Off-Grid water pump for domestic use

Green Building Solutions

I'm working on an off-grid project that will be DC only. There is a well that is 80 feet deep and we want to pump the water out of it using DC for use in the home. We were thinking a Shurflo 9300 to pump to an elevated storage tank in the loft of a barn 20 feet above the ground to supply the water to the home. Do you think this would be adequate or would a booster pump be needed to get the water to the tank? What about a holding tank in the home on the first floor and a booster pump on the tank to help get the preasure up for domestic use?

Any other solutions that could pump to a conventional pressurized tank? My concern about the tank in the barn is that it would freeze in the winter.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

westbranch

Re: Off-Grid water pump for domestic use

a Cistern tank elevated 20 feet will give you about 10 psi.. probably need a booster.
you can insulate the tank but don't forget about the water lines in and out.
How about a non pressurized tank in the basement with a demand run pump?

HTH
Eric

Green Building Solutions

Re: Off-Grid water pump for domestic use

Thanks Eric for your reply. Would a demand use pump get the preasure I need and be able to pump 15-20 feet of head? Do you know any specific pumps that would meet my needs?

Thanks again,

-Michael

icarus

Re: Off-Grid water pump for domestic use

Shurflo will pump just fine into a P-tank. Your total head, (80' of well plus 20' to cistern) would equal ~ 45 psi (don't have the exact table in front of me) I believe the Shurflow will pump ~230' (`100 psi)

At 12 volts, it will pump ~50 gph drawing ~2.1 amps.

At 24 vdc it will pump ~100 gph drawing 2.6 amps (Into 100' of head.

So you could pump into a p-tank at 80" of head, and then to ~50 psi tank, giving a total of ~ 180' of head at a rate of ~ 43 gph @ 12 or 93 gph @ 24 vdc.

Under the category of KISS, I would use the one pump system, use a voltage doubler if you are running a 12 vdc system to run the pump at 24 vdc and cut down on line losses.

We use the Shurflo 9300 and it works great,, albiet a bit slow. It pumps from ~15 under the lake surface, into a P tank at 60 psi.


Good luck,

tony