If you don't want to let the ice win, you need to invest in good de-icing equipment (often referred to as a de-icer or "ice eater") so that you can sit back and enjoy a worry-free winter. Cold weather ice formation can be extremely destructive for boats, piers and docks, but increasingly common requests also come from customers searching for an environmentally friendly way to aerate small ponds so that plants and fish can live all winter or even to keep open a landing space for ducks and other water fowl. Whatever your motive, we'd like to discuss the effectiveness of de-icing equipment in general and recommend a product that we believe is best suited to the task.
For years we've been using these little wonders around our docks at the Westport Marina. They protect the docks from flow ice damage by letting the marina break free from the
rest of the ice pack when the wind blows.
During an Ice Engineering course at the University of Wisconsin, Madison Captain
Jim learned a fair amount about how ice functions. "Ice Jacking" occurs, he explains,
when the water level varies and ice is present. On bigger lakes there is a seiche
(check out Google for
a definition of seiche), which works like a tide but is really more like the
flow back and forth when you make waves in the bathtub. That cycle from one end
of the lake to the other causes the ice to rise while frozen against pilings and
docks. When the water recedes, the ice drops back down due to gravity. When it rises
again, the pressure pushes up on the pilings and raises the piling. Captain Jim has seen movies of 40 foot
pilings being ripped out of the bottom and toppled by this action.
Ice Eaters help to prevent this from happening. They also prevent damage to boats
left in the water for the winter. We sold a boatload of them on Long Island two
years ago when the winter was so cold.
So what's the science behind Ice Eaters? According to Captain Jim, they are engineered
to prevent ice from forming and to melt existing ice by circulating a continuous
current of warmer subsurface water. Moving water doesn't freeze as readily as stationary
water (which is why rivers often continue to flow long after ponds and small lakes
have frozen), and the subsurface water is consistently warmer than the surface water,
virtually ensuring that the surface will not freeze as long as the current is maintained.
It's a great system. Simple, practical and efficient. So what do you need to get
started before the ice starts to skim? We highly recommend
Power House Ice
Eaters:
In fact, we're so pleased with them, we've compiled a Top Ten List of "Reasons to
Buy a Power House Ice Eater" in order to highlight the key qualities that set their
de-icing equipment apart.
10. Power House has a reputation for great customer service.
9. All Power House products have been independently tested and approved by MET Testing
to meet all appropriate UL standards.
8. Power House Ice Eaters are currently available in six models. You may choose
from 1/20-hp to 3-hp models, and 3phase is available in some models as well as 50
hz.
7. Power House Ice Eaters are constructed with a bronze endbell to ensure long life
and prevent warping and cracking.
6. Power House Ice Eater cord and cord connector are easy to replace. There's no
need to replace endbell, so it is unnecessary to send entire unit back to Power
House for replacement.
5. Power House Ice Eaters are designed with a patented, heavy-duty PVC housing for
superior water flow and motor/prop protection.
4. Power House Ice Eaters use "environmentally friendly" dielectric lubricating
fluid which is non-toxic and biodegradable.
3. Power House Ice Eaters are equipped with energy-efficient motors for lower energy
consumption and are custom designed to maximize horsepower while minimizing electrical
use.
2. Power House Ice Eaters are warranted for three years.
1. Power House Ice Eaters are Captain Jim's personal favorite!
In addition to Power House Ice Eaters, we also sell
Pyramid Technologies De-Ice Products and
Kasco Marine De-Ice Products. Browse the
de-icing items below to find exactly what you need to stay ice-free this winter,
or use one of hot links below to skip directly to the brand you desire.
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Kasco Marine |
View all Kasco Marine De-Icers
(including European models) |
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Kasco Marine |
De-Icer, 1HP, 220 Volt,
60 Hz, 25 foot cord |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco De-Icer, 1/2 HP,
50 Hz, 10 meter cord |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco De-Icer, 1/2 HP,
50 Hz, 30 meter cord |
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Kasco Marine |
Replacement Prop (K) for
F2400 De-Icer |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco Universal Dock Mount
for De-Icer |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco De-Icer, 3/4 HP,
50 Hz, 10 meter cord |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco De-Icer, 3/4 HP,
50 Hz, 30 meter cord |
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Kasco Marine |
De-Icer, 3/4 HP, 220
Volt, 60 Hz, 50 foot cord |
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Kasco Marine |
Replacement "J" PROP for
F3400 De-Icer |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco Water De-Icer, 1 horsepower,
60CYC,120V, 25' Cord |
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Kasco Marine |
De-Icer, 1HP, 220 Volt,
60 Hz, 50 foot cord |
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Kasco Marine |
C-20 Kasco Control Unit for
Time and Temperature |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco Water De-Icer, 1/2
horsepower, 60CYC, 120V, 25' Cord |
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Kasco Marine |
Kasco Water De-Icer, 3/4
horsepower, 60CYC,120V, 25' Cord |
E-Mail sales@shipstore.com with any questions.
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