ETA/ PV direct [RE-wrenches]

[Roy Butler, Four Winds RE]

Hi folks,
    I wanted to weigh in with my ETA pump experiences. Like others, we've
also had some warts and blemishes along the way with these new pumps. But I
do have to say that the folks at Dankoff have been quick to make things
right. No, they haven't paid us for our time to deal with warranty issues
(hint, hint!) but the customers are happy!
    Our first ETA was the 07-240 (no longer offered, power is too low) in a
6" drilled well, pump @ 108' with static water level at 47'. With a total
head of 53', this pump (according to Dankoff's chart) should have produced
5-6 gpm. The most we ever got was 4 gpm (800-900 gpd) but since we had
oversized the pump to be safe, that turned out to be sufficient water for
35 head of milkers. Our main problem, due to the undersized array, has been
with the disappointing performance in low light conditions. The folks at
Dankoff are working with us to remedy this situation. The only problems on
install were that %$#@* screw terminal access that others have mentioned
and the Unirac tracker gas tubes that turned out to be empty of
refrigerant. A long screwdriver, some yoga positions and new gas tubes made
everything right.
    The pump ran OK for 2 months, then stopped suddenly. We suspected a
controller failure but it turned out to be a stainless steel split pin that
had fallen out of the pump check valve and lodged in the helical rotor. The
good news is that this pin is no longer found in the current pump versions
and we gained some invaluable troubleshooting and pump disassembly
experience!
    The next 2 ETA pump systems were sized with the new Version 2
performance chart. Both are 04-300 systems and both are performing at least
10% OVER specifications and running flawlessly. Low level light operation
is quite satisfactory...2-2.5 gpm @ 6:30 in the evening under hazy and/ or
partly cloudy conditions. On one system, we finished the installation at
2:00 in the afternoon. I told the farmer not to expect his 1100 gallon tank
to be filled before noon the following day. He called that evening to tell
me that it had finished filling before dark.
        FYI....we will be installing our first ETA battery system by the
end of September. The batteries will still be charged with solar but the
farmer will likely add a pressure tank to this system in the future in
order to utilize a freezeproof waterer which requires 3-5 psi 24 hours a
day, thus the need for the batteries. The system has been oversized to
compensate for the battery losses and to allow for the crappy winter
weather we have in the Finger Lakes region of NY.
    To sum up this long (sorry!) rambling story: if all my suppliers (hear
that Xantrex???) were as responsive and caring as Dankoff has been, this
industry would be much further ahead and better off than it is today.
Windy....I loved the addition of the small screwdriver now found in each
controller box, your new sizing chart is now about as "real world" as any
I've seen and your (ever evolving) manuals are a refreshing "user friendly"
change....keep up the good work!
    Roy Butler
    Four Winds Renewable Energy
    Arkport, NY
    www.four-winds-energy.com

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