Completely new well setup needed

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Johhny

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Backstory: I just bought some property with a well on it and had to replace the old pump/pipe. They put in a 1/2 horsepower submersible pump about 180 feet down and the water table is about 130 feet. We ran the thing for over and hour and a half without it running dry (yay!). It filled up a 5 gallon jug in about a minute.

Question: I may not visit the property for a month at a time, but I want to put in a system for possibly supporting a small 1 bathroom house one day, and at the very least be able to use it to drip water plants while I'm gone and take showers/drinking water when I'm there. Could you guys point me to any plans for a recommended system?

This place is off the grid, and I know nothing about these things, but I have been thinking about these options:

A) Pump the water an additional 40 feet up using the submersible pump, and use a tank and gravity fed system for pressure
B) Use a smaller pressurized water tank next to the well (is pumping into a pressurized tank possible with my pump and is it hard on it? )
C) Use a tank by the well and some sort of generator/Solar and battery system along with a pump to get water pressure as needed

I'm pretty lost so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much!
 

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LLigetfa

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There is .43 PSI per foot so a water tank elevated 40 feet would give you 17 PSI.
Not all 1/2 HP pumps are the same. The number of stages determine the depth it can lift and combined with the right HP puts it on the right part of the curve. If the pump is producing 5 GPM, it could be several factors. The pump may be a 5 GPM pump, or it may be on the end of its curve which means it has no room for additional head. It could also be that the spigot is limiting the output to 5 GPM.
 

Reach4

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1. You did not say what your pump is.

2. That QD control box needs to be protected from rain. At least put on an upside-down bucket; the glove won't do the job.

3. The air vent, and I don't know what the other hole is or if it is open, need to be protected from bugs. If there is not a screen there, you need to add a screen.
 

Texas Wellman

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Although I would recommend a little "weather protection" for the QD box they are weather rated and can live outdoors up to several years with no protection. The weather protection is more about longevity than anything else, the boxes are notorious for rusting out, especially in our coastal weather (salt air).

1. You did not say what your pump is.

2. That QD control box needs to be protected from rain. At least put on an upside-down bucket; the glove won't do the job.

3. The air vent, and I don't know what the other hole is or if it is open, need to be protected from bugs. If there is not a screen there, you need to add a screen.
 

DonL

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Although I would recommend a little "weather protection" for the QD box they are weather rated and can live outdoors up to several years with no protection. The weather protection is more about longevity than anything else, the boxes are notorious for rusting out, especially in our coastal weather (salt air).


5 gallon Bucket ?

Us rednecks use them.
 

Reach4

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Johhny

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Thanks for the tips guys! I have been putting a plastic sandbag over it until I can build something better. This is in southern california and we have been severely lacking in rain lately.

I'm currently using a cheap, loud, 3600 watt generator to run the pump, but I feel like it would be better to pump into a pressurized tank, gravity fed tank, or have something smaller and quieter like a battery and solar panel to use as needed rather than run the pump whenever I need water. But once again, I know very little about these things so I'm hoping to be pointed in the right direction!

All I was told was that the pump was Franklin Electric and 1/2 hp, and that it should be able to pump up another 50 vertcal feet ok. That should put it at 50-60 feet above where the water will mainly be used. Here are a few photos if that helps.

Any suggestions? Sorry for my utter lack of knowledge about this! I'm trying to read any information I can find, but not finding much.
 

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Craigpump

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That's a 1/2 hp - 7 gpm Grundfos pump, not Franklin.

I like the steel drop pipe, it keeps the yahoos with up z dazys away from the job.
 

Valveman

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60' elevation is only 25 PSI. That is kind of low for showers and such. It takes 92' to get 40 PSI, which I would consider a minimum.

If you pump up a pressure tank to say 60 before the pump shuts off, you can use the water as the pressure drops to 40 before the pump must be started again. But remember an 80 gallon size tank only holds about 25 gallons of water.
 

Reach4

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It looks to me as if the second photo shows a 2-digit GPM.

If you have the uncompressed photos, can you read off the numbers and letters stamped into the label?
 

LLigetfa

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All I was told was that the pump was Franklin Electric and 1/2 hp, and that it should be able to pump up another 50 vertcal feet ok...
Another 50 feet of head to open storage is very different from a pressure tank. You need to calculate the head that the pressure adds.
Single digit GPM suggests it is designed for more depth. Double digit GPM might be shaving it too close.
 

Johhny

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5 GPM was through a 50' hose and a standard spigot. There is a bigger outlet to hook up to pipe. I tried to zoom in and edit the photo a little better. It appears that it is grundfos:
type: 7s05-11 (i may be wrong on the s05 here)
weight - 9lb
model: a3010011-p11430 (first 3 digits are difficult to read)
60 hz
7 gpm
288 feet?
3450 rpm
 

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Reach4

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Nice pump. And nice eyes craigpump. http://alaskapump.com/docs/pdf/grundfos-7s05-11-submersible-well-pump-3014211-datasheet.pdf I see that the motor can develop more than 1/2 HP.

huge1.png
Note that 60 PSI is 139 feet of head, and valveman gave the more obtainable 40 PSI 92 feet figure. It seems to me that the pump was nicely chosen conventional pump for the probable application. For direct solar, there would have been a better but much more expensive choice.
 

DonL

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I'm currently using a cheap, loud, 3600 watt generator to run the pump, but I feel like it would be better to pump into a pressurized tank, gravity fed tank, or have something smaller and quieter like a battery and solar panel to use as needed rather than run the pump whenever I need water.


You could use a 1500VA UPS backup supply and charge the battery with a Solar Cell.

That Pump motor should run and start fine, on a good UPS. Or Inverter Generator with throttle back, to save fuel.


Good Luck.
 

Texas Wellman

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When you find a good one that will put out 230V let me know.

For off-grid you should have put in a Grundfos SQ. Soft start and a 115V model available. Easily started and run on a Honda EU2000i generator and only slightly more expensive.
You could use a 1500VA UPS backup supply and charge the battery with a Solar Cell.

That Pump motor should run and start fine, on a good UPS. Or Inverter Generator with throttle back, to save fuel.


Good Luck.
 

DonL

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When you find a good one that will put out 230V let me know.

For off-grid you should have put in a Grundfos SQ. Soft start and a 115V model available. Easily started and run on a Honda EU2000i generator and only slightly more expensive.


You need to get a lot more money out for a 230V UPS.

A small 230V pump >1HP could be ran by syncing 2 120V 1500VA UPS Inverters together.

I agree with the pump you suggest, That would be ideal for Off Grid, But may be a bit late now.

Will that Honda Generator Sync to another and let you use 230V ? Seems like it Could.


Have Fun.
 
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Texas Wellman

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I was referring to the 230V inverter generator, but the same is true of the UPS.

Get a genny with remote start and as big a tank as you can afford.

You need to get a lot more money out for a 230V UPS.

A small 230V pump >1HP could be ran by syncing 2 120V 1500VA UPS Inverters together.

I agree with the pump you suggest, That would be ideal for Off Grid, But may be a bit late now.

Will that Honda Generator Sync to another and let you use 230V ? Seems like it would.


Have Fun.
 

DonL

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I was referring to the 230V inverter generator, but the same is true of the UPS.

Get a genny with remote start and as big a tank as you can afford.


I get it.

Them Inverter Gen sets are made for portable, Mine is a pain to carry very far, I may be getting old. I use a old 3600 RPM noise maker REAL generator for my water well. Water is normally the least of my worries when the power fails here. The Beer cooler HAS to be working, off of my Inverter Gen set.

I bet a windmill would work in Johhny's location, but I could be wrong.


We still have Windmills here, and They work.
 
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