It depends. My bubbler turns on 3 or 4 times a day. Temps in the 20s, that's fine. Days like today, it needs to be on longer. I have a camera pointed at my bubbler and can control the times remotely. Those systems cost more than just a basic timer, plus they take a little savvy to install and use.
I'm tired of using a bubbler, you need to keep ice from forming around the piers or the ice will move the dock. The bubbler is good for that. What it doesn't help with is when the ice breaks up and the wind drives it into your dock. That can destroy your dock quickly and the bubbler doesn't help.
Like I said, I'm done with the bubbler, so I'm installing a crank up dock this year. But that is an expensive undertaking and not a viable solution for most people.
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