Spiral Aerators are perfect for oxidation ditches or lagoons. Traditional mechanical options like horizontal brush rotors are prone to expensive maintenance and breakdowns. Spirals are a simple, low-maintenance alternative that keeps the ditch running without costly downtime. Thanks to the spiral action of the impeller and directional thrust, they provide better mixing and suspension than rotors, which can leave solids to settle and reduce capacity over time.
Unlike brush rotors, Spiral Aerators cannot be ramped up or down to adjust the dissolved oxygen output—they run at a fixed speed, so their output is fixed based on motor size. However, they’re always sized for the process and can be run on timers to suit different needs, like anoxic periods.
For permanent aeration in FBDA or Activated Sludge Process lanes with blowers and diffusers, Spiral Aerators aren’t as efficient as a long term solution. Blowers and diffusers are designed to work from the bottom up and are the most efficient for these setups. But if a blower fails, Spiral Aerators are a fast and effective way to maintain treatment—they can be lifted straight in to prevent losing treatment, while getting a backup blower in place can be slow and complicated.
Spiral Aerators are being used here in a square pocket within large activated sludge process (ASP) lanes. They’re maintaining aeration and mixing while the main vertical shaft aerator is out of action. People often think spirals aren’t suitable for these deep or large applications, but in reality, they perform extremely well. Larger units can mix up to 7 meters deep, driving aerated water downwards and around the tank. When used in pairs, they create a circular flow that replicates the action of a vertical shaft aerator and keeps solids in suspension.
Unlike other surface aerators, which only treat a limited zone and struggle on sites without natural flow, Spiral Aerators both oxygenate and induce movement, distributing aerated effluent throughout the process. This makes them suitable for almost any ditch or lane setup.
Spiral Aerators aren’t as well suited to MBBRs or Activated Sludge Process lanes with floating media. Their powerful mixing can disturb the biological film or even smash floc off the media, and over-aeration can promote filamentous bacteria. That said, in an emergency or backup scenario, they can still be the lesser of two evils—especially in larger MBBRs where this is less of an issue.
Spiral Aerators aren’t suitable for very shallow applications—less than 1 meter of water—or for small package plants or sealed tanks with limited access, since they need to be lifted in.
One of the biggest advantages is how quickly and easily Spiral Aerators can be lifted into any tank, ditch, or lane. This makes them simple to integrate into existing processes—no major modifications needed.
We hold a fleet of different sizes, ranging from 1.1 kW up to 22 kW. Because they’re modular, we can always supply the right number and size to match the output of a failed asset or meet specific oxygen requirements—whether it’s for concentrated crude or a toxic shock event.
Spiral Aerators are flexible when it comes to power. They can run off a generator or your site’s existing power and control systems, including dissolved oxygen control or timers.
If you have deep tanks, ditches, or lagoons and need a flexible, low-maintenance solution—especially for emergencies or backup—they’re a great choice.