1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

Hill_Country
Hill_Country Solar Expert Posts: 96 ✭✭
We are about to purchase a Red Lion RJC-50 1/2 HP AC 120v well pump to provide household water pressure to our off-grid house. The 1/2 HP AC well pump will be connected to a 44-gallon Pressure tank and provide us with household water pressure. The RJC-50 comes with a 30/50psi pressure switch already, which turns the pump on when the pressure gets down to 30 PSI, and shuts the pump off when the pressure reaches 50psi. Although the pump is intended for shallow/deep wells, we will be using it to draw water from our above-ground poly-tanks. The 1/2 HP AC pump will be run off of our inverter-based system (Magnum MS4448PAE Inverter). We are completely off-grid (i.e. no grid-tie).

My question is this: Will the pump pressure switch continue to function even when the Inverter is in "sleep/search" mode? What I'm concerned about is that the inverter is in sleep mode, we take a shower, then the pressure dips below 30psi, but the pressure switch does not engage the pump because the Inverter is in sleep mode. Is this a valid concern? I don't want to have to have the Inverter on 24/7 just so the pressure switch can switch the pump on. It could be hours, or days, in-between the pump coming on.

Thanks!
100% Off-grid with: 8 Solarworld 275 Watt Panels, 8 Concorde SunXtender 405aH 6v AGM Batteries, MS-4448PAE 48v Inverter, MidNite Solar Classic 200 Charge Controller, 10,000 gallon rainwater collection system, etc.
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Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    If this is a mechanical switch/controller--Should not be a problem.

    If this is an electronic pump controller--Could be an issue (controllers typically "lose their brains" if you cut their input power and there is no backup).

    The other issue is a possible issue with the inverter starting up/starting the pump at the same time--Just a warning, I do not know one way or another. You can get a time delay relay and connect it to the pump AC input and delay the turn on time by a second or so if there is an actual inverter leaving sleep/starting large load issue.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Yes the pressure switch will still function. There's nothing fancy about them: just a pressure activated two pole switch that connects power to the motor. When the water pressure drops below 30 psi the switch will connect the motor to the inverter which will sense the current demand and switch to full power.

    You may have an issue drawing from above ground tanks: it is possible the weight of water in the tank will create enough pressure in the plumbing that the pump switch never turns on until you are out of water. This will depend on the configuration of the storage tanks and how they are plumbed to the pump.
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Hi there, welcome to the forum!
    Your concerns re the pressure switch are unfounded. It's a mechanical switch. The system pressure pushes against a diaphragm in the switch unit, which in turn pushes against a spring. As pressure drops the spring moves the mechanism until it toggles, closing the switch contacts and connecting the motor to your inverter which will then see a load and wake up. On pressure rise, the push of the diaphragm overcomes the spring and the mechanism toggles to the off position, opening the contacts.
    My biggest concern is will the inverter be able to supply the relatively huge start surge of the pump, and also will the battery bank be able to supply the required power without allowing the voltage to sag into the low voltage shutoff area of the inverter.
    EDIT:
    Hahaha As often happens, by the time I've composed my response, BB and Coot have already posted. :D
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    BB. wrote: »
    The other issue is a possible issue with the inverter starting up/starting the pump at the same time--Just a warning, I do not know one way or another. You can get a time delay relay and connect it to the pump AC input and delay the turn on time by a second or so if there is an actual inverter leaving sleep/starting large load issue.

    -Bill

    This won't actually work: if the motor load is not sensed by the inverter the inverter will not turn on.
    I have not noticed a problem with large size loads taking inverters out of standby; has anyone else?
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Yea--You would have to put a (for example) 10 watt load/light on the lead prior to the switch to "turn on" the ~6 watt inverter load detection logic.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    My biggest concern is will the inverter be able to supply the relatively huge start surge of the pump, and also will the battery bank be able to supply the required power without allowing the voltage to sag into the low voltage shutoff area of the inverter.

    4kW 48 Volt inverter: should not be a problem unless the battery bank and/or wiring is ridiculously small.
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    4kW 48 Volt inverter: should not be a problem unless the battery bank and/or wiring is ridiculously small.

    Very true. I seem to have skipped over the size of the inverter. :blush:
  • Hill_Country
    Hill_Country Solar Expert Posts: 96 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Thanks y'all! It sounds like the consensus is that it is most likely a mechanical pressure switch, and therefore my concern over whether or not the inverter will be able to enter "sleep/search" mode is unfounded. Thank you for your quick responses!

    To address an earlier question...the above-ground poly tanks (total capacity = 10,000 gallons) should not cause an issue with the pump, unless I'm misunderstanding something. The highest the water level will be, relative to the pump, will be about 6 ft. That would only create about 2.6psi (1 psi = 2.3 ft. head) at the pump, which shouldn't be enough to cause any sort of issue.

    And for those concerned about the inverter/battery bank/etc...we will be using a MS4448PAE inverter with a 400Ah @ 48 volts battery bank. I will make sure the wiring to the pump (max distance of 30ft) is appropriate for the current.
    100% Off-grid with: 8 Solarworld 275 Watt Panels, 8 Concorde SunXtender 405aH 6v AGM Batteries, MS-4448PAE 48v Inverter, MidNite Solar Classic 200 Charge Controller, 10,000 gallon rainwater collection system, etc.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    Thanks y'all! It sounds like the consensus is that it is most likely a mechanical pressure switch, and therefore my concern over whether or not the inverter will be able to enter "sleep/search" mode is unfounded. Thank you for your quick responses!

    To address an earlier question...the above-ground poly tanks (total capacity = 10,000 gallons) should not cause an issue with the pump, unless I'm misunderstanding something. The highest the water level will be, relative to the pump, will be about 6 ft. That would only create about 2.6psi (1 psi = 2.3 ft. head) at the pump, which shouldn't be enough to cause any sort of issue.

    That's good.
    I had a 500 gallon poly tank once that would pressurize my system without a pump just because of the elevation difference between it and the pump inlet. Saved on electric. :D
  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    Although the pump is intended for shallow/deep wells, we will be using it to draw water from our above-ground poly-tanks.

    Where does the water come from, and how do you get it into your above-ground tanks?

    I ask because your plan sounds a bit unusual... Lots of folks use a submersible pump (with generator or large inverter or solar-direct) to get water into their storage tanks, and then use a small RV style pump to provide house pressure. Those RV pumps are cheap and very efficient... no need to run a generator or large inverter.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • Texas Wellman
    Texas Wellman Solar Expert Posts: 153 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Skip the junky jet pump and go with the grundfos SQ. Put the submersible pump directly in your storage tank. It has soft-start which plays nicely with your inverter and will pump 2x as much water as the jet pump will and use much less power to do it. PM me if you want more details.
  • Hill_Country
    Hill_Country Solar Expert Posts: 96 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    The water found in the above-ground poly tanks (10,000 gallons total storage) is entirely from rainwater catchment. So the above-ground poly tanks will only fill when there is a rainfall event. It is not fed by any other source besides rainwater.

    I was under the impression that a pressure tank paired with a pressure pump is the ideal way to go for providing acceptable water pressure to a house. The pressure tank prevents the pump from of having to kick on every time water is used in the house (a buffer of sorts). We will have two instant, tankless hot water heaters that require at least 20psi to operate reliably. Feel free to suggest alternatives that others have found work well...I'm all ears.

    The two poly tanks will only be about 5.5 feet high, so when they are full the will have about 5.5 feet of water in them. We are planning on having two 5,000 gallon poly tanks for a total of 10,000 gallons. Would a submersible pump even be able to fit? Or, if the water level is low, would it be exposed?
    100% Off-grid with: 8 Solarworld 275 Watt Panels, 8 Concorde SunXtender 405aH 6v AGM Batteries, MS-4448PAE 48v Inverter, MidNite Solar Classic 200 Charge Controller, 10,000 gallon rainwater collection system, etc.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    I see no point in using a submersible pump in an application like that. There's no great need for lift, pressure should be easy to develop with the water head available, and standard pumps are reasonable in price as well as easily available.

    I've run jet pumps on shallow wells and out of the lake for many years with no problems. Of course I don't buy "junky" ones and don't know why anyone would. There's nothing wrong with the jet pump design in and of itself.
  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    I was under the impression that a pressure tank paired with a pressure pump is the ideal way to go for providing acceptable water pressure to a house.

    You don't need a submersible pump at all. You can get by with an RV type pump. They come in 12 and 24 volt models. They include the pressure switch. They are cheap enough ($100- $200) to buy one, and another for a spare. They will work fine with any small pressure tank.

    There are several brands on the market... Here's an example of one:

    http://www.solar-electric.com/wind-and-water-products/sodcwapu/shacdcwapu/sh20sepuanda/2088-443-144.html

    Do NOT buy a 110 volt model... the brushes don't last very long.

    I'm not sure I've seen any that run on 48 volts, but you can buy a DC-DC converter to supply 12 or 24 volts from 48 volts.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Hey, if you already have the pump, and if I understand right you have the inverter more than capable of running it, and if you have a battery bank large enough to start the pump, then in my opinion go for it. It's overkill, but will work well for you. In my part of the world the smallest jet pump we can now get is also 1/2 hp, and can be roughly as hard to start as a 1/2 hp submersible, perhaps even worse if the jet's motor isn't capacitor start. My uncle's 2500 watt generator will start everything in the house, but can't start his non-capacitor start 1/2 hp jet pump. If you don't already have the sub pump, and if the flow rate you need can be handled by one of the lower flow rate pumps mentioned, then definitely consider that option.
  • jonr
    jonr Solar Expert Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Dayton has some 1/3 HP shallow well pumps. If you went with a large pressure tank that would satisfy any short term draw, then you could consider Shurflo's brushless RO booster pump (24V (probably AC or DC works), 2.5A).

    I am available for custom hardware/firmware development

  • Texas Wellman
    Texas Wellman Solar Expert Posts: 153 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    The shur-flo style pumps only deliver about 3.5 gpm. Yes they are cheap, but they're also CHEAP. I do not believe that a normal house with normal fixtures would be able to run on only 3.5 gpm.

    The "junky" I was referring to is the Red Lion Brand, which I believe is Tractor Supplies in-house brand.

    You can put the submersible pump directly in the tank and lay it on it's side. Make a little pedestal for it so that it's not laying completely on the bottom. Set it up about 2 inches off the bottom.

    It's not really about whether or not you "need" a submersible pump, it's just the fact that the SQ plays so well with off-grid living. The SQ is a 3" pump that normally goes directly into the well but can also be used in cistern type tanks. They use a high-efficiency motor and built-in soft-start features. The motor takes about 3 seconds to start-up and does not surge the way a typical motor will. I know for a fact that a Honda EU2000i inverter-generator will run the 110-volt version. I would pair the pump with the largest storage tank you can afford so that you can have a really good draw-down (one minute of run time minimum) or a constant pressure valve.

    Do a search for the best prices. You're looking for the ~1/2 HP 10 GPM model. Good luck.

    http://www.pumpsandtanks.com/Helpful-Info/cistern_sub.htm
  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    The shur-flo style pumps only deliver about 3.5 gpm. Yes they are cheap, but they're also CHEAP. I do not believe that a normal house with normal fixtures would be able to run on only 3.5 gpm.

    I agree about the CHEAPness... but we get by just fine on 3.5 gpm. I wouldn't mind spending more money to get better quality. I do NOT want submersible... what 120 v pump would you recommend to put in-line? Can it run dry without harm? Does it have a built-in pressure switch?

    Hill_Country, I don't think I am hijacking your thread... the answer is relevant to your situation. Since your tanks are only 5 ft high, a non-submersible pump would work for you.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • Texas Wellman
    Texas Wellman Solar Expert Posts: 153 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    The avg. home uses 300-500 gallons of water per day. At 3.5 gpm the pump would have to run 85-142 minutes each day. At that duty cycle I do not believe that it would last very long. For a cabin it would probably work. I am assuming that the OP has "normal" water needs but I really do not know.

    The question is "WHY WOULDN'T" you want a submersible? You can rig up a sub that will have dry-run protection and a pressure switch is a $20 part.

    The pump I am suggesting is NOT an expensive solution, just more expensive than the others.


    vtmaps wrote: »
    I agree about the CHEAPness... but we get by just fine on 3.5 gpm. I wouldn't mind spending more money to get better quality. I do NOT want submersible... what 120 v pump would you recommend to put in-line? Can it run dry without harm? Does it have a built-in pressure switch?

