This is an old video I did showing my off grid solar well water pumping system. Check out the update 5 years running video and the troubles I ran in to • Update to solar deep w...
Well my brother, that camera looked pretty good to me. I have received all kinds of good ideas. We are in South Louisiana sold I don’t have a lot of freeze problems. But still trying to come up with an economical Way to dig a water well. I am definitely going to save this video. God bless you and your family. And thanks for all the wonderful advice.
NOT a poor quality video!!! Super informative with good quality close-ups. Great information from personal experience. Thanks a lot from out here in the high desert (New Mexico).
I am an Australian. I am always so jealous when Americans talk about 'massive water storage'. We all have 2641 to 13208 gallons or so. That's 10,000 to 50,000L. We mostly have to have 10,000l just for firefighting. Man you guys are moist.
Good quality vid excellent job of explaining what ya done and why ya did it. Have been thinking about off grid system to irrigate my garden.seen a lot of videos looking for answers that vid is the best most informative and conscience thanks alot👍
Looking to develop a vacant lot for my own off grid dreams. Super helpful to see the whole system in one video - water + electrical are 2 skills I still have a lot to learn about; you've got a knack for describing succinctly, thanks!
Very impressive I like how you tackle these problems one at time. At least you have the pride of doing it yourself. Thank you for sharing your experience
Awesome system! I have those recurrent power outages and am running out of water for days. It's becoming a real nuisance! Thanks to your ideas and testing, I'll soon be able to resolve this issue once and for all. Thank you soooo much!
Install an electrical float switch in your tank, connected to the well pump via a contactor. Lag your tank and pipes. Good video, quality was fine. BTU.
Great system. I was also thinking that if someone does not want to use a large water storage tank, they can use 2 or 3 larger pressure tanks in parallel.
I love your idea for the air conditioning. In fact that very idea is why I was looking for info on solar powered well pumps, which is what brought me here in the first place. I live in Florida and I plan on using a system just like you mentioned to air condition my place. Thanks for the video.
I have a 600w off-grid system that will power a room AC unit. It will run continuously in good light conditions, but only about 5-6 hrs on poor light or batteries. Four Renogy 150w 12v panels in parallel, Midnight solar 150 classic controller, four VMax 125aH AGM batteries in parallel and a 3000w VertaMax pure sine wave inverter. It actually powers my entire family room through a manually switched subpanel. Runs lights, TV, AC in summer and lights, TV and pellet stove fireplace insert in the winter. I just need to add more panels and batteries when budget allows.
Your vídeo is very succinct and you have a way of explaining things so that they are relatable. “You will not go thirsty if you produce 2 cups a minute”
Did you ever install that radiator/air conditioning idea you talked about at the end? If so, do a video on it and tell us how well it worked! Great video. Thanks for sharing your setup.
🤓👍Good Vid That's 1 way to do the job , many options , good advice on type of contacts and we'll designed for your purpose + with ur overflow ur pond water should stay nice and Fish etc may be an option + my favorite Some swimming 😆👍 Another option is a Digital Contact less controller and a Float switch for ur tank . If I were you w ur pond ; I'd have chosen what you have ; if when the pump goes out increase Drain pipe size from overflow . You have Many options which is Always nice . Gr8t job this far . I would run it through a Ceramic filter anyways .99 filtration as to avoid sickness if ur well gets any kind of fungi etc . No one should risk getting sick esp w Fracking or earthquake prone areas . Ps you could use a solar cell to switch from DC in day to AC at night & adjust accordingly Peace Would u pls put a list of Main Components w Links in the description please
Just starting out from scratch and trying to learn from other peoples mistakes. So this was good for me. I would like to know how the A/C experiment turned out ? Thanks for sharing.
Thank you that was what I needed to hear can you give me any advice I have a 110 volt deep well pump 30' deep I pump the water 150' to my house I believe I have 50 to 60 pounds pressure I would like to have just my pump on solar in case the power goes out backed with batteries what should I be looking for or where should I start Thank you
Best well pump set up explanation I’ve seen. You’ve answered all questions I have. Very comprehensive and thought off. Video is not bad as you think. Also am getting me one of those 500 gallon tank. Can you please send me the link where you bought it? Also the well pump? Thanks!
Hi Eric thanks for posting this great video of your set up. I’ve been wanting to connect with somebody about solar well pump systems. Are well is 136 feet deep. Just yesterday I was able to get our generator hooked up to it. However I want to be able to run the pump off solar as well. Could we possibly chat about my current set up? Again, thanks for posting this video.
Referencing your comments on pump power use. The utilization loads for a pump are usually rated for start-up wattage. Startup wattages can be twice what the run wattage would be. Your wattage calculation for your pump may not be as far off as you think.
Loved the video, answered lots of questions. The pump that you mentioned sounds interesting. Can you recommend a supplier Where I can get all the components such as Panels pumps and switches?
Great video good job on your build but I think you should get away from that galvanized pipe and I believe they make a float level switch that would shut off your pump otherwise you’re reducing the longevity of your pump by running so much
I'm no expert on plumbing, but I don't think you will have all 500 gallons at your disposal when the power goes off. At about 14 minutes into the video you say it flows from the floor up to the first filter. I would think that the water in the tank will only flow into the filter until the tank level gets down to the same height as the filter. Maybe your solar-powered pressure pump can pull the rest out when it gets that low. I don't know. Thanks for a good video. I will definitely check out the Grundfos pumps.
