Deep Well (400'-600' TDH) Water Pumping [RE-wrenches]

info at backwoodssolar.com info at backwoodssolar.com
Fri Aug 24 16:20:17 PDT 2001


In response to the comments about problems with DC pumps, while it is true
almost all failed in the days of Riley/Cimmeron pump failures, total
mistrust of DC submersible well pumps may be a few years out of date.  The
Shurflo 9300 and Sunrise are very trouble free these days, though they do
have a limited life compared to the AC centrifugals due to diaphragm,
valves, and brushes.  Our own Shurflo 9300 lifts water about 150 feet, 400
gallons a week year-round but continuous running a couple of gardening
months in the summer.  Its run on 12 volt battery for easier life, but has
been in 7 years without any trouble. We sell about 40 a year with no
recollection of any return problems, maybe one or two but not out of line
with other things as it once was. The benefit is no inverter surge and about
6 to 8 times as much water per kilowatt hour used.  Compare a 2 gpm 40 watt
pump with a 5 gpm 700 watt AC pump. Don't rule them out for the smaller
simpler systems where a larger inverter would not otherwise be needed.
Steve Willey
Backwoods Solar Electric Systems www.backwoodssolar.com
A catalog business on a mountain
2 miles from utility lines,
powered entirely by our catalog products.
IF UTILITY POWER IS 1/4 MILE OR MORE FROM YOUR SITE,
get our free 160 page solar-electric Planning Guide/Catalog.
(Your postal address required - Our list is never given or sold).
Phone(208)263-4290  Fax (208) 265-4788  in Idaho, USA


----- Original Message -----
From: David Palumbo, Independent Power & Light <ipl at sover.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 10:35 AM
Subject: RE: Deep Well (400'-600' TDH) Water Pumping [RE-wrenches]


> Travis,
> Give Grundfos a call at 800-333-1366 and ask for their Groundwater
Catalog.
> All of their pumps are listed their.
> The 5SQ10c-450 operates to 600TDH. That is a 1HP 230v unit with a listed
max
> surge of 7.6 amps. That's as close as The SQ line gets as far as I can
tell.
> Grundfos does have other sub pumps besides the SQ/SQE's. The only
advantage
> to the SQ pump that I have seen is the soft start feature (no Surge). So
if
> you can spec a standard 230v AC pump that would probably be the thing to
do.
> I also have no faith in DC submersible pumps after having too many
problems
> with those that I have dealt with.
> David
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar [mailto:ozsolar at ipa.net]
> Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 9:42 AM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Deep Well (400'-600' TDH) Water Pumping [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> I am designing a pumping system for a well that has yet to be drilled.
The
> well driller is saying that in this area he won't hit drinkable water
until
> ~400' and if that's sulphur he will need to go another 200'.  So we might
be
> looking at TDH of 600'.  I believe him.
>
> The well will be for a weekend cabin that already has a small 12 volt DC
> only system.  The customer is determined to have AC soon.  I need some
help
> choosing the least expensive way to go for water pumping.  Historically
and
> quite successfully I've used dual inverter set ups feeding a standard 240v
> well pump.  I have a dual DR3624 set up on a 500' well that works
> wonderfully and I'm thinking that's the best way to go with this customer.
> I have done some calculations in the past to use the Sunrise but the math
> never worked out to be better than a dual inverter set up after I factored
> the other advantages of a dual inverter set up (2 times the power, 2
battery
> chargers and a standard well pump vs. an odd ball pump that I would have
to
> pull every time it failed).  Also, I have never used the AC Grundfos but
> what little info I have on it only shows a TDH of up to 300'.   I'd like
to
> get a Sunrise installed near but I must admit to being very nervous about
DC
> water pumps.  For some reason DC pumps have been very unreliable (100%
> problem rate) around here and tortured me.
>
> A Dual 3624 power panel lists for under $4800 and then someone else gets
to
> worry about servicing the pump.  If I use a Sunrise at over $5000 (pump,
> controller, dedicated PV array, extra pressure tanks etc) I get to trouble
> shoot the pump and anything else that goes wrong with the water system.
No
> well service guy around here would touch anything to do with the system if
> it had a DC pump so any problems I get to eat which I don't like that idea
> at all.
>
> Any suggestions?  I know I'm not seeing the full picture.  Thanks in
> advance.
>
> Travis Creswell
> Ozark Solar
>
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