Well help

wellbuilt
wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
It’s spring !
 It’s time for my annual well pumping questions .😄
 my well is 735’ and want to pump from 700ish . 
 I want to use a grondfous SQF 3 3  with max head 655 feet 
  Or a SQF 6 3 with max head of 820 
    I my only have 1 or2 GM in the summer and the water is down 500’ 
     I would like to pump slow 200 gallons a day ? 
      I have 12 more 295 watt panels and want to add it to my system . 
        I’m not sure if I should power the pump with 6 solar panels or power my system with all 12 and run off the inverter ? 
     I’m running Sch 120 pipe and 10/2 with ground to the center of the earth . 
     I don’t really want to use the controler ?  Any thoughts ? 
Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .

Comments

  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Have you considered using a DC to AC 3 phase pump inverter, mounting the panels at the well head, this would eliminate a long wire run, remove the load from the inverter and eliminate the potential of the pump drawing from the batteries should the clouds move in, the pump inverter will vary the pump speed depending on sun available. 
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    Hi mcgivor , I really have no clue what that is , how would I get a working  system?
     This would use a regular 220  pump with the correct max head .
      I really don’t have good sun at the well head I could put panels  on the east or west side of the roof 
     or the panels would be 50’ away +- 
      I’m guessing this would be less expensive then the SQF pump .
       Im not sure where I would get the equipment from ? 
       Could you offer a little more information? 
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    There are many options available here is a random Amazon search https://www.amazon.com/Happybuy-Submersible-630ft-Stainless-Industrial/dp/B07JZ298VL#productDetails alternatively there are DC brushless types https://www.lorentz.de/ 
    Pump selection is important especially when total head is higher, as in your case, needing a high power version to overcome the water column of 6000 inches or 217 psi. Consulting a pump expert would probably be a wise decision, something I'm definitely not, my wells have static water level of between 12 and 20 feet depending on season so I can get away with a 300W pump.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    I going to try to find a pump guy , but no one really wants to do the job . 
     I’m getting prices of 13k to 24k for working system ? 
      I don’t know why it so much money ? 
       The SQF pump and wire and sch120 with all the fittings cost around 4K 
       I would think a well guy could push a pump down a hole in a day ?
       I could pay 2k to have some one do it after that I may have to give it a shot .
      It’s only threading 35 pipes Hemmmmm 
     I think at some point the pump would start to float in the hole with air in the lines ? 
       I’ve called 3 pump sales companies and haven’t gotten to talk to anybody yet? 
       It looks like a cool way to pump water .
      I’m allmosed tempted to try the pump in your post at 500’ and see how it go’s
      It’s cheep enough . 
        I would like to get some thing that will last . 
       I’ve been reading in other post here about well pumps needing to be changed out every 10 /15 years or so .
    ive been living in my home 32 years with the same pump ? 
    My moms pump is 40 plus years old . 
       I’m 60 now and don’t want to have to replace the pump in my life time .
            
     
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • Aguarancher
    Aguarancher Solar Expert Posts: 315 ✭✭✭
    You might call a well driller and have them change out your pump on the service end of their business. If you have 220V to the well head personally I'd stick with a quality conventional pump.
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
           rancher , I have no power and never had a pump .
     I had a friend drill the hole , he dosent do pumps at all and the guys that do his pumps don’t want to travel .
      His guy wanted me to use a regular 3hp pump with a genarator  steal drop pipe , I really don’t want to run a large pump with genarator 
      The well has low recovery at best maybe 2 gallons a min in a dry year . 
      I’ve seen lots of wells drilled but this one is very slow to recover . 
         Last year I used less then 900 gallons . 
      I have a 200 gallon tank in side and a 275 gallon tank out side. 
       I really want to get this going but just don’t know what to buy , it seams like it’s some kind of Secret
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    Thanks Mike goo read , I talked to 2 pump Suppliers today. 
     No one has sent me a pump spec or price of any thing yet maybe tomaro  
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    What is your rainfall amount per year ;)  For Offgrid you have to do it all, know it all, or learn it all. IMHO.
    Collecting rain can be much easier for some folks offgrid.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    Hi Dave , I’m planing some rain water Collection I get 52” a year .  
      The house has regular shingles on it , but I’m planing a 26x30 garage with a steel roof so I can collect rain water if need be .
       I think I’m only going to have a problem in dry years and I want to get a pump set up .
       I think I need a SQF 6-3 that pumps from 820 feet . 
        I’m trying to decide the best way to make this work . 
    With the pump at 700’ +- I’m thinking I can only pump 15 min at a time @ 6 gallons a minute  90 gallons so I don’t draw the well down to much .
      It seams like a wast of power to run the pump with a solar array . 
       I have a second fm 80 and 12 295watt panels sitting in the garage now . 
       ( Dos it make more sense to run the solar to the main system and just pump water in the after noon with my 120v inverter ? )
     My battery’s reach full charge  by 100 pm with a 3 hour absorb . 
      I think 200 gallons of water should be enough for a few people .
         In the winter I can just pump 200 gallons when im charging the battery’s , my panels have been snowed over since Christmas and I started getting sun again last week .
      I have a 200 gallon tank in the utility room that stays warm , and it’s piped to a 500 gallon tank out side that I drain 
      In November and re fill at Easter
     I have Sch 120 pvc with hubs and 700 feet of 10/2 with ground in a plastic sleeve pump wire. 
     Check valves every 200 foot  rubber Torque preventer for the bottom , and I have pipe wire spacers for every 40’ of pipe .     I just need a pump and a pump guy to stuff it in the hole 🕳. 
      I hope I don’t have to do it my self .  Any advice would be so help full . 
     