Awesome system ,Informative video. One thing to maybe think about . if you put a submersible pump in the tank and lay it in the bottom you’ll have to come up with a way I would think to keep it from spinning from the torque when it turns on and will put a lot of of stress on the piping
Wow... this is really some amazing information. And you uploaded in 1080p, so you did pretty good as far as quality. In the TH-cam studio, there's a thing you can enable to stop the motion from bouncing around. My only comment is that it is absolutely critical to keep those solar panels clean. You had a lot of dirt on them, especially towards the bottom. If those cells get too dirty, the entire panel could put out very low voltage. My panels put out 37V. Yours are way higher than mine. Somebody should install these exact same wells out in Slab City out in California so that people can have water.
Your 1000% right about keeping panels clean. My solar system for the house had low output, from 1200 watts down to about 400. Cleaned all the tree pollen off the panels and all the power came back. This is one reason why I will never install panels on a roof again!
@@TheJoyOfHomesteading Tell me about it. I have 9 Kw on my roof. I have no access to clean them. Before getting them, I had no idea that they required maintenance.
@@TheJoyOfHomesteading That's awesome. What about using the video stabilization option in the TH-cam Studio? Did you look at that? I love solar. My electric bill has been under $10/mo for the past year with my grid-tie system. The electric company still charges a $10/mo connection fee. So it's basically like I'm paying $10/mo to rent a large battery to power my house during the night when the sun isn't out.
I have a question about the stock type float shutting off the water supply. What stops the pump from continuing to pump? We had a similar problem where the pump did continue to pump and got hot since cool water was not being pumped and caused the pump to fail sooner than it should have. Enjoyed your video.
It would shut it off to the tank, I would have a separate water line to divert water to, the pump will continue to run. I'm thinking a line running to a radiator for geothermal heating and cooling
Grundfos has specific dealers in each region. Call around to the local well drilling companies and they should be able to supply you, or perhaps contact Grundfos directly for a list of dealers. If your from the SW Missouri area, I could give you the name of the local dealer, but I would not use them for any labor/work, pretty terrible company to deal with. The panels are cheap chinese no names. I saw them on craigslist and it was almost meant to be. You never see panels this high of voltage come up for sale, the guy who had them was converting golf carts to solar by removing the canopies and using one of these panels AS the canopy, so you could charge your 48 volt golf cart while you were doing chores around the house. Kind of ingenious really!
Nice video, very motivating. Q. Does storing a large amount of water like that reduce the water pressure in the house? Another stupid question: Could you install some type of controller on the system so you could control the pumping speed even during very good light conditions? I think that would save wear on your pump.
Could you tell me what system you used and how to get it? My husband is trying to figure out how to hook our well to a solar system. Of power goes we have no water
Excellent video. We are building an off-grid cabin and will install a similar system. My question is who is the manufacturer of the storage tank you have? What is it made of?
First off, excellent job! It's a good system with pumps sized so you'll never run out of water. I like the ability to run AC/DC, it gives you options. I also like the idea of the well pump in the bottom of the tank instead of the 24V pump on the wall. What I wonder about is the overflow system. If it were me I'd have an electrical float switch in the tank. Is there any reason why you couldn't do that other than the switch contact welding problem with D/C current?
Thanks! I did end up switching to a well pump nested in the bottom of my tank when the sureflo failed. Works great and the pressure is awesome. Grundfos does make a float switch set up. The cost is pretty high 400 or 500 dollars. There was some complaints I found that said the module would fail to recognize the float, and it would overflow your storage tank. The on/off switch I bought was only fifty. It came down to cost and simplicity . It would be important to install an overflow even if you go the float switch route, in case of a failure.
I can certainly understand cost considerations and $400 for the float switch is way more than you have in the overflow system. One other question that came to mind as I watched the video the second time was what you do about algae growth in the tank? I suppose that since your water is constantly flowing out the overflow maybe it isn't a problem? In a conventional system, water isn't exposed to air until the tap is opened or in the toilet tank and I know from experience that slime can form in the toilet tank. Is it a concern with your system?
Are you currently using a well? I wonder if the slime you are experiencing is finely dissolved clays in your water. Algae, by the nature of the beast is a plant, and must photosynthesize to live, therefore if there is no light, algae cannot grow. I will get some algae at the outlet of my overflow and into the white plastic tank outside, it gets quite a bit. Inside algae cannot grow. The 500 gallon storage tank I purchased is an algae resistant growth tank because of it's opaque color and they claim can be stored outside with minimal algae growth as very little light can get in. I too have some fine clays in my water and you do notice them sticking to like the porcelain of the toilet, mostly cause it's the whitest thing I own. It's all but impossible to filter out the clay, it is such a small particle.
Install a float valve to automatically shut off water coming into the tank...I run a 10,000 rain harvesting system with a 12v pumping system... I only run DC...your 20 gallon bladder would run a lot better with a 7gpm pump
GREAT information! Thank you! This was thorough and very easy to follow. I will be implementing some of these ideas into my off grid system. Where did you buy those solar panels? Also, what do you do about snow accumulating on the panels? I put mine on the side of my cabin but they don't seem to be getting enough sunshine at that angle.
