Golf Magazine USA – September 2019

1. INTAKE/
   EXHAUST PIPE
   In the system’s
   pressure mode, air
   is drawn through an
   intake/exhaust pipe,
   where it’s subsequently
   propelled through drain
   pipes and into the soil,
   through which it travels
   before being expelled
   into the atmosphere.
   In vacuum mode, air
   is pulled from the
   surface through the
   soil and into the drain
   pipes, along with any
   non-capillary water.
   (This removes water
   36 times faster than
   Mother Nature can,
   minimizing downtime
   and turf damage.) The
   water flows through
   an air/water separator
   to drain out through
   the low-end drainage
   system, as it normally
   would; the air flows
   out the exhaust.


2. AIR FLOW
   DUAL VALVE
   This valve provides
   an air lock to keep
   the drain system fully
   sealed so it can create
   the needed vacuum or
   pressure condition.


3. CONTROL PANEL
   The SubAir control
   panel is programmed
   to automatically
   introduce fresh air to
   the soil daily at set
   intervals (which can
   be overridden by the
   user via smartphone
   or computer when
   needed). This air can
   be added in two ways:
   a top-down vacuum
   mode, which pulls air
   from the surface down
   through the soil and
   into the drain pipes;
   and a bottom-up
   pressure mode, which
   pushes air through the
   drainage pipes and up
   to the surface.

1

6

7

2

5

4. AMBIENT AIR
   TEMPERATURE
   SENSOR
   The control panel gets
   data from a sensor
   in the vault to select
   which mode to use,
   vacuum or pressure,
   based on ambient
   air temperature, the
   type of grass and, if
   desired, soil moisture.
   The system’s various
   machinations can
   moderate the soil’s
   temperature by as
   much as 6-8 degrees,
   which can effectively
   extend the grass’s
   growing season.


5. VAULT
   An above-ground or
   vaulted unit placed
   at the high end of the
   green contains the
   blower and sensor, and
   the unit connects the
   system to the green’s
   drainage pipes.


6. AIR/WATER
   SEPARATOR VALVE
   At this point in vacuum
   mode, the air goes
   up the system to
   be expelled to the
   atmosphere from
   the exhaust pipe. The
   water goes in the
   other direction and
   gets released into a
   drainage location.


7. BLOWER
   The moisture-control
   and aeration modes
   employ a single blower
   and a diverter valve
   to direct airflow. The
   system is controlled
   manually, time-
   scheduled, or activated
   via smartphone/
   computer.