150 ga tank and float

ws9876
ws9876 Solar Expert Posts: 448 ✭✭✭
edited March 2023 in Solar Water Pumping #1
There are a bunch of plastic tank manuf. on the web. Tons .What would you recommend for a 130-150 ga plastic tank for potable people water
with a quality float switch. Square would be better.The tank would receive low pressure water intermittently from about 100 ft away. It has to have an outlet at the bottom.I would want the  float switch to short the DC pump at about 90% capacity. thanks
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  • Graham Parkinson
    Graham Parkinson Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    #2
    If it's going to be outside, make sure it's a black tank - white poly tanks grow algae and breakdown in sunlight.  The black tanks block UV which damages the plastic.  Square are more costly than round as the walls have to be thicker to resist water pressure.

    Offgrid in cloudy PNW

    Full Schneider system with 18 REC 420W panels, 100A-600V controller, XWPro, Insight Home, six Discover AES Rackmount 5kW batteries, Slimline enclosure, Lynk II, AGS, H650,  H2200, H3000, Kubota 4500, Onan 7500.

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  • ws9876
    ws9876 Solar Expert Posts: 448 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2023 #3
    don't want to start another thread so......I need a 1/2 hp pump and saw the 4012 Flotec from Lowes for about 215$. The description mentions that you need an additional back valve to work with the pressure switch. I guess so it shuts off..????? Do you really need this?? Pressure switches switch off when you turn the faucet off, no???why  do you need anything else?
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  • Graham Parkinson
    Graham Parkinson Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    #4
    I pump water uphilll once with a solar pump and then let gravity deliver it when needed, only needs a tank empty shutoff float switch to prevent pump damage (we also have a bit of a luxury, a shut off when upper tank full float switch too).

    Don't know about the Flotec  pumps, but if you don't have a hill nearby, the next simplest is to have a pressure tank (water tank with rubber internal air bladder to allow pressurizing) and a pressure pump (positive displacement diagphram, RV pump etc.) with a pressure shutoff switch.   

    If you open the tap pressure drops as water is dispensed.  At some point the pump comes on and refills the pressure tank.  The back valve you mention is to keep the pressure in the tank (just a spring loaded check valve).

    Some 12 V RV style pumps have built in pressure reservoirs and pressure switches and even have their own check valves built in.  I don't know if they can deliver the same flow rates as a 1/2 hp pump which you might have to setup with your own tank and valves.

    Offgrid in cloudy PNW

    Full Schneider system with 18 REC 420W panels, 100A-600V controller, XWPro, Insight Home, six Discover AES Rackmount 5kW batteries, Slimline enclosure, Lynk II, AGS, H650,  H2200, H3000, Kubota 4500, Onan 7500.

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  • ws9876
    ws9876 Solar Expert Posts: 448 ✭✭✭
    #5
    regarding the pressure tank... does a Flotec or Sureflo 1/2 inch hp have a smart enough pressure switch so filling against the bladder
    won't make it switch off too soon?Are they adjustable?
     I mean in a system that is not using a regular in line pressure switch but only using the built in one on the pump?The well pump is not controlled by a pressure switch..its a separate trickle DC system..
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  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,102 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    They do have an adjustable pressure cut-out on the nose of the pump.  (nose, for lack of a better term)

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

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