    Hill_Country, I don't think I am hijacking your thread... the answer is relevant to your situation. Since your tanks are only 5 ft high, a non-submersible pump would work for you.

    --vtMaps
  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    There is only one pump I buy, Aquatec 550 , 5.5 GPM free flow. CHEAP yeah, available in 12 V, 24v or 120V. The only small pump with a adjustable pressure switch.

    http://www.energybay.org/aquatec-550-pressure-pump-24vdc
  • Hill_Country
    Hill_Country Solar Expert Posts: 96 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Thank you all for your suggestions and advice. It's what makes these forums great!

    To elaborate, our planned off-grid house (not built yet) will be just over 1,000 sq. ft. total in size, with two bedrooms, a bathroom (sink and shower), kitchen (sink, but no dish washing machine), laundry/utility room (small top load clothes washer), and an outdoor "shower". Notice that we do NOT have a toilet (we will be taking the composting route). We will be running entirely off of rainwater (no well or city water) and will be completely off the grid (no electrical grid tie-in). We will be using two 5,000 gallon above-ground black polyethylene tanks that are made to hold potable water. Right now we are only a family of two (my wife and I), but plan to have kids in the future. Our anticipated daily water usage is about 20-30 gallons per person/per day currently. Yes, that seems like a "hopeful" estimate, but we plan on being pretty stingy when it comes to water usage, for obvious reasons. Not having a toilet, taking short showers, and not leaving the water running when you don't need it go a long way!

    I've purchased a 33 gallon pressure tank (has a draw-down of about 10 gallons in the 30psi-50psi range) mated with a 1/2 HP 120v AC jet pump (Red Lion RJC-50), which can provide about 10gpm in the 30psi to 50psi range. I figure that the pump will only have to come on about 3-5 times a day, maybe less, and when it does, it should only be for a minute or two. For the cost, it was hard to pass up spending about $275 for the 33 gallon pressure tank and $240 for the 1/2 HP AC pump

    And Vtmaps, no worries...you haven't hijacked the thread at all; like you said, it is only helping, so thanks!

    Texas Wellman, thank you for your suggestions...you have some excellent points and I am still doing some research.
    100% Off-grid with: 8 Solarworld 275 Watt Panels, 8 Concorde SunXtender 405aH 6v AGM Batteries, MS-4448PAE 48v Inverter, MidNite Solar Classic 200 Charge Controller, 10,000 gallon rainwater collection system, etc.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Curiously we have a 33 gallon pressure tank here. It takes 6 minutes to fill it with a 1/3 HP jet pump pulling from the lake (very little lift involved). How often it needs to be filled varies with the daily activities; more dish washing, showers, doing laundry (by hand), et cetera means more pump on time. Normally it is run only during midday to make best use of PV power. Otherwise the generator is run to offset the pump usage (not bad to run the gen for 10 minutes or so).

    Ideally I would add more pressure tank capacity, but fitting that in would not be easy (no basement/crawl space to put tanks in). Then I could run the pump a long time midday and store up enough water to last the whole day without firing up the gen. The economics of this are dubious, however, as the price of one additional tank will buy a lot of gasoline even at our $6+ per gallon rates.

    In the dark ages of civil engineering the calculations were based on 100 gallons (US) per person per day. Since mandatory water conservation methods are in place in Canada (3 GPM fixture flow, 1.5 gallon toilets) this is probably more like 40 gallons per person per day. For us doubling the tank size would make a significant improvement. Ah, but where to put it?

    BTW we have a flush toilet and full septic system for it. The other water is considered 'gray' and just allowed to flow out on the ground (which is old creek delta; sand and gravel everywhere). Not everyone will have this advantage.

    P.S.: Kids will add a lot to water usage.
  • Texas Wellman
    Texas Wellman Solar Expert Posts: 153 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Sounds like you have a good plan and your usage definitely falls within the "cabin" criteria so I would not expect you to have to use much water. Do you think you'll get enough rainfall for your tanks? We have had good rains down near the coast this year but we were brutally dry two years ago.

    Please be sure to post back up to let us know how your system works and how nice the pump/inverter are to each other.

    Good luck!
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    One can usually buy water and have it delivered if rainfall gets bad. Why do you think that Grundfos does not make a version of the SQ that does not have to be submersed in water Texas Wellman? Is it the cooling? The SQ is just such a nice pump for offgrid and the real issue in some applications is not weather the inverter will start a jet pump, but the latent damage that the surge does to electronics in some applications.
    Sounds like you have a good plan and your usage definitely falls within the "cabin" criteria so I would not expect you to have to use much water. Do you think you'll get enough rainfall for your tanks? We have had good rains down near the coast this year but we were brutally dry two years ago.

    Please be sure to post back up to let us know how your system works and how nice the pump/inverter are to each other.

    Good luck!
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • jonr
    jonr Solar Expert Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    he latent damage that the surge does to electronics in some applications.

    I doubt that startup draw (ie, a brief voltage drop) causes damage to other devices. But motors/pumps that are switched off upstream (say at the breaker or the inverter) can create surges (voltage increase) for other devices on the same circuit. Would be interesting to see more discussion (or measurements) of this.

    I am available for custom hardware/firmware development

  • Texas Wellman
    Texas Wellman Solar Expert Posts: 153 ✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    The SQ is a 3" pump designed to go into wells that for some reason you can't get a normal 4" pump installed. There are a lot of crusted up wells and small diameter wells that fit this category and thus the pumps are considered specialized.

    Since the 3" pump is narrower than it's 4" counterpart it has to spin faster to get the same head (affinity laws). The pump spins at 10,600 rpm vs 3450 for a 4". As such it has to use special electronics in the motor to achieve this. I think the 3 sec start is more of a necessity than an intention. Also, the motor uses permanent magnets which makes it higher efficiency. It ends up being very friendly to starting up on generators and off-grid applications. The 110-V model will start nicely on a 2000 watt inverter genset like the Honda EU2000i.
    One can usually buy water and have it delivered if rainfall gets bad. Why do you think that Grundfos does not make a version of the SQ that does not have to be submersed in water Texas Wellman? Is it the cooling? The SQ is just such a nice pump for offgrid and the real issue in some applications is not weather the inverter will start a jet pump, but the latent damage that the surge does to electronics in some applications.
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    I definitely disagree from 22 years experience offgrid with 70 homes now. Even with excellent circuit surge protection I have had a few customers that deep well pumps (or any really large load) just seem to cause modern processor based appliances, modems, etc to fail. Replace the deep well pump with an SQ or DC pump with a slow start or VFD like the SQ (whatever is in there) has built-in and the issues are gone. One of the best things about being off the grid is how long modern equipment lasts when not subject to spotty grid power in rural areas. Hard to prove and certainly not hard to measure with some of the nice portable gear that Agilent makes these days. If you see modern lighting flashing alot, your days are numbered on that laptop or tablet in my opinion.
    jonr wrote: »
    I doubt that startup draw (ie, a brief voltage drop) causes damage to other devices. But motors/pumps that are switched off upstream (say at the breaker or the inverter) can create surges (voltage increase) for other devices on the same circuit. Would be interesting to see more discussion (or measurements) of this.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    Dave,
    If you see modern lighting flashing a lot

    Modem?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode
    BB. wrote: »
    Dave,



    Modem?

    -Bill

    Ahem, not sure what "we" mean sometimes. On my end, I better check the chlorine level in the rainwater.......yes the modem I think
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: 1/2 HP AC well pump with pressure switch and Inverter sleep mode

    I did some searching and the last time I looked for a surface equivalent of the SQ I did not find this. But, this might be what I need for some applications. The one thing I always like about the SQ is that the nameplate amps are the max and the 3 second start is nice for LED lighting or CFL. The other thing that is even better is not having pump issues for decades!

    http://waterpumpspro.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=108_197_198



    The SQ is a 3" pump designed to go into wells that for some reason you can't get a normal 4" pump installed. There are a lot of crusted up wells and small diameter wells that fit this category and thus the pumps are considered specialized.

    Since the 3" pump is narrower than it's 4" counterpart it has to spin faster to get the same head (affinity laws). The pump spins at 10,600 rpm vs 3450 for a 4". As such it has to use special electronics in the motor to achieve this. I think the 3 sec start is more of a necessity than an intention. Also, the motor uses permanent magnets which makes it higher efficiency. It ends up being very friendly to starting up on generators and off-grid applications. The 110-V model will start nicely on a 2000 watt inverter genset like the Honda EU2000i.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net