I would think that having circulator ON time controlled solely by air temperature would at times lead to too much use. Once a circulator has opened up a small area around the dock, there is no point in having it stay running, even if the air is cold. Sure, a thin skim layer of ice will form after a while during an OFF interval (with a programmable timer), but it has no particular strength, and the next ON interval melts it out easily. But the key to minimizing circulator power use and extent of ice-free area is regular adjustment of programmed ON intervals. That requires regular attention over the winter.
I would suggest to the OP that he approach the offending owner and get his OK to make those regular adjustments. Over recent years, I have done this for an abutter. I can see much of what I need to see from my window, and I'm outside often enough to see all of it. During cold snaps I add short ON intervals and lengthen them as needed, then trim ON time when the weather moderates. Everyone using a circulator needs to understand that when the wind moves the ice sheet, no amount of circulator action will stop it.
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