The solar panels came from a gentleman I came across that used them for the roofs of golf carts to charge 48 volt golf carts. Snow accumulation I just use a big shop broom, it’s amazing how they are the last thing to melt. I put 6 panels on my roof for my house system and I’m never doing that again lol
Same here! My first rookie mistake was putting my panels on my roof too. I had to climb a ladder every day to get the snow and ice off. Very sketchy. So I put them on the south facing wall of my cabin and it's a great maintenance-free solution but I don't think they're getting enough sun. I was thinking about just getting more panels to solve the problem. We've got a couple feet of snow here in North Idaho Nov-March most years!
I have a very similar off-grid endeavor in the near future. Do you sell plans, supplier lists, etc.? I'd really like to pick your brain so I can implement a system.
I intend to replace my existing pump with a 4 GPM pump lifting about 180 ft to five or six 50 gallon used electric water heater tanks to 10 feet above the house ground level. Plumbers give those tanks away and very few leak. By mounting them 10 ft above the ground it will give enough to fill the toilet, take a shower and wash dishes. Watering the garden would take place with the overflow. No real need for a low-well cutoff or an overfill cutoff. The only question I have is "Do I need some kind of controller to adjust for low light conditions to avoid damaging the pump?"
Very informative video. I’m wanting to build underground tank with a deep well pump laying on it it’s side too. Will this work. I also would need pressure switch that drawers water rim the underground tank to the bladder pressure tank any time faucets are opened. Can this be done?
@@renewablerepair7224 Thanks Renewable Repair. Would I need to use some sort of under water clamp or bracket to hold pump in places at the base of the tank.
@@lennieadi depending on your tank material. Some people have used new concrete septic tanks and buried them for fresh water storage. A pump can sit right on the bottom of the tank and wont hurt it. You'll just run 1 inch pipe to your pressure tank and the wires from the pressure switch at your bladder tank, down to the pump. If the tank is plastic I have suspended the pump about an inch from the bottom just so the pump with not wear a hole in the plastic turning on and off. The pump can just hang there from the 1 inch pipe, so just support it where it comes out of the tank with a 1 inch coupler. I'm the original poster of this video, I just have multiple accounts
@@renewablerepair7224 Thanks dear man. It’ll be an in ground concrete tank. I was thinking to make aluminum brackets and fix pump to the wall with rubber washers and rubber between the brackets and the pump to reduce vibration. Is that a good or bad idea? I’d use brass screws too.
I think I will make a video of my solar well set up here in Colorado soon. Just got in the last couple parts I need to be automated so it’s a good time.
Is your Grundfos still working as good as new? I’m about to get one and am just trying to get some info from people that have had them a while. Any input would be much appreciated.
I just purchase pws solar water pump.I purchase with the understanding that I can use battery when solar panel when Sunlight is low.But I dont see on charge controller where to hook up.Should I hook up Where solar panel is to be connected?It said I can use battery when Sun light is low.Do you have an answer?
Eric - thank you for the reply. Is the pump reliable? Have you had any problems with wildlife (ie, deer) running into the panels? I was looking at companies that sell racking for installation on an above-ground post. However, mounting doesn't look like a one-man job. I have a well driller who said he can hook up all of the solar components. Did you buy a kit or the panels separately? @@TheJoyOfHomesteading
@@michaeldamianbell1980 it’s been flawless. I really did the research on pumps and it seems like Grundfos is the top of the line. Have not had any issues of wildlife and the panels. The panels were not a kit, I pieced it all together. I think if I were doing it again I would try to think of a way to use the shade and protection of the panels to maybe store things under them like a lawnmower or really anything, utilize all the space. Also something to keep in mind is the panels will need cleaned a couple times a year and snow will need to be removed if your in that kind of climate, so don’t make them so high they can’t be reached.
@@TheJoyOfHomesteading Eric - thank you for the advice. It's hit or miss on trying to find reviews of DC solar pumps. I was looking at RPS since their advertising is everywhere. Contact with them wasn't the best in terms of getting needed information. Great idea on not putting the panels too high for cleaning purposes. Fortunately, I am not in residence when all of the snow falls!! Which brand of solar panels did you use?
@@michaeldamianbell1980 they are some no name brand Chinese panel. If you want to spend the extra money on name brand panel it’s probably worth it in the long run, some of my older panels for my house are experiencing defects due to cheap manufacturing like snail trails. I would stick with a mono crystalline panel and not a poly crystalline and you really can’t go wrong picking one. Try to keep the voltage of the panels pretty high to cut down on voltage drop through the wires running down to the pump, some of them can be very deep.
you could run the water through a radiator or radiators before the it gets in the tank! that way you can make use of the geothermal energy anytime your pump is running. You should not pump water when you don't need it.
i have a water well. just wondering if you have steel casing in your well. my well is in tenn. it’s 8 inch diameter and 150 feet deep and has 6 inch steel casing from the surface down 40 feet. then it’s limestone rock.
Thanks for the informative video. I have 2 questions. 1) Assuming you don't need/want the reservoir setup, is there a limitation with a larger expansion tank? 2) Why couldn't you just go with a traditional setup with 120V pump and use an inverter? The pump would run as needed and the batteries would supply the juice?
Greetings. Pumping directly into a pressure tank will greatly reduce the amount of feet the pump is capable of lifting water out of the ground. There are charts you can reference for each specific pump. As an example with fictional numbers as a reference, say my pump can pump from a static water level of 200 into an open tank with no pressure. If I try to pump into 60 psi of a pressure tank, the static water level it can pump from may be reduced to 60 feet. If my static water level is at 150, this simply won't work. I researched tons of 120v well pumps and did not find one that would pump very deep static water levels, let alone into pressure, although your idea would work if your water tables were high enough. The hardest part is getting the water out of the ground, so your batteries would have to be able to support the load at night, my battery is the water tank and will not need replaced like a lead acid battery would. It doesn't take a very big system to pressurize the water once it is on the surface.
Thx for getting back to me...so much info out on the WWW! I understand the depth issue and I'll have to do more research on various pumps and setups to best suit my needs. I now understand the two basic options, pump to holding tank or to pressurized tank (which I have now). There are 240V inverters too, and I'd need to consider adding real estate to accommodate a holding tank vs. using pressure tank(s) in my small well house. Anyway, lots to consider.
Why couldn’t you have your pressure switch on xtrol tank connected to your well pump like a traditional well set up. Once the pressure tank is filled up the well pump shut off
Hey Gregg, the house is off grid. I have a ton of ideas and projects to share with you guys. I'm going to make it my 2019 resolution to get the material out to you guys! Look for a lot of content in 2019!
CONDENSATION FIX: Insulate the tank and all cold water lines. Warm moist air is the culprit. keep it from the cold cold pipe (Or cold soda can, Whiskey on the rocks, etc.) and no condensation. Then, insulate all the lines carrying HOT water so as to retain all the heat possible rather than dissipate heat en route to your shower. OR, move that water tank up and outside into its own elevated space and insulate the entire space while allowing for overflow and or condensate run off via drainage in the 'flooring' or slab the tank sits on.
Neat system . However, water stored in a open atmosphere tank should be chlorinated. There is a real potential for dangerous bacterial growth in that system. Licensed master plumber and certified private water system
If you took a tank and stored it for a year, maybe.....a tank that gets replenished and diluted with thousands of gallons every day, not really an issue. I think most people can even get used to bacteria in water. Mexicans can drink mexican water with zero issues. Theres a large portion of the world that still catches and stores rain water for drinking.
OVERFLOW PROBLEM? Why not a simple FLOAT switch in the tank?* Also, since you apparently have the room, why mount the tank DOWN on the lower level instead of as high as you can to take advantage of the head pressure? One thought on the FLOAT SWITCH, it could re-direct the pump panels output when the tank was full - a DPDT switch where it switched the power from the Pump Panels between the pump and the house controller. OK, I know not about our solar system - or any for that matter. Just heard you say you had a seperate solar for the well pump and the house solar and that you ran an Overflow pipe only because you forgot to switch off the Pump. Amazon has an SPDT switch that could work. "PUMP DUTY FLOAT SWITCH - 10 FOOT - NORMALLY CLOSED - NARROW ANGLE Price: $40.99 Weight: 1.12 lb Stock Quantity: Made to Order Delivery: Ships in 3-5 Business Days Other SKU: PY2CW1000 These high quality float switches are designed for pump duty loads. The float switch is as normally closed or pump up (circuit is complete when the float is hanging down)." www.mdius.com/
That was my thought is " why is there not a float switch in the storage tank" the only thing I can think of is he is just doing it to fill the pond at a slow rate to not to over work the pump
I believe his only pump power switch is the special manual switch that comes from Grundfos, the switch that he talked about at length. A regular level switch, switching the solar panel DC will smoke the level switch contacts.
why` didn't you just use a float valve to stop the pump when it is full. Also, whjy add another submersible pump? Just replace your noisy pump with a quieter booster pump.
The manufacturer has a float valve setup to turn the pump off through a data connection through the existing pump wires. Its expensive and prone to failure causing overflows of tanks. It would be unreasonably expensive to try to float switch a relay capable of opening 300 volts DC. A submersible pump can put out a tremendous amount of pressure for very little money and noise. You can have city water pressure for under 150 dollars
bull if you have a well in CO you can do the rest of this setup. yeah usually CO requires 40 acres for new well permits. but that has zero to do with water storage laws you are thinking of..that's just rainfall storage
Doesn't this system, "pumping all the time", put an excessive LOAD on the Ground Water Levels? Felling a Pond with Well water is not a good way to protect your well,,and it's a Waste of good water too. Evaporation waists water you and others in the area could be using for Human and Animal Consumption. Just saying, This is NOT being a Good Shepard of the land and water.
Best video I have seen so far on solar water systems. Very informative.
Well my brother, that camera looked pretty good to me. I have received all kinds of good ideas. We are in South Louisiana sold I don’t have a lot of freeze problems. But still trying to come up with an economical Way to dig a water well. I am definitely going to save this video. God bless you and your family. And thanks for all the wonderful advice.
AWESUM video
NOT a poor quality video!!! Super informative with good quality close-ups. Great information from personal experience. Thanks a lot from out here in the high desert (New Mexico).
How deep is your well? Jesus loves you
I am an Australian. I am always so jealous when Americans talk about 'massive water storage'. We all have 2641 to 13208 gallons or so. That's 10,000 to 50,000L. We mostly have to have 10,000l just for firefighting. Man you guys are moist.
that 500 gallon is 1893.7l that's nothing on your 10,000l tank
The air conditioner part is FANTASTIC!!
Good quality vid excellent job of explaining what ya done and why ya did it. Have been thinking about off grid system to irrigate my garden.seen a lot of videos looking for answers that vid is the best most informative and conscience thanks alot👍
Thank you, I really like my Grundfos too.
Thank you... Great video!
Looking to develop a vacant lot for my own off grid dreams. Super helpful to see the whole system in one video - water + electrical are 2 skills I still have a lot to learn about; you've got a knack for describing succinctly, thanks!
Thanks for the concise information, the good, the bad and the not too ugly. Great system!
Very impressive I like how you tackle these problems one at time. At least you have the pride of doing it yourself. Thank you for sharing your experience
That was by far the best "off grid" well video I've seen and I've watch a ton of them. Great job, saving your video for my build. Thank you sir. . .
19 minutes into the video...you and I are of the same mind...I like flooding thins too! LOL!! Blessings and Thanks for the Video!!
Awesome system! I have those recurrent power outages and am running out of water for days. It's becoming a real nuisance! Thanks to your ideas and testing, I'll soon be able to resolve this issue once and for all. Thank you soooo much!
Install an electrical float switch in your tank, connected to the well pump via a contactor. Lag your tank and pipes. Good video, quality was fine. BTU.
Great system. I was also thinking that if someone does not want to use a large water storage tank, they can use 2 or 3 larger pressure tanks in parallel.
Best video for solar deep well pump system. It addresses many of the considerations. Systems vary in need. This covers most of the details.
I love your idea for the air conditioning. In fact that very idea is why I was looking for info on solar powered well pumps, which is what brought me here in the first place. I live in Florida and I plan on using a system just like you mentioned to air condition my place. Thanks for the video.
I have a 600w off-grid system that will power a room AC unit. It will run continuously in good light conditions, but only about 5-6 hrs on poor light or batteries. Four Renogy 150w 12v panels in parallel, Midnight solar 150 classic controller, four VMax 125aH AGM batteries in parallel and a 3000w VertaMax pure sine wave inverter. It actually powers my entire family room through a manually switched subpanel. Runs lights, TV, AC in summer and lights, TV and pellet stove fireplace insert in the winter. I just need to add more panels and batteries when budget allows.
Your vídeo is very succinct and you have a way of explaining things so that they are relatable. “You will not go thirsty if you produce 2 cups a minute”
I had to look up " Succinct " that's a new one for me.
Logas rising good video brotherhood
Dude, great video! Thank you for posting. Would you consider doing a video of your home solar system? You explain things very clear.
Did you ever install that radiator/air conditioning idea you talked about at the end? If so, do a video on it and tell us how well it worked! Great video. Thanks for sharing your setup.
love the a/c ideal
You could install a timer on the pump and save wear on your pump.
Nice job
🤓👍Good Vid
That's 1 way to do the job , many options , good advice on type of contacts and we'll designed for your purpose + with ur overflow ur pond water should stay nice and Fish etc may be an option + my favorite Some swimming 😆👍
Another option is a Digital Contact less controller and a Float switch for ur tank .
If I were you w ur pond ; I'd have chosen what you have ; if when the pump goes out increase Drain pipe size from overflow .
You have Many options which is Always nice . Gr8t job this far .
I would run it through a Ceramic filter anyways .99 filtration as to avoid sickness if ur well gets any kind of fungi etc .
No one should risk getting sick esp w Fracking or earthquake prone areas .
Ps you could use a solar cell to switch from DC in day to AC at night & adjust accordingly
Peace
Would u pls put a list of Main Components w Links in the description please
Just starting out from scratch and trying to learn from other peoples mistakes. So this was good for me. I would like to know how the A/C experiment turned out ? Thanks for sharing.
Thank you that was what I needed to hear can you give me any advice I have a 110 volt deep well pump 30' deep I pump the water 150' to my house I believe I have 50 to 60 pounds pressure I would like to have just my pump on solar in case the power goes out backed with batteries what should I be looking for or where should I start Thank you
Best well pump set up explanation I’ve seen. You’ve answered all questions I have. Very comprehensive and thought off. Video is not bad as you think. Also am getting me one of those 500 gallon tank. Can you please send me the link where you bought it? Also the well pump? Thanks!
Hi Eric thanks for posting this great video of your set up. I’ve been wanting to connect with somebody about solar well pump systems. Are well is 136 feet deep. Just yesterday I was able to get our generator hooked up to it. However I want to be able to run the pump off solar as well. Could we possibly chat about my current set up? Again, thanks for posting this video.
THis is inspiring video
Referencing your comments on pump power use. The utilization loads for a pump are usually rated for start-up wattage. Startup wattages can be twice what the run wattage would be. Your wattage calculation for your pump may not be as far off as you think.
Loved the video, answered lots of questions. The pump that you mentioned sounds interesting. Can you recommend a supplier Where I can get all the components such as Panels pumps and switches?
Great video good job on your build but I think you should get away from that galvanized pipe and I believe they make a float level switch that would shut off your pump otherwise you’re reducing the longevity of your pump by running so much
Is that a special pump for solar? I have a regular pump and want to do something similar to this.
I'm no expert on plumbing, but I don't think you will have all 500 gallons at your disposal when the power goes off. At about 14 minutes into the video you say it flows from the floor up to the first filter. I would think that the water in the tank will only flow into the filter until the tank level gets down to the same height as the filter. Maybe your solar-powered pressure pump can pull the rest out when it gets that low. I don't know. Thanks for a good video. I will definitely check out the Grundfos pumps.
I know this was three years ago but any update on that air conditioner? Never seen anyone do that before. Would be awesome to see that in action!
Awesome system ,Informative video. One thing to maybe think about . if you put a submersible pump in the tank and lay it in the bottom you’ll have to come up with a way I would think to keep it from spinning from the torque when it turns on and will put a lot of of stress on the piping
I've actually had a submersible well pump in the bottom of the tank for at least 2 years and it works great!
Wow... this is really some amazing information. And you uploaded in 1080p, so you did pretty good as far as quality. In the TH-cam studio, there's a thing you can enable to stop the motion from bouncing around. My only comment is that it is absolutely critical to keep those solar panels clean. You had a lot of dirt on them, especially towards the bottom. If those cells get too dirty, the entire panel could put out very low voltage. My panels put out 37V. Yours are way higher than mine. Somebody should install these exact same wells out in Slab City out in California so that people can have water.
Your 1000% right about keeping panels clean. My solar system for the house had low output, from 1200 watts down to about 400. Cleaned all the tree pollen off the panels and all the power came back. This is one reason why I will never install panels on a roof again!
@@TheJoyOfHomesteading Tell me about it. I have 9 Kw on my roof. I have no access to clean them. Before getting them, I had no idea that they required maintenance.
@@TheJoyOfHomesteading That's awesome. What about using the video stabilization option in the TH-cam Studio? Did you look at that? I love solar. My electric bill has been under $10/mo for the past year with my grid-tie system. The electric company still charges a $10/mo connection fee. So it's basically like I'm paying $10/mo to rent a large battery to power my house during the night when the sun isn't out.
I have a question about the stock type float shutting off the water supply. What stops the pump from continuing to pump? We had a similar problem where the pump did continue to pump and got hot since cool water was not being pumped and caused the pump to fail sooner than it should have. Enjoyed your video.
It would shut it off to the tank, I would have a separate water line to divert water to, the pump will continue to run. I'm thinking a line running to a radiator for geothermal heating and cooling
great video Eric where is the best place to purchase the grundfos pump,,also the maker of your solar panels,, lv the shop light vidio also
Grundfos has specific dealers in each region. Call around to the local well drilling companies and they should be able to supply you, or perhaps contact Grundfos directly for a list of dealers. If your from the SW Missouri area, I could give you the name of the local dealer, but I would not use them for any labor/work, pretty terrible company to deal with. The panels are cheap chinese no names. I saw them on craigslist and it was almost meant to be. You never see panels this high of voltage come up for sale, the guy who had them was converting golf carts to solar by removing the canopies and using one of these panels AS the canopy, so you could charge your 48 volt golf cart while you were doing chores around the house. Kind of ingenious really!
Nice video, very motivating. Q. Does storing a large amount of water like that reduce the water pressure in the house? Another stupid question: Could you install some type of controller on the system so you could control the pumping speed even during very good light conditions? I think that would save wear on your pump.
Storage will not reduce water pressure in the house.
Could you tell me what system you used and how to get it? My husband is trying to figure out how to hook our well to a solar system. Of power goes we have no water
Are you using just solar for the pump or solar, battery's and a charge controller.
Did you get the radiator installed and how is it working out?
Excellent video. We are building an off-grid cabin and will install a similar system. My question is who is the manufacturer of the storage tank you have? What is it made of?
The tank is from poly-mart.com it's a 500 gallon BPA free foodgrade polyethylene tank
How do you clean it? And how often?
First off, excellent job! It's a good system with pumps sized so you'll never run out of water. I like the ability to run AC/DC, it gives you options. I also like the idea of the well pump in the bottom of the tank instead of the 24V pump on the wall. What I wonder about is the overflow system. If it were me I'd have an electrical float switch in the tank. Is there any reason why you couldn't do that other than the switch contact welding problem with D/C current?
Thanks! I did end up switching to a well pump nested in the bottom of my tank when the sureflo failed. Works great and the pressure is awesome. Grundfos does make a float switch set up. The cost is pretty high 400 or 500 dollars. There was some complaints I found that said the module would fail to recognize the float, and it would overflow your storage tank. The on/off switch I bought was only fifty. It came down to cost and simplicity . It would be important to install an overflow even if you go the float switch route, in case of a failure.
I can certainly understand cost considerations and $400 for the float switch is way more than you have in the overflow system. One other question that came to mind as I watched the video the second time was what you do about algae growth in the tank? I suppose that since your water is constantly flowing out the overflow maybe it isn't a problem? In a conventional system, water isn't exposed to air until the tap is opened or in the toilet tank and I know from experience that slime can form in the toilet tank. Is it a concern with your system?
Are you currently using a well? I wonder if the slime you are experiencing is finely dissolved clays in your water. Algae, by the nature of the beast is a plant, and must photosynthesize to live, therefore if there is no light, algae cannot grow. I will get some algae at the outlet of my overflow and into the white plastic tank outside, it gets quite a bit. Inside algae cannot grow. The 500 gallon storage tank I purchased is an algae resistant growth tank because of it's opaque color and they claim can be stored outside with minimal algae growth as very little light can get in. I too have some fine clays in my water and you do notice them sticking to like the porcelain of the toilet, mostly cause it's the whitest thing I own. It's all but impossible to filter out the clay, it is such a small particle.
Can you tell me the make and model of your solar panels? I'm not finding much on high voltage panels. Thx.
Install a float valve to automatically shut off water coming into the tank...I run a 10,000 rain harvesting system with a 12v pumping system... I only run DC...your 20 gallon bladder would run a lot better with a 7gpm pump
The pumps are made in Tualatin, OR near me. It's spelled: Grundfros CBS Inc., 9400 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road, Tualatin, OR 97062
*Grundfos
12 or 24 VDC 60PSI at 5.5 GPM and you can put them is parallel producing 11.5 GPM No pressure tank needed. They are very quiet.
GREAT information! Thank you! This was thorough and very easy to follow. I will be implementing some of these ideas into my off grid system. Where did you buy those solar panels? Also, what do you do about snow accumulating on the panels? I put mine on the side of my cabin but they don't seem to be getting enough sunshine at that angle.
The solar panels came from a gentleman I came across that used them for the roofs of golf carts to charge 48 volt golf carts.
Snow accumulation I just use a big shop broom, it’s amazing how they are the last thing to melt. I put 6 panels on my roof for my house system and I’m never doing that again lol
Same here! My first rookie mistake was putting my panels on my roof too. I had to climb a ladder every day to get the snow and ice off. Very sketchy. So I put them on the south facing wall of my cabin and it's a great maintenance-free solution but I don't think they're getting enough sun. I was thinking about just getting more panels to solve the problem. We've got a couple feet of snow here in North Idaho Nov-March most years!
Which model Grundfos did you use?
I have a very similar off-grid endeavor in the near future. Do you sell plans, supplier lists, etc.? I'd really like to pick your brain so I can implement a system.
No list or plans sorry, there are tons of suppliers that are getting into this market in the last few years, so it’s easier then ever
I intend to replace my existing pump with a 4 GPM pump lifting about 180 ft to five or six 50 gallon used electric water heater tanks to 10 feet above the house ground level. Plumbers give those tanks away and very few leak. By mounting them 10 ft above the ground it will give enough to fill the toilet, take a shower and wash dishes. Watering the garden would take place with the overflow. No real need for a low-well cutoff or an overfill cutoff. The only question I have is "Do I need some kind of controller to adjust for low light conditions to avoid damaging the pump?"
No
Please make more videos.
When the tiny pressure pump goes out, why not just use a conventional booster/pressure pump that plumbs in on the outside, still you are using 110v?
Very informative video. I’m wanting to build underground tank with a deep well pump laying on it it’s side too. Will this work. I also would need pressure switch that drawers water rim the underground tank to the bladder pressure tank any time faucets are opened. Can this be done?
It will absolutely work
@@renewablerepair7224 Thanks Renewable Repair. Would I need to use some sort of under water clamp or bracket to hold pump in places at the base of the tank.
@@lennieadi depending on your tank material. Some people have used new concrete septic tanks and buried them for fresh water storage. A pump can sit right on the bottom of the tank and wont hurt it. You'll just run 1 inch pipe to your pressure tank and the wires from the pressure switch at your bladder tank, down to the pump. If the tank is plastic I have suspended the pump about an inch from the bottom just so the pump with not wear a hole in the plastic turning on and off. The pump can just hang there from the 1 inch pipe, so just support it where it comes out of the tank with a 1 inch coupler. I'm the original poster of this video, I just have multiple accounts
@@renewablerepair7224 Thanks dear man. It’ll be an in ground concrete tank. I was thinking to make aluminum brackets and fix pump to the wall with rubber washers and rubber between the brackets and the pump to reduce vibration. Is that a good or bad idea? I’d use brass screws too.
@@lennieadi I wouldn't even worry about it.
I think I will make a video of my solar well set up here in Colorado soon. Just got in the last couple parts I need to be automated so it’s a good time.
Is your Grundfos still working as good as new? I’m about to get one and am just trying to get some info from people that have had them a while. Any input would be much appreciated.
Yup! It works great!
RenewableRepair I’m assuming you looked at RPS Solar when you were deciding, if you had what made you overlook them?
I just purchase pws solar water pump.I purchase with the understanding that I can use battery when solar panel when Sunlight is low.But I dont see on charge controller where to hook up.Should I hook up Where solar panel is to be connected?It said I can use battery when Sun light is low.Do you have an answer?
Great video. I am trying to find information on the best solar well pump since I am having my well drilled very soon. Which brand of pump did you use?
The brand is Grundfos, the pump model is an sqflex. I’m fixing to put out an updated video on my system in the next couple weeks
Eric - thank you for the reply. Is the pump reliable? Have you had any problems with wildlife (ie, deer) running into the panels? I was looking at companies that sell racking for installation on an above-ground post. However, mounting doesn't look like a one-man job. I have a well driller who said he can hook up all of the solar components. Did you buy a kit or the panels separately? @@TheJoyOfHomesteading
@@michaeldamianbell1980 it’s been flawless. I really did the research on pumps and it seems like Grundfos is the top of the line. Have not had any issues of wildlife and the panels. The panels were not a kit, I pieced it all together. I think if I were doing it again I would try to think of a way to use the shade and protection of the panels to maybe store things under them like a lawnmower or really anything, utilize all the space. Also something to keep in mind is the panels will need cleaned a couple times a year and snow will need to be removed if your in that kind of climate, so don’t make them so high they can’t be reached.
@@TheJoyOfHomesteading Eric - thank you for the advice. It's hit or miss on trying to find reviews of DC solar pumps. I was looking at RPS since their advertising is everywhere. Contact with them wasn't the best in terms of getting needed information. Great idea on not putting the panels too high for cleaning purposes. Fortunately, I am not in residence when all of the snow falls!! Which brand of solar panels did you use?
