Solar Well Pumps - Awesome

backroad

I've been playing with learning the solar thing since the first of the year. When I bought my old place it already had a solar well pump in place. To make a long story short, it quit pumping water, so I pulled the pump (by hand of course) and the controller and took a trip to Safford in southern Arizona where Sun Pumps is located. They very happily and professionally let me know that my pump was fine but the control box had a wasted board. They replaced the board for $160 and sent me happily on my way.

I said all this to let everyone know that the people at Sun Pumps (especially TODD) are awesome at customer service and particularly answering any and all my questions.

My Solar well pump consists of NO BATTERIES, but has two 75 watt panels wired to a small controller and a nice little low voltage pump. I believe that nominal voltage figure is 30 volts (will run of of about 13.6 volts but NOT 12 volts). It can also be used with a battery system if 24 hour pumping is needed. Mine just happens to pump when the sun is out and happily fills a very tall 6000 gallon tank that gravity feed the house and property. I do have a 24 volt sureflow pressure pump that I plan on adding with a pressure tank just to give the house better water pressure.

System2

Re: Solar Well Pumps - Awesome

It sounds like you acquired a nice solar pumping system that's not affected by night or other disruptions of light. Thanks for sharing as your system is very interesting.

backroad

Re: Solar Well Pumps - Awesome

I must not have been clear...:D:DIt is affected by nighttime. No sun, No pump...It does pump into a very tall, 6000 gal. tank and then supplies water, via gravity feed to every thing else. Let, me tell you, 6000 gallons of water goes a LONG way. If then tank somehow gets drained (like someone (ME) leaves a water hose on and leaves town for the weeken), it takes 5-6 days to refill it and a good day or two until you get enough water in the tank to gravity feed again. The moral to the story is: Don't leave the faucet on................

Dennis in Bagdad

Telco

Re: Solar Well Pumps - Awesome

Got a pic of the water tower handy? Thanks.

backroad

Re: Solar Well Pumps - Awesome

I don't have a picture of the water tower, but it's simply a very large piece of culvert (probably 6 ft in dia.) that sticks way up in the air. It also has 3 old telephone poles set up t-pee style to stabilize it. Everything in this place has been home built, even the breakfast burrito's.