Water Pump vs. Air Pump

[nascar81054]

I have been hearing a lot of bad about the air pump being noisy.  I wanted an AG3 to grow flowers for my wife.  I haven't bought one because of the noise.

[Bobbie]

I voted for the water pump because of the noise issue.  My Classic is nearly silent.  MY 6 makes a distinct and very audible bubbling/fizzing noise with a humming under tone.  My 3 is quieter than the 6, but it's still louder than the classic.

[nascar81054]

Bobbie, would you suggest a 7 pod for flowers?

[Bobbie]

I had petunias in my Classic over the summer and well into the fall.  I planted them in late May, and finallly (with wrenching guilt) pulled the last two plants in December.  They were still heartily blooming.  A 7 pod with flowers is indeed a sight to behold!  It rally was absolutely stunning.  (And I am not generally a flower person.  I only put them in because we were going on a three week camping trip in July. I didn't want the thing to be bare until then, and I knew the teenager who was watering the plants didn't want to be bothered with picking stuff.  But they were GORGEOUS!  I only pulled them because we were hungry for freah herbs.)

[AeroManiac]

I like the water pump because I can add an aquarium pump + airstone and get the best of both worlds. However, I like the peat pods more because if the seeds don't sprout, it's very easy to drop new ones in. I don't mind the noise of the air pump AGs because I've had aquariums and the like most of my life, so I find the gentle splashing / bubbling / vibrating sounds comforting!

[nascar81054]

I had a working fish tank for 23 years.  I just sold a 120 gallon tank a couple of weeks ago.  Quite is nice. LOL

[Ellen]

I have 7 pod gardens and 3 pod gardens. I have never had issues with noise on the 7 pod models except when a pump went bad (but that's not a normal thing anyway). When I got the 3 pod gardens I was a little surprised that they were as noisy as they were at first. We got used to it. When I replanted one of the 3 pod gardens though I noticed the air stone was loose. I put it firmly back down into the little grip and this time it was much better.

[eko]

I have a pro 200 which is nearly silent if you can hear it at all (I dont think I can) I also have an elite+ with the airstone and it is much louder than the pro 200.  I can hear the hummmm of the elite+ a good 15 feet away.  Its more of a white noise than anything else.

If I had to choose (nd I a new with this) I would go with the pump over the airstone.  I also worry about the water level more with the airepump because it wicks up the water verses having it flow down it, if that makes sense

[Corinne]

I voted for the water pump. The AG3 which I use for flowers is hummy, but I don't call that noisy. It wouldn't keep me awake or annoy me, but it is audible vs the wter pump which is silent..

[dcherry]

I've only got the air pump models.  If it helps, my AG3 is very quiet (on the kitchen counter), the AG6 is fairly quiet, the AG6E+ is a mixed bag for me (one is fairly quiet, but the other is a bother with the loudness).  I have the 3 six-podders grouped together side by side in a hobby room (spare bedroom), so they are far enough away from the living space that they don't trouble anybody with the noise.  My hubby goes in to check on them several times a day now that you can notice the daily growth.  He may end up being a CONVERT after all!

I really am enjoying my gardens, even without the first harvest!

[nascar81054]

I have two deluxe models and can't hear either of them.

[graycyn]

I didn't submit a vote yet, I am still undecided.

I have both... started with an AG7 last September, then this Christmas added 2 AG6 Elite+ and an AG3.

My AG7 was always dead quiet, no noise issue there. However, it was a bit of a pain cleaning out the pump between gardens. Nothing horrible, mind you, and not difficult, but I think cleaning an airstone would be easier. And you wouldn't have to worry about buying replacement pump filters every two gardens. But then again, something has to drive the air through the airstone... and I wonder if it is replaceable the way the pumps are should it give out.

My AG3 is quiet enough and has remained so. I don't mind it a bit.

The AG6 Elite+s have been *interesting*. The first one to be planted was, at first, reasonably quiet. After a couple weeks, it developed a rather vibratory hum and got significantly louder. AND, I started to hear a rhythmic squeaking sound! I turned the airstone back and forth a bit as suggested in one post, but that made no difference. Now, four weeks on, the squeak has become a rapid "chug, chug, chug" sound, but at a lower pitch, so it is less disturbing. The vibratory hum is also noticeably quieter these days.

The second one to be planted was VERY quiet, nearly silent... again, this lasted for about two weeks, at which point it developed a much louder vibratory hum than the other unit! It has also started to develop a bit of a squeak, though not as much as the first unit did.

So my feelings remain rather mixed on the air pump. I haven't yet contacted CS, because it was weird when I went down one morning and the first one was quieter than it had been! Maybe it is the weight of the tomato plants reducing vibration?

However, my plants in both AG6 models look GREAT and are growing well. Bu the same is just as true for my AG7. If I had it to do over, I'm still not sure what I'd do, but I'd probably lean more towards the water pump models and just keep a spare pump on hand.

[Mark]

One interesting fact that I didn't know until tonight was that the AG3 actually cycles the air pump on and off. My 2 AG6s appear to stay on all the time. I may be wrong, but when i come home for lunch they are running and they are on in the mornings and evenings.. even when the lights are off.  The AG3's airpump is most likely lower powered than the AG6s so its more quiet.

I voted for the Air Pump only because the models seem to have fewer points of failure and even if the air pump dies and it can't be easily replaced I know that i can run down to a pet store and buy an fish tank pump and put an airstone on it.

[Orlando Jude]

Would someone please explain which models have which pump?  And what about the kinds of pods?  I didn't know there were these differences.  I checked on the AeroGarden site and nothing is said about these things. 

This week I bought my first gardens.  2 space savers.  I planted one on Tues with herbs, and one on Thurs with Salad Greens.  Today, Saturday, both sprouted.  I have ordered 2 Pro 200's but they're out of stock so I'm considering changing it to Elite 6+'s.  Any and all advice would be welcome.

Thanks.

[Mark]

Would someone please explain which models have which pump?  And what about the kinds of pods?  I didn't know there were these differences.  I checked on the AeroGarden site and nothing is said about these things.

The newer models are the 6 & 3 pod series (Aerogarden 6: Space Saver, Elite, Elite +, etc) The 3 Pod "Aerogarden 3" used to be called the "AeroGarden Mini".  All 6 and 3 pod models use a longer grow pod that sits in the water and have an airstone to oxygenate the water.  The 7-Pod gardens (Pros, Classics, Deluxe) have shorter grow pods and the 7 pod garden has a water pump that brings water to the pod.  It seems to be a common problem for the pumps to clog up with roots, despite having a filter installed. On the other hand.. they are much more quite than the airstone gardens.

I've been told you can use the longer 6 Pod series Grow Pods in a 7 pod garden, but you can't use a 7 pod series grow pod in a 6 pod garden.

[Orlando Jude]

Mark, could you please re-state your last sentence?

thanks.

[Mark]

   Sorry, fixed it.. hehe

[Orlando Jude]

Thanks.

I'm still trying to decide which TALL ones to buy.  Any advice?

[Mark]

I'm happy with my Elite+..  my deciding factor was the pods...  I wanted all of the same kind so I could interchange them if needed.

[Orlando Jude]

I'm happy with my Elite+..  my deciding factor was the pods...  I wanted all of the same kind so I could interchange them if needed.

What kind are they?  I under stand some are peat and some are sponge.