Electrical cost to pump water?

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Ballvalve

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Need a figure [checked, critiqued] for the cost per gallon of water pumped from a deep well.

1 HP pump, about 250' of head, submersible. Production about 500 gallons per hour. I used 3 KW per hour which I think is generous, at .13 cents each. So .39 cents per 500 gallons. 39 cents divided by 500 = .00078 cents per gallon. 10,000 gallons x .00078 = $7.80.

I see very complex cost calculators online, and one comes close to this, but I need some other opinions. It does seem incredibly low in cost for moving that weight of water. A 1 HP pump would theoretically use 1000 watts or less, but I used 3000 watts for efficiency losses and high service factor on the motors, perhaps 1.4 or a bit more.

Your help checking my remaining brain grey matter much appreciated.
 

DonL

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Hey Ballvalve, Where have you been ?.

The best thing too do is to just measure it.

Have Fun.
 

JWelectric

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At 500 gallons per hour you would be moving eight and a third gallon of water a minute. At the point of measure of these 500 gallons per hour is there any kind of interior water pipe involved? If there is then this would a very large pipe on the inside. If this is a shared well then put it on its own service and let those using the water rotate the bill.
 

Ballvalve

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At 500 gallons per hour you would be moving eight and a third gallon of water a minute. At the point of measure of these 500 gallons per hour is there any kind of interior water pipe involved? If there is then this would a very large pipe on the inside. If this is a shared well then put it on its own service and let those using the water rotate the bill.

This is just a calculation I need for raising the water and pressurizing it to 50PSI into standard pressure tanks... The pipes are essentially irrelevant. As noted above it seems the pump draws about 1500 watts. In one hour we get 500 gallons. I get numbers of about .00078 to .00056 cents per gallon. I already have a meter on my point of use, and the average water use per day has been 26 gallons [small house, 1/1, 1 person]. The neighbors want about $2200 for electric use for one year. We only pumped 9,360 gallons in one year, so you can see how absurd their figures are. That's .23 cents per gallon.
 

Ballvalve

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Hey Ballvalve, Where have you been ?.

The best thing too do is to just measure it.

Have Fun.

Well, [pun] I am measuring my gallons use. We could put a meter at the pump, but the bobbleheads I am stuck with don't get it at all. I want to find the theoretical cost and then double it if need be, and pay them that. I think they are making trouble because of the drought - it's pretty dreadful here. Makes me wonder why I left Wisconsin. Damn tired of having my heart rate triple everytime I smell smoke in the summer. Tree's are dying here like Christians in Iraq and Syria. The pines I understand, but even oak trees are starting to give it up. Never heard of! I live at the junction of 2 amazing creeks and above a 400' waterfall. But this is the first year ever that tthe creek did not run - usually the house shakes when the storms get going. Any well drillers out there could make a FORTUNE bringing their rigs here.
 

Reach4

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Is there a limit to what they can charge you? Could they cut your water off whenever they want?

Maybe you could offer to provide separate power to the well and you pay the bill. Of course they have a much better revenue source as is.
 

Ballvalve

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Is there a limit to what they can charge you? Could they cut your water off whenever they want?

Maybe you could offer to provide separate power to the well and you pay the bill. Of course they have a much better revenue source as is.

Thanks, but the problem is that these are angry people that love to make trouble. They use perhaps 500 to 800 gallons per day - pool. landscaping. And do not understand how little my tenant uses. Sad part is - I drilled "their" well, and built their house for my parents. When they died 10 years ago, I made the mistake of selling to them. I retained a DEEDED 1/2 ownership of the well and its production, so if they shut the water off they are going to get hit with a ton of bills for breaking that deed and causing me to relocate a renter. I have my lawyer on it, and I hope that solves it. And no, they cannot just shut off the water, per the deed or the water share contract - all disputed must be arbitrated or settled in the court. So if they shut off the water, they are screwed. But they are stupid enough to perhaps do it, and then I have a fight on my hands which I do not have time for.
 

Jadnashua

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It's been a long time since I was in a physics class, but knowing the depth of the well and how many gallons produced, you can figure out how much work was done, apply an efficiency factor, and convert that into watts. By far the easier way is to install a power meter, and then your efficiency won't be a guess. If you also put in a water meter on each house, it would be easy to apportion the relative costs of the energy required. Maintenance is probably discussed in the deed, and is probably 50:50, regardless of usage.
 
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