@@michaeldamianbell1980 they are some no name brand Chinese panel. If you want to spend the extra money on name brand panel it’s probably worth it in the long run, some of my older panels for my house are experiencing defects due to cheap manufacturing like snail trails. I would stick with a mono crystalline panel and not a poly crystalline and you really can’t go wrong picking one. Try to keep the voltage of the panels pretty high to cut down on voltage drop through the wires running down to the pump, some of them can be very deep.
you could run the water through a radiator or radiators before the it gets in the tank! that way you can make use of the geothermal energy anytime your pump is running. You should not pump water when you don't need it.
You could use an air lift pumping setup since you are pumping into a tank and eliminate that expensive well pump.
Too deep, static water level is 150 feet
Did you construct the well water air conditioner?
Probably not ,it wouldn't have worked anyway ,not enough cold thermal gain to be had .
i have a water well. just wondering if you have steel casing in your well.
my well is in tenn. it’s 8 inch diameter and 150 feet deep and has 6 inch steel casing from the surface down 40 feet. then it’s limestone rock.
Yes I do have a steel casing. Mines an 8 inch steel casing and Missouri requires it to be at least 80 feet and grouted on the outside.
Great. thanks 😊
Thanks for the informative video. I have 2 questions.
1) Assuming you don't need/want the reservoir setup, is there a limitation with a larger expansion tank?
2) Why couldn't you just go with a traditional setup with 120V pump and use an inverter? The pump would run as needed and the batteries would supply the juice?
Greetings. Pumping directly into a pressure tank will greatly reduce the amount of feet the pump is capable of lifting water out of the ground. There are charts you can reference for each specific pump. As an example with fictional numbers as a reference, say my pump can pump from a static water level of 200 into an open tank with no pressure. If I try to pump into 60 psi of a pressure tank, the static water level it can pump from may be reduced to 60 feet. If my static water level is at 150, this simply won't work. I researched tons of 120v well pumps and did not find one that would pump very deep static water levels, let alone into pressure, although your idea would work if your water tables were high enough. The hardest part is getting the water out of the ground, so your batteries would have to be able to support the load at night, my battery is the water tank and will not need replaced like a lead acid battery would. It doesn't take a very big system to pressurize the water once it is on the surface.
Thx for getting back to me...so much info out on the WWW! I understand the depth issue and I'll have to do more research on various pumps and setups to best suit my needs. I now understand the two basic options, pump to holding tank or to pressurized tank (which I have now). There are 240V inverters too, and I'd need to consider adding real estate to accommodate a holding tank vs. using pressure tank(s) in my small well house. Anyway, lots to consider.
Why couldn’t you have your pressure switch on xtrol tank connected to your well pump like a traditional well set up. Once the pressure tank is filled up the well pump shut off
is your house off grid? if so are you going to do a vidio on that ,
Hey Gregg, the house is off grid. I have a ton of ideas and projects to share with you guys. I'm going to make it my 2019 resolution to get the material out to you guys! Look for a lot of content in 2019!
CONDENSATION FIX: Insulate the tank and all cold water lines. Warm moist air is the culprit. keep it from the cold cold pipe (Or cold soda can, Whiskey on the rocks, etc.) and no condensation. Then, insulate all the lines carrying HOT water so as to retain all the heat possible rather than dissipate heat en route to your shower. OR, move that water tank up and outside into its own elevated space and insulate the entire space while allowing for overflow and or condensate run off via drainage in the 'flooring' or slab the tank sits on.
Ha he's running the neighbor well dry 😜
what is the water pump that runs on ac/dc 110/220?
Grundfos sqflex
It's been 4 years how's your system working now
Excellent, I’ve added a different pump in the tank for pressure to the house, but working great!
Are they online ? If so pls send the company name
Neat system . However, water stored in a open atmosphere tank should be chlorinated. There is a real potential for dangerous bacterial growth in that system. Licensed master plumber and certified private water system
If you took a tank and stored it for a year, maybe.....a tank that gets replenished and diluted with thousands of gallons every day, not really an issue. I think most people can even get used to bacteria in water. Mexicans can drink mexican water with zero issues. Theres a large portion of the world that still catches and stores rain water for drinking.
Please teach me this I have to do this
How deep is your well?
465 feet, water level at 150
OVERFLOW PROBLEM? Why not a simple FLOAT switch in the tank?* Also, since you apparently have the room, why mount the tank DOWN on the lower level instead of as high as you can to take advantage of the head pressure?
One thought on the FLOAT SWITCH, it could re-direct the pump panels output when the tank was full - a DPDT switch where it switched the power from the Pump Panels between the pump and the house controller. OK, I know not about our solar system - or any for that matter. Just heard you say you had a seperate solar for the well pump and the house solar and that you ran an Overflow pipe only because you forgot to switch off the Pump. Amazon has an SPDT switch that could work. "PUMP DUTY FLOAT SWITCH - 10 FOOT - NORMALLY CLOSED - NARROW ANGLE Price: $40.99
Weight: 1.12 lb
Stock Quantity: Made to Order Delivery: Ships in 3-5 Business Days Other SKU: PY2CW1000 These high quality float switches are designed for pump duty loads. The float switch is as normally closed or pump up (circuit is complete when the float is hanging down)." www.mdius.com/
That was my thought is " why is there not a float switch in the storage tank" the only thing I can think of is he is just doing it to fill the pond at a slow rate to not to over work the pump
I believe his only pump power switch is the special manual switch that comes from Grundfos, the switch that