Top 7 Aerators for Residential Dams

Looking for an aerator for your residential dam? Here are our top 7 aerator picks for residential waterbodies. The list starts with smaller models, ideal for smaller dams, and increases in size as you go through the list. We stock all the below aerators, so if you’re interested in a particular model let us know and we’ll be happy to provide an exact quote or answer any questions you have. Seem odd that we stock all our favourite aerators? Not really. We’ve been testing aerators for over a decade, switching out models and brands dozens of times until we settled on our current range. The aerators listed below make our list because they are high performing, reliable and provide a lot of bang for your buck.

7. Hakko Aerator  

A natural look for small dams  

Matala’s Hakko Aerator is ideal for small dams and large ponds less than one acre in size. The aerator is sub-surface which means you can aerate your dam/pond while maintaining a “natural” looking aesthetic (i.e. no fountain). The compressor sits on the shore and pumps air to up to 6 air stations spread across the floor of your dam. These air stations release bubbles that rise, dragging bottom waters to the surface. Here, gas exchange occurs, and oxygen enters the water. 

Highlights:  

  • Low cost 
  • Ideal for swimming dams—no power in the water
  • Low power consuming 
Made in Taiwan

Product specs:

  • Surface area: Up to 4,000m2 (1 acre)
  • Depth: 0.5m to 2m
  • Pumps air/water: Air (pumped from dam floor)
  • Pump type: Lineal diaphragm
  • Motor sizes: 60LPM, 80LPM, 120LPM, 200LPM
  • LPM (litres per minute): 60-200LPM
  • Solar available: No

6. Sonho Aerating Fountain   

A fountain aesthetic for small dams  

Sonho’s Aerating Fountain is a 1.5hp portable, light-weight fountain aerator. While many fountains on the market claim to aerate water, very few actually do. Sonho’s Aerating Fountain is one of the only fountains designed to genuinely mix and aerate your water, encouraging bottom waters to the surface and gas exchange to occur.

Highlights:  

  • Plug ‘n’ play install, no tools required 
  • Portable, lightweight design means easy to handle/move
  • Low cost  
Made in Taiwan

Product specs:

  • Surface area: Up to 1,500m² (⅓ acres)
  • Depth: 0.5m to 3m 
  • Pumps air/water: Water (pumped from surface of water)
  • Pump type: Propellor 
  • Motor sizes: 1.5hp
  • LPM (litres per minute): 1,000LPM
  • Solar available: No

5. Air-O-Lator Professional Aerator    

A subtle “bubbling” look for mid-size dams  

Air-O-Lator’s Professional Aerator is a small, compact surface aerator that packs a punch—pumping up to 3,600 litres of water per minute. The Professional Aerator is ideal for mid-size residential dams where aeration is important and you like the surface bubbling look without going so far as a fountain display. The Professional is designed to disperse water over a much larger area than similar boil-looking designs made by competitors. There are three mains-power motor sizes: ¾hp, 1hp and 2hp, and two solar-power motor sizes: 1hp and 1.5hp. Made in the USA, the Professional Aerator is super high quality, featuring a two-blade, foul-resistant propellor design made of Ryton—a semi-crystalline polymer that offers high-heat resistance and exceptional stability. The aerator comes with a lockable control box with under/over voltage and current protection, surge and overload protection, plus timer and automatic/manual selector switch. 

Highlights:  

  • Low spray-drift nozzle design to reduce airborne water  
  • Super high-performing aeration (mixes and oxygenates water better than similar models on the market)
  • Suitable for salt water or freshwater use  
Made in USA

Product specs:

  • Surface area: Up to 4,000m2 (1 acre)
  • Depth: 0.5m to 5m
  • Pumps air/water: Water (pumped from surface of water)
  • Pump type: Propellor 
  • Motor sizes: ¾hp, 1hp, 1.5hp, 2hp
  • LPM (litres per minute): 1,800-3,600LPM
  • Solar available: Yes

4. Outdoor Water Solutions Windmill Aerator     

High-performance wind-powered aeration

Looking for a wind-powered option? Look no further than Outdoor Water Solutions Windmill Aerator, one of the tallest and best quality windmill aeration systems on the market for residential dams. USA-manufactured and built from 18-gauge galvanised steel, the system is super high-performing continuing to operate in wind speeds as low as 8km/hr. The blade diameter on all Outdoor Water Solutions windmill units is a full 1.85m which is the largest windmill head on the market for dam aeration. This allows the units to pump up to 4.5 cubic feet of air into your dam per minute. A single setup can aerate a dam up to 2 acres in size. 

Highlights:  

  • Operates in wind speeds as low as 8km/hr
  • Pumps more air than competitors, even more than other companies that sell “dual diaphragm” models. The secret is Outdoor Water Solutions BalCam II Technology that allows more air to be pumped with a single diaphragm. The benefit to you is that you’ll have fewer moving parts, fewer bearings and fewer diaphragms to service and maintain.
  • Easy to install yourself
Made in USA

Product specs:

  • Surface area: Up to 2 acres
  • Depth: 1.5m to 9m
  • Pumps air/water: Air (pumped from dam floor)
  • Pump type: Diaphragm
  • Motor size: ¼hp
  • Air output: 3.0-4.5 CFM / 30 PSI  
  • Solar available: NA

3. Matala “Rocking Piston” Aerator    

Most economical option for aerating large dams  

Matala’s “Rocking Piston” Aerator is our top pick for aerating large, deep dams when you are operating on a tight budget. Made in Taiwan⁠—a nation known for high quality manufacturing⁠—the Matala Aerator is driven by a high-performing rocking piston motor which comes in ¼hp, ½hp or ¾hp. The pump motor sits on the shore and can be placed up to 200m from your water’s edge and still run on mains power. The ¾ hp motor can power up to 4 air-stations. Like the Hakko (#7), this sub-surface setup means you can aerate your dam while maintaining a “natural” looking aesthetic (i.e. no fountain). The aerator comes with an optional powder-coated weatherproof cabinet to protect your motor if you don’t have a well-ventilated pump shed. The cabinet has a built-in cooling/exhaust fan. 

Highlights:  

  • Ideal for swimming dams—no power in the water
  • Low power consuming
  • Smooth, low vibration “limited noise” operation
  • Can operate up to 200m from mains-power as a remote setup. We simply place the motor near your mains-power outlet and run a hose through a shallow trench to your dam shore where we have a valve box which disperses the air to the various air-stations. 
Made in Taiwan

Product specs:

  • Surface area: Up to 4 acres
  • Depth: 1.5m to 12m 
  • Pumps air/water: Air (pumped from dam floor)  
  • Pump type: Rocking piston
  • Motor sizes: ¼hp, ½hp, ¾hp
  • LPM (litres per minute): 80-180LPM
  • Solar available: Yes

2. Air-O-Lator Carnival Aerating Fountain    

Fountain aesthetic meets high-performance aeration  

Looking for high-performance aeration and an impressive fountain aesthetic? Look no further than Air-O-Lator’s Carnival Fountain. This monstrous machine is by far the best performing fountain aerator on the market for residential dams. A single unit can pump up to 5,000 litres of water per minute and transfer up to 1.6kg of oxygen into the water per hour. The fountain sprays water up to 2m high and 6m in diameter. There are several mains-power and solar-power motor sizes to choose from—mains-power: ¾hp, 1hp, 2hp, 3hp, 5hp; solar-power: 1hp, 1.5hp, 3hp. Like the Professional Aerator (#5), the Carnival Aerating Fountain comes with a lockable control box with under/over voltage and current protection, surge and overload protection, plus timer and automatic/manual selector switch.

Highlights:  

  • Six motor sizes to choose from
  • Single unit aerates up to 2.5 surface acres
  • Smooth, low vibration “limited noise” operation
  • Optional light kit available. This kit is specifically designed to connect directly to the Carnival fountain and come with clear/white LED bulbs. The lighting uses the same power cable as the pump motor so there is no additional cable in/near the water.
Made in USA

Product specs:

  • Surface area: Up to 2.5 acres
  • Depth: 0.5m to 5m
  • Pumps air/water: Water (pumped from surface of water)  
  • Pump type: Propellor
  • Motor sizes: ¾hp, 1hp, 1.5hp, 2hp, 3hp, 5hp
  • LPM (litres per minute): 1,000-5,000LPM
  • Solar available: Yes

1. Vertex “Rocking Piston” Aerator    

Best-in-class aeration for large, deep dams  

Looking for the best-of-the-best sub-surface aerator? Look no further than the Vertex “Rocking Piston” Aerator. Vertex’s heavy-duty rocking piston motor has the highest flow rate of any compressor in its class, making it by far the highest performing sub-surface aerator on the market and our number one recommendation for aerating large, deep residential dams. The equipment is USA-manufactured so it’s super high quality and backed by extended warranty. Available in motor sizes from ⅓hp right up to 4hp “large lake” kits, the Vertex Aerator allows you to aerate any sized residential lake or lagoon (20+ acres). One motor can power up to 8 air stations. These air-stations sit on the floor of your dam and release bubbles through single, twin, quad or five-disc diffusers. The motor comes in a lockable powder-coated aluminium cabinet to protect it from the elements and to keep it fan-cooled. The cabinet comes with an optional “sound reduction” kit to reduce the noise of the motor.

Highlights:  

  • Ideal for swimming dams—no power in the water  
  • Low power consuming
  • Can operate up to 200m from mains-power as a remote setup. We simply place the motor near your mains-power outlet and run a hose through a shallow trench to your dam shore where we have a valve box which disperses the air to the various air-stations. 
  • Air stations feature self-cleaning membrane discs with air column stabilisation technology to maximise lift velocity and flow control technology to evenly distribute airflow across all air stations.
  • Vertex offers free custom designs for large-scale setups. Design suggestions are produced by running your dam’s specs through proprietary-design software which compares your waterbody to thousands of others. Designs include recommendations on the pump size and its location, the number of air stations and their locations, and the total length of hose needed etc. 
Made in USA

Product specs:

  • Surface area: Up to 20+ acres
  • Depth: 1.5m to 12m
  • Pumps air/water: Air (pumped from dam floor)  
  • Pump type: Rocking piston
  • Motor sizes: ⅓hp, ½hp, ¾hp, 4hp
  • Solar available: Yes