How to power an established well pump with solar

Mamajess · February 2020

What batteries & panels do I need to power a 115v 1/2 hp above ground well pump? At this point, water reservoir is small. Want to get bigger reservoir in basement so pump had to run much less. Extra info : Well pump is above ground in basement. Well head is buried in hillside approx 15'-20' from wall of basement, 2 hoses going to well head through basement wall.

mike95490 · February 2020

I'll attach the generic chart for Pumps , Motors, Power.

To actually run from Solar and batteries will be expensive. A mid-size generator might be a better thought.

small inverter generators

https://www.consumerreports.org/inverter-generators/harbor-freight-predator-62353-vs-honda-eu2000it1a1-recreational-inverter-generator/

other generator review

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/generators.htm

You will need a inverter large enough to supply the START amps for 3 seconds. Those are expensive, as are the batteries needed to drive it.

Can you pump water once a day to a 300 gallon storage tank and use from there, instead of a pump that cycles on and off many times a day ?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6024911/uploads/editor/nt/oywmnuuprh1y.jpg

Mamajess · February 2020

@mike95490
Thank you. I would like to get a bigger storage tank to only run the pump maybe once a day to top off tank. Would we have any water pressure? If not, then I need a way to pump water up from basement. Hand pumps in bathroom & kitchen? We do have a generator, but I'd like to have a system not dependent on gas.

mike95490 · February 2020

If this was an off-grid (I'm off grid) cabin, I'd pump to a storage tank above ground, and use a small 12V RV style booster pump to get water to the fixtures. There will be days without sun, so you should have a generator to be able to get water then.

I have 12K gallons pumped to a 170' elevation and have gravity feed water everywhere, and only pump on sunny days

Mamajess · February 2020

Thank you, Mike. I'm learning that first of all, our pressure tank is way too small. Idk why they replaced our big old galvanized one with a tiny thing 🤦‍♀️20 gal? We are a household of 5. Here's an idea Is had kicking around, just not sure of best implementation. We have a half basement. So we have a 4' foundation wall that runs the length of the house. I use that side for storage & that is where our oil tank is (we burn wood, but use it to supplement if it's super cold or if we are gone more than for the day) I'm considering putting a large (200 gal?) water storage tank up in that space. If I put a tank outside, I need to bury it & not sure I have room to do that. Need to figure out how all that would fit & work together. Pump water to holding tank, goes to pressure tank, then to fixtures & appliances etc? Or maybe not - Maybe just fill the tank & like you said, & in grid down situation use a 12v pump to get water from holding tank to faucets, but unless I run separate lines, I would still need to connect to the water line that comes from the pressure tank to do that, too, right? & then that tank of water only lasts so long. This is why I'd really like to be able to power the pump with DC. If I have a much bigger pressure tank, then it's only drawing starting amperage once every day or two. Attaching pic of plate with specs. I know it's wired for 115v because of the circuit breaker @ the panel. Thank you for all your time & help as I work this out.

mike95490 · February 2020

The good thing is, only you can figure out what is right for you.

Maybe your well pump is too large for your actual usage ? slower pumping = less amps = affordable inverter

Perhaps pump to a basement storage tank, and use a small pressure boosting pump (120VAC) for daily water pressure

MichaelK · February 2020

What are your winter low temperatures? How much vertical rise is there on your property. In my area, winter lows drop into the teens, but most likely never below single digits. As far as I know, it has never dropped below zero. For my water system, I have a 5000 gallon tank positioned about 175 vertical feet above the wellhead. My solar system pumps water out of the well, up the hill, and into the tank. When full, the mass of all the water keeps its temperature above freezing. It's worked that way for 40 years now. When the pump is shut off, water can flow back downhill by gravity, with a one-way valve at the wellhead to keep the water from draining back into the well. The pump is powered now solely by solar, which can run from about 8:30 am till 4:30 pm.

Mamajess · February 2020

Unfortunately we are on a hill & so is the well head. We have had as low as negative single digits ambient from what I can remember but for the most part single digits near zero. I guess it depends on the length of time at low temps? But 5000 gal is not going to be an option for us. Even though we do have some acreage, the house is situated at almost the highest point on the property unless you go back a couple acres. There is not much level ground surrounding & drops off sharply on one side. This is why I've considered indoor water storage. Lack of space & elevation.
I did at least get what is needed to put a plug on the well wire, so in a short term situation, we can plug it into the generator to pump. Baby steps

wellbuilt · February 2020

I am off grid .

My system is set up as mike Described and works very well.

I have my main line from the well to the house , I added a tee and feed a 275gallon water tote with it .

The tank is vented out side .

If I turn the ball valve off to the tank it Pressurizes my pressure tank and the system works normally .
If there is no power to the pump I use a 120v rv pump to pressurize the pressure tank and feed the fixtures.

Both pumps have back flow valve in the pumps but I allso use ball valves to cut water flow .

You could just run a dc rv pump and keep a small battery maintainer on the battery for power .

How to power an established well pump with solar

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