Sprinkler booster pump ?

mike95490
mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
Well, with only about 20' of head from tanks to garden, the 10psi won't run any sprinkler or drip system. I'll be using 1.5" - 2" poly tube for the 600' run from tank to garden, but need to install a booster pump along the way, to get 40 psi or so, so that the drip irrigation will work. Too low of pressure, and the stuff doesn't work.

This will be off grid, but if I have to, I'll run the genset to keep the batteries up. I'm not looking for the cheapest pump, but I only want to buy one, not six, trying to find one that really works. Some reviews on Amazon have pumps failing after a couple hours.

Mike
Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
|| Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
|| VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

Comments

  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95
    Re: Sprinkler booster pump ?

    I used one from Home Depot starting in 1996 and its still going, this was a 1.5hp grundofos pump.
    Chuck
  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    Re: Sprinkler booster pump ?

    Lorentz do DC surface pumps: http://www.lorentz.de/offgrid/en/products/surfacepumps/intro
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Sprinkler booster pump ?

    Giving up on the booster pump idea, and looking at a LARGE pump, to get water to higher tanks. But moving a lot of water in a short time sucks power. Got a 300' run, and 45' lift, so it's not simple. I'm looking at a big ag pump (Grunfos CR-5-3) with a 240V, 1hp motor. For my 650' round trip wire, I need 6ga ac wireing, gives a 5V/2% drop, or would 4ga be better ( 3.3V / 1.4%drop) ?
    Thoughts on soft start for a 1hp induction motor?
    Using a pair of transformers to get up to 450V for the long run? (cut wire to 10 ga)
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    Re: Sprinkler booster pump ?

    I have a 1.5kW well pump 400m away from the power source, so opted for a 3 phase 240V pump using a variable frequency drive to do the conversion from single phase and it also serves as a soft starter.
    3 phase is very nice for motor loads, the 3phase version of the pump you're looking at will probably be cheaper than single phase and you can spend the difference (and a bit) on the VFD to provide soft start. The combination of 3phase + VFD should give you a nice long life on the motor because of the reduced wear.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Sprinkler booster pump ?

    WOW That is way cool
    3 phase 240V pump using a variable frequency drive to do the conversion from single phase and it also serves as a soft starter.

    So, I'm looking at this page/vendor, for $99
    http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Overview/Catalog/Drives/GS1_(120_-z-_230_VAC_V-z-Hz_Control)
    updated link http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Drives GS1 VFD

    And the BIG question is, Can an XW 6048 series inverter, drive a 3-phase controller like this? Would any of the strange loading this has got to do, freak out the XW and cause a fault ? (with a 1hp motor) Anyone know ?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    Re: Sprinkler booster pump ?
    mike90045 wrote: »
    WOW That is way cool



    So, I'm looking at this page/vendor, for $99
    http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Overview/Catalog/Drives/GS1_(120_-z-_230_VAC_V-z-Hz_Control)

    And the BIG question is, Can an XW 6048 series inverter, drive a 3-phase controller like this? Would any of the strange loading this has got to do, freak out the XW and cause a fault ? (with a 1hp motor) Anyone know ?


    I haven't seen a load yet the XW can't handle .. the XW can't, nothing can ( Inverter wise that we mortals can buy )
  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    Re: Sprinkler booster pump ?
    mike90045 wrote: »
    So, I'm looking at this page/vendor, for $99
    http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Overview/Catalog/Drives/GS1_(120_-z-_230_VAC_V-z-Hz_Control)

    And the BIG question is, Can an XW 6048 series inverter, drive a 3-phase controller like this? Would any of the strange loading this has got to do, freak out the XW and cause a fault ? (with a 1hp motor) Anyone know ?

    The XW will handle it very easily, it will probably handle the single phase version of the pump too without any soft start. The VFD looks OK - acceleration can be set to 1 - 600 seconds, now that's a slow start :D
    Note that it could waste up to 40W as heat (don't know how precious your Watts are).

    You can check the sums but I don't think you'll save anything on the cabling. You can use thinner cables with the 3ph but you'll need an extra core so it might cancel out.