Solar powered deicers can be tricky. Most DC air pumps will do the job but getting a solar system that can recharge the batteries to provide 24/7 service isn't easy in many locations. With less sunlight to charge the batteries it is difficult to ensure a steady supply of power.
Most of our DC air pumps use between 25 and 120 watts and between 2 and 12 Amps. If you have a specialist in solar energy nearby they can probably set you up with the correct number of panels as well as the electronics and charger system and deep cell batteries to do the job but it won't be cheap!
If you had AC power within 1000 fet of the hunting blind where you want the ice to be clear for the ducks or geese you have an easier job as you can run an AC air compressor at the power supply and run airline down to the pond. Of course freezing in the line can become an issue.
The easiest way would be to operate your bubbler using an electric generator. We've helped design many bubblers for hunters who want to keep ice off of ponds and lakes for duck hunting. A bubbler, using some sort of diffuser tubing or PVC pipe with holes in it can be placed in the pond and a rotary vane compressor or a regenerative blower can be kept in the hunt shack and be fired up by using a portable generator to generate electricity. It will take a few hours to melt through the ice if it is very cold but soon the open waters will form over the diffuser tubing and the ducks will have open water to land.
We work with many duck hunters who need to keep ice off the pond and the portable genrator is the best option. We sell an exclusive gasoline generators that feature smooth, easy starting, fuel-efficient. four-stroke, overhead valve engines. They are, we consider, to be equal to the Honda OHV line of generators at much less of a cost. These electic generators have a 10 hour run time per tank which is suitable for duck hunting bubbler applications.
There is more information on our solar aeration page.
Happy Hunting!
The Pond Report
