Kasco Teich-Aire KM-120C 1/2 hp Piston Compressor

Rebuild first, in most cases. Kasco sells rebuild kits for the KM-60, KM-120 and KM-200, and a piston compressor that has lost pressure is usually worn rather than dead.

Pistons are wear items - Kasco does not cover them under the factory warranty, which tells you they expect them to be serviced rather than replaced.

Change the air filter on a schedule and the compressor lasts far longer. A clogged filter makes the unit work harder and run hotter, which is what kills pistons.

Keep a spare filter element and a rebuild kit on the shelf - both are inexpensive against a mid-summer failure.

Yes, and on many ponds that is the point. The compressor sits on the bank in its cabinet, so nothing has to come out of the water before freeze-up.

Running through winter keeps an opening in the ice and lets trapped gases escape, which is what prevents winterkill.

It is a piston compressor running continuously, so it is audible up close. RobustAire cabinets use AireGuard noise-reducing construction to address exactly this.

On a residential shoreline, siting matters as much as the cabinet. We can advise on placement relative to the house and property line.

It needs an enclosure. The cabinet protects the compressor from weather and provides the cooling airflow it depends on, and the fan is part of the design rather than an accessory.

If you are building a system from components rather than buying a complete RobustAire system, talk to us before you order - the pieces have to be matched.