Beware of “Maintenance Free” Aeration Systems

If it Sounds Too Good to be True…It’s Too Good to be True

The most popular claim of all when it comes to aeration systems is “our system is virtually maintenance free”.

So Let me ask you:

• Can you think of any mechanical piece of equipment that can sit on the shore of a lake in the wind, the rain, the snow and the heat operating 24×7 that is “virtually maintenance free”?
• Do you believe that devices that sit on the lake-bottom with air going through them will not clog or get fouled over time?
• Can you think of anything that sits at the bottom of a lake 365 days a year that stays clean without maintenance?

Neither can we! We don’t sell aeration equipment for a living and then walk away after the sale is made.  We are PAID to deliver results. That means our technology has to work perfectly all the time.

We have been operating, maintaining and monitoring large-lake aeration systems for more than five years on a performance contracting basis. We have removed and replaced more of our competitor’s broken-down equipment than many providers have installed.

“Maintenance Free” aeration technology is a myth, plain and simple. It is a myth propagated by people who want to make a quick buck on a quick sale and walk away.

Here is a picture of a competitor’s system after 6 months of “maintenance free” operation.

Here is a picture of one of our maintained systems after two years operation:

Which do you think is delivering better performance?

We Don’t Take the Easy Way Out

Here is what we have heard told to customers by competitors:

• “We have one system we have one system we haven’t touched for five years”
• “You don’t need a boat to clean our diffusers, just pour some acid down the air lines”

Really? Try not maintaining your car for five years. Is there any way that pouring acid that ends  up in your lake is a good idea?

At Lake Savers we are not in the “selling aeration equipment business”. We are in the Lake Renewal Business.  Our Inversion Oxygentation Technology is critical to delivering on our promise to restore your lake naturally.  It is why we have gone the extra mile to develop a service and monitoring program that ensures as new performance for years and even decades. We stay accountable for results rather than make a sale and walk away.

We don’t just believe that this makes a difference.  We know it does!  That is why Lake Savers is the only company with multiple, multi-year indenendent studies that proves our technology delivers.

Questions You Should Ask of Purveyors of “Maintenance Free” Aeration Systems

• What independent scientific reports do you have that prove that your “maintenance free” aeration system is delivering the same result after the first year of operation?
• Can you take me to a lake that has had “maintenance free” diffusers installed for more than 2 years and allow me to inspect them?
• Can you produce independent, third party reports that your aeration technology has delivered measurable reductions in weed, algae and muck growth? Remember, in-house reports don’t count!
• What percentage of your company’s revenue comes from installing and servicing LAKE aeration technology versus herbicide application, waste-water aeration etc.

A Final Word

At the end of the day you can do what you want. After all it’s your lake. But the fact is that there is only ONE company that is consistently delivering scientifically proven results on large lakes using aeration technology and that’s Lake Savers.

It is not just that we have superior technology. It is also how we maintain it.  Our sole focus is Natural Lake restoration and renewal and Lake Bottom Aeration is the core technology we use to make it happen. Professional management and maintenance makes all the difference.

If you have any doubts, compare our track record with any other company in the world on large lake and reservoir projects. You will not find anyone delivering the same level of independently verified results.

When it comes to price, you may be able to find something cheaper. Good luck finding anything better.
Photo credit: Alan Vernon. / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA