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  • Solar pump install

    About six months ago we finished the install on a solar submersible well pump from Sun Pumps on a well previously drilled and cased a few years ago.

    Static level of water was found to be 145'

    My attempts to lower a 300' tape in there weighted with a large bolt, allowed me to estimate a depth of 160-180' However more scientific methods showed it at 145'.

    It's a 4" well into our aquifer here. We have a couple of other wells on the property including a dedicated hand pump deep well into the aquifer. It is cased in PVC and a pad of concrete was poured around the casing in 2010. Like everyone else, I have to budget for large projects like this :)

    The pump itself was purchased some time later. It is a Sun Pumps SDS-T-128

    Specs on the pump show a maximum flow of 1.8 gallons per minute with a maximum head of 230 feet.

    The panel is a MX 60 235 watt panel purchased from Solar Blvd
    solarblvd.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, solarblvd.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!


    Power comes from the panel to the PC-30 controller from Sun Pumps. They were very clear that using another controller may void the warranty on the pump, so to avoid any Bravo Sierra and because this was my first time using their product, I decided to pony up the cash for there controller. I would use it again, it's relatively simple to hook up and use.

    Click image for larger version

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    One thing I noticed was that even when MOSTLY SHADED, the panel was showing good voltage-


    Click image for larger version

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    Now, "good voltage" with the shading doesn't equate to good pumping however. The flow gets perceptibly slower as the panel is heavily shaded.

    The location I put the panel in isn't exactly the best from a pure "power" standpoint. However as survivalists we have to always balance these things with the overriding consideration of SECURITY. This is the reason this particular panel has a hour or more of shading in the morning. Keep in mind also this is not our only water source, it's one of several.

    Here is the connections between the panel and the Sun Pumps controller- cave man simple. Cave simple provided the "cave man" realizes he needs the new cable type apparatus used with these newer panels... This "caveman" assumed that the panel had the standard old school connections every other panel I have has. Wrong assumption. And good message for those of us storing various things that we think we will put together after the fact- you may want to go ahead and assemble all the components now- they might not go together the way the last similar thing you had did. Now that being said, I was able to string power with just standard 10-2 from the panel to the controller, however for a cleaner look and various other reasons, I bought the stupid cable... LOL

    1/2" poly pipe, a safety rope and 10-2 well pump wire was attached to the pump itself, laid out in the pasture first. Then it was slowly lowered into the casing. Every 10-15 feet we taped or tie wrapped the pipe, safety rope and wire together. A check valve (one way valve) was installed not far above the pump as well, per the instructions from the manual.

    Connections were made to the controller and lo and behold- nothing happened. Hey, maybe we need to flip this little red switch inside the controller? Ya think? Flip the switch and you could hear a faint noise as the pump starts up. Not long after water begins flowing- yeah THAT'S what that switch is for! DUH!! LOL

    We are pumping out of the well branching off to a small orchard that uses drip irrigation and also tee'ing into a 550 gallon storage tank in the picture. We have since made the install more "clean" and the next thing is to do a few things to add ballistic protection to both the tank and well head. Other water storage tanks and sources are available and they are protected in the same manner. Doesn't do that much good to go to all this trouble and then get a hole in it in the PAW.

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    www.homesteadingandsurvival.com

    www.survivalreportpodcast.com

    "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed..."

  • #2
    up armored water storage. LOVE IT!!!!

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    • #3
      Thanks for the post! Great info. I'm going to do something very similar to this.

      Do you have a level or pressure switch to shut off the pump or does it always run?

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      • #4
        Thanks for sharing the link on the solar panel too!! I will keep them in mind when I am shopping around for panels.
        "It's a trap!!!!" -- Admiral Ackbar

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        • #5
          Originally posted by motesjm View Post
          Thanks for the post! Great info. I'm going to do something very similar to this.

          Do you have a level or pressure switch to shut off the pump or does it always run?
          The controller has a switch on it that cuts power to the pump. Right now it overflows out of a 550 gallon tank and then runs into drip irrigation for a little orchard.

          Had to walk away from the project for a bit to recoup some $$$ but starting to changes some things and revamp it now.

          May check out a float switch in the tank itself or a few other options.

          My concern is this- the boy wrecked a smaller water tank that feeds the water to the chickens earlier this year. That one was being fed by water from another well that is more pressurized. He thought he shut it off, we moved on to the other animals and we came back to that area and the side had split and was spewing water everywhere. That was a 35 gallon tank at a cost of $99. I'm concerned about placing too much water in the 550 gallon tank. It's definitely built better than the 35 gallon one, but still not a per se "pressure" tank. Mind you 1.8 gallons per minute (in full sun) hardly seems to create any pressure, but still, I'm leery of wrecking a $500. investment (the tank).

          Always looking for critique and available options, so if someone sees an option here I have not looked at please chime in, Thanks!
          www.homesteadingandsurvival.com

          www.survivalreportpodcast.com

          "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed..."

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          • #6
            Great thread!

            Could you give a ballpark amount for the pump, panel, controller and wiring?

            Just curious as I have a second well that is not in use and this is a very cool idea.
            http://theoldtimeway.blogspot.com/

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            • #7
              SOO LD3 whats on the list for up armoring this project?? Some AR500 plate Maybe some Polyethylene or Dynema panels?? Armorcore is probably less expensive though. Level 8 is rated to stop 308. It's kind of thick at 1.5 inches. All those solutions would be pricey I think. Just build a wall and fill it with pee gravel. DONE !!!!

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              • #8
                Probably will protect it with a concrete block wall poured solid. We build a lot of stuff around here that way and .308 shot at less than 10 yards doesn't penetrate more than a few inches into the 8" thick wall. We did this with our LP tank and it's worked out well. Probably will build just high enough to cover the tank then add a small roof a little higher above it to protect the tank from sunlight.

                So many projects, so little time -and money!!!
                Boris- "He's famous, has picture on three dollar bill!"

                Rocky- "Wow! I've never even seen a three dollar bill!"

                Boris- "Is it my fault you're poor?"

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Benn Gleck View Post
                  Great thread!

                  Could you give a ballpark amount for the pump, panel, controller and wiring?

                  Just curious as I have a second well that is not in use and this is a very cool idea.
                  $850. for the submersible and controller, pipe and cover.

                  The pump wire was $1.19 per foot.

                  Next one I do will be like this but with a Simple Pump hand pump version above it.
                  Boris- "He's famous, has picture on three dollar bill!"

                  Rocky- "Wow! I've never even seen a three dollar bill!"

                  Boris- "Is it my fault you're poor?"

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Heck Thats not near as much as I thought!

                    I really enjoy the videos and threads about everyones farms/BOL's they inspire me to do more.
                    http://theoldtimeway.blogspot.com/

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