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    That is my general advice. The electrical I bill for.

     We have lived on as little as 15" of rain and normal is 30".  We collect 18K gals and end up with 5K gals for a early winter wildfire.
     Rain does not start here until october/november. Most of the water goes to the garden. Tomatoes sometimes in December.  Good Luck!
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    Thanks  Dave for your help 👍
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • MichaelK
    MichaelK Registered Users Posts: 234 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2021 #14
    I've been successfully running my 1hp Grunfos 240VAC wellpump off of solar for years now.  Look at the specification in my bi-line below.  The pump runs on system #1.  I can run the pump via solar from about 8am to 4pm with zero battery depletion.
    System 1) 15 Renogy 300w + 4 250W Astronergy panels,  Midnight 200 CC, 8 Trojan L16 bat., Schneider XW6848 NA inverter, AC-Delco 6000w gen.
    System 2) 8 YingLi 250W panels, Midnight 200CC, three 8V Rolls batteries, Schneider Conext 4024 inverter (workshop)
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    I’m getting all the parts together now , how deep is your well ? 
    My inverter is 120v and I have been planing to just use a SQFpump on solar but now im  second guessing 
     my self .
       It seams like a wast keeping panels tied up just pumping water for 30 mins a day 
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You first have to decide your system load.    90 gallons a day, 40 psi /00' lift,  3 hours of light

    When you have those requirements, you use a pump selector curve chart to find a pump with the right size motor and the the needed turbine plates to meet your specs.

    Then you start creating a build sheet, or redesign

    Myself, I went with a plain 3wire 240VAC pump with above ground control box.   Generally known to be good for +30 years
    The new tech gear, solar inverter stuff, when it goes bad - may take a week to find a replacement. But the pump shops have gear in stock,   And I just run it off an beefy inverter
    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 ,

  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    mike95490 said:
    You first have to decide your system load.    90 gallons a day, 40 psi /00' lift,  3 hours of light

    When you have those requirements, you use a pump selector curve chart to find a pump with the right size motor and the the needed turbine plates to meet your specs.

    Then you start creating a build sheet, or redesign

    Myself, I went with a plain 3wire 240VAC pump with above ground control box.   Generally known to be good for +30 years
    The new tech gear, solar inverter stuff, when it goes bad - may take a week to find a replacement. But the pump shops have gear in stock,   And I just run it off an beefy inverter
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    Hi Mike,
     So looking at your chart the 2 hp pump would be in my sweet spot for a pump set at 700feet.
     It would give me 5 gallons a minute ,  @ 300feet I would get 13 gallons a minute 
     my water really moves up and down summer to spring 
     I have been looking at these pumps for a long time the 6-3 and 3-3 the 3-3 seams like a good fit .
     But it is at max head at 655’ witch I think is ok  ( this pump has a set depth of  500 feet ) 
      I have to check the water in the well in a week or so to see how high up it comes ,but in mid April It could be at 100feet ? 
     So that would leave me with a max depth of 600’   I drop a stone down the well and I’m 8/9 sec to water what ever that means . 
     The well pump may be on hold again my neighbor want to sell me his 15 acres of land next to my place. 
      They aren’t making any more land , but I want to start Collecting materials any way . 
      I really don’t want to have to sink the pump my self but I may have to.
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .