e.g. arranging and mounting the solar panels and putting the aerator on the water), before getting an electrician to do the final hookup. 

We can supply solar panels and racking to suit the capacity of the solar controller and aerator motor. You can also use your own solar panels and racking, but you’ll need to send us the specs on the back of the solar panel so we can advise if the panels are suitable or not. 

If the solar panels are in good condition, you may be able to use them. That said, if there is not enough wattage, the system won't work well, and if there's too much voltage, you can potentially damage the solar controller. Send us a photo of the specifications panel on the back of the solar panels, and how many panels you have, and we’ll let you know if we think they’re appropriate. 

You're best to have the power source as close to the water's edge as possible to remove the need for burying the aerator cable in a deep trench with conduit. This will also make it easier to remove the aerator for any maintenance or replacement in years to come without having to pull the cable up from underground. We have two cable lengths: 30m and 40m. All solar-powered aerators come standard with a 30m cable. Mains-powered aerators come with a standard 30m cable for the ½ hp and ¾ hp motors, and a 40m cable for 1hp motors and above. That said, we can supply any cable size required. 

The Carnival Aerator uses a square float with tie off points in each corner (total of 4). Anchor each corner using concrete blocks and lengths of marine-grade rope. Drop the concrete blocks into the water approx. 2-3m away so they form a pyramid shape with the fountain being the pointed end of the pyramid. You want a bit of slack to accommodate water level fluctuations but not so much that the float spins 360 degrees when anchored because this could cause the motor cable to wrap around the anchor cables and risk damage. The sweet spot is to be able to rotate the float up to 270 degrees (or less) when anchored. In small dams you can also anchor the float to opposing banks by tying it off to star pickets. 

Only if you turn it off at the power outlet before entering the water because the power source is in the water. If you frequently use the water for swimming, and you don’t want to turn the aerator off and on, we recommend using a sub-surface aerator instead because the power source is not in the water.