Remote spring w/solar pump

[preston39]

We want to install a solar pump at a remote surface spring. Our plans call for pumping up to a raised fiberglass tank(about 10' high)located inside the tree line for shade and gravity feed to the waterer. The solar panel would be located outside the shaded area for obvious reasons.

Freezing weather excluded...anyone have experience with this type of arrangement?

 

[Herefordcross]

No direct experience but, there are a few peole around here with solar powered well pumps, and I know that it takes a big wad up front for the panels to get the juice to the pump.

 

[nenmrancher]

Depends on how deep you are pumping from and how much water you are trying to move. We have a well that is pulling from 400' and uses 4 solar panels that are 4' wide and 10 or 12' long from that depth it puts out 3 or 4 gallons per minute. Which does pretty good and will keep up as long as we dont have any cloudy days. This set up cost us with installation cost just over 10,000.00. We also have a older solar pump that uses a small single sun tracking panel that pumps from a shallow well of about 10' and push up hill to a drinking tank a couple hundred yards away. This pump only puts out about a gallon per minute and can not keep up very well if there is no other water available in the pasture, and it has been in use for ten years or better so I cant give you a cost on it. Both set ups work well, the only thing I would change would be to put a bigger pump on the shallow well.

 

[preston39]

nenmrancher,

On your shallow set-up...what watt is the panel and what size pump. Also what size pump would you like to move up too? We are only going from the surface spring up to the tank...it will be about a 10' high lift.

 

[nenmrancher]

that system has been in use for a long time and I dont remember what the wattage is. I know its pretty low, you can stick your hand over the panel and shut down the pump. That pump puts out 1 gpm at the drinking tank that is a couple hundred yards away with a slight incline from the pump to the tank. Durning the summer when its hot and dry and the creek and the other water holes have dried up even pumping all day that pump does not put enough water in the tank to keep things watered. The pump its self is a diaprahm type pump, it does ok but if I was going to change it. I would go with a impeller type pump that can move more water.

 

[preston39]

........."That pump puts out 1 gpm at the drinking tank that is a couple hundred yards away with a slight incline from the pump to the tank"....

That is the reason for our thought of having a storage tank of 1000-1500 gallons gravity feeding to the WATERER. A x size input to the storage tank..based on need ....should supply x need to the drinking waterer upon demand. A pump needed to DIRECTLY supply the WATERER would be difficult to determine...I think.

..."The pump its self is a diaprahm type pump, it does ok but if I was going to change it. I would go with a impeller type pump that can move more water"...


We are looking at pumps similiar to this one:

http://store.altenergystore.com/Solar-W ... Pump/p445/

Yes, the impeller type pump is desired. I appreciate the comments.

 

[nenmrancher]

looks like a neat setup preston, I should have told you that both of our setups are submersible pumps. The new one is a Gould setup which we have had really good luck with that brand of pumps on other wells running off of generators. The shallow one is old enough that I dont remember the manufactor.

I think you have the right idea with the storage tank, the only thing I would suggest is to go bigger than what you think you will need. I dont know how hot your summers can get, ours can get pretty warm and dry. A bunch of mama cows can sure empty a storage tank in a hurry when they are thirsty.

Regardless of what kind of equipment you use I think you will really like a solar set up. Once you get it up and running it pretty well takes care of itself.

 

[preston39]

.............. two 170 watt solar panels. The water from the well is pumped from 60 ft deep and then up 16 more ft to pour into a 350 gallon black tank.... A 1 1/2" pipe comes out of the side at the bottom to gravity feed water to 4 stock tanks located appx 100 yards away from the source. The stock tanks have shut off valves. When the black tank is full, the overflow water pours out a pipe out at the top side and out to a pond not far away keeping it full as well. The system works very well with plenty of water being pumped! The control box is mounted under the solar panels for protection. I got the control box that allows a generator to be connected in the event of a lot of cloudy weather. This pump runs off ac or dc current and there is nothng special you have to do - it's automatic. About $4,200 for the equipment and not counting the tower and water tank.
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Angus...,

Great information. Thanks!

A couple questions.... if I may;

When the tank is filled you allow it to over flow?

If correct for what purpose..to feed the pond?

I could allow it to over flow...the spring runs about 1-1/2 miles across the ranch and out...now...so overflow would be no problem. My concern would be....pump wear. I am thinking of a cutoff when the tank is full.

You don't have a battery set-up?

Also, am thinking of a DC battery for power during off hours/cloudy times. (From the spring up to the tank we will only need to lift the water about 12' and about 20' horizontally to the tank in the shade...so a small pump(?) should work).

What kind/shape and size of black tank did you get?

I know the black would reduce light and thus the algee problems...but, what maintenance problems do you anticipate...any?

I am thinking of 1000/1500 size with gravity feeding 3 or 4 (one for the timid ones who stay on the herd fringes ) waterers for 80-100 head of thirsty critters(when it is hot). May need a larger tank.....haven't calculated the maximum amount of water required yet.

Your comments/information is sure helpful...again thanks.

 

[preston39]

Angus...,

You are most helpful. If i can ever reciprocate please let me know.

The spring run-off pools in several spots thru its trek. The cows stand in them and get snake bitt. Last year we lost a high priced heifer (her value would have contribured greatly for the system...at least near) from a cotton mouth and two others which were bitten requiring treatments including lancing of jaws, etc. Two were bitt year before last......enough already.

Our spring improvement project is to make the installation and reduce that problem with the drain being fenced off thru the bottoms.

Will up date in a few months.

 

[KenB]

Angus...,

You are most helpful. If i can ever reciprocate please let me know.

The spring run-off pools in several spots thru its trek. The cows stand in them and get snake bitt. Last year we lost a high priced heifer (her value would have contribured greatly for the system...at least near) from a cotton mouth and two others which were bitten requiring treatments including lancing of jaws, etc. Two were bitt year before last......enough already.

Our spring improvement project is to make the installation and reduce that problem with the drain being fenced off thru the bottoms.

Will up date in a few months.

;-) Maybe you should fence that bottom with hog wire, and import some of those wild hogs from texas they will take care of those snakes.

 

[preston39]

Havent missed one with a shotgun yet. During a dry spell they seem to congregate to our water since the natural creek holes around us dry up. Seeing the buggers is the challenge.

 

[KMacGinley]

Want to pump water from a ditch to a tank on the bank, what would you guys suggest we need?

 

[Carlos D.]

My nieghbour has a floating pump on a dugout (pond)a deep cell battery his solar pannell is about30 inches by 24 inches and he waters 125 steers with it in the pasture. works slick ---it fills a 1 1/2 inch line when it pumps it lifts up to 12 feet easily I just phoned the guy and he said that pump cost about 1100 dollars 1o years ago should be cheaper now anyway it a good system and never cost anywhere near $10,000

carl

 

[Carlos D.]

Floating pump on solar? That IS slick! I wonder who makes it.
I like to get fresh water for my cattle but in a pinch or drought that system would be great for me. Thanks for sharing that idea. Let me know if you find out who makes it.

I checked the internet (floating pumps solar} lots of them came up seems you can get set up for about 2000.00

carl

 

[preston39]

Floating pump on solar? That IS slick! I wonder who makes it.
I like to get fresh water for my cattle but in a pinch or drought that system would be great for me. Thanks for sharing that idea. Let me know if you find out who makes it.

I checked the internet (floating pumps solar} lots of them came up seems you can get set up for about 2000.00

carl

==============
Carlos..,

Best I can come up with is around $3500 including batteries. Still looking. Reference too the $2000 costs will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[preston39]

Thanks, I'll have to check them out. My current soalr system is very good. I do have some downhole sand problems to deal with but its manageable.

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Just read an article about sand and the floating pump. It suggests folding a very fine mesh screen wire around the area of pump/water intake to prevent/reduce the pick-up of sand/debris which is not good.
Also, a three point tie off of the pump..over the deepest area... to prevent it from moving...torque/wind... into shallow/unwanted areas of the pool is important.

 

[Carlos D.]

Floating pump on solar? That IS slick! I wonder who makes it.
I like to get fresh water for my cattle but in a pinch or drought that system would be great for me. Thanks for sharing that idea. Let me know if you find out who makes it.

I checked the internet (floating pumps solar} lots of them came up seems you can get set up for about 2000.00

carl

==============
Carlos..,

Best I can come up with is around $3500 including batteries. Still looking. Reference too the $2000 costs will be appreciated. Thanks.

http://www.energyalternatives.ca/amazing/itemdesc.asp?CartId={48B46EA7-281E-4A92-A182-6EVEREST78F8C8106E8}&ic=FP%2DLV&eq=&Tp=iI hope I done that right but there was a pump there that floated ---it pumped 8 gallons per miniute at an 8 foot lift---if you have trouble PM me and I 'll phone you I have a plan that is phoneing is free anywhere in north america

that pump that I looked at was 337.00 US $

carl

 

[frenchie]

http://www.kellnsolar.com/pages/water.php3

These are good guys I have system from them

 

[preston39]

Sounds like the floating pump is a neat set-up! Get your solar panels - the prices are going up quick.

My sand problem is down hole at about 70 ft. I'll try out a fine mesh bag on the output side and see how it works out.

=============
A leg unit from a pantyhose works great for the exhaust side of the washing machine. They seem durable also. ;-)

 

[preston39]

http://www.kellnsolar.com/pages/water.php3

These are good guys I have system from them

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frenchie,

Thanks.

Those are some nice units. I like the design best of all...so far.

Are you pumping from a well or surface spring?