[fatlazyless]

Typically here on Lake Winnipesaukee, a permanent dock gets ice protected by a single 1/2 or 3/4-hp motorized propeller that agitates the water, making small to medium ripples or waves, enough to keep the water around the dock from freezing up.

There is another way to get it done. Instead of using a single 1/2 or 3/4-hp motorized propeller, a series of 2-3-4 smaller 1/6-hp or 1/4-hp utility pumps with impellers can be hung from below the dock close to each set of vertical support legs. This changes the dynamics of the water agitation, keeps it centered under the dock, and keeps it from encroaching on the neighbor's lake ice.

Is best to get the heavy 1/6-hp pump sold at Lowe's because it has a heavy cast iron design, sucks up the water from down below, shoots it straight up, and has a handle on top for easy line attachment. Price; about $80-1/6-hp utility pump at Lowe's. The relative heavy weight of the cast iron helps a lot because it keeps the pump in one spot without moving around, as it is suspended by a line from under the dock. And, this 1/6-hp pump can run for months and months, cycling on and off depending on the air temperature/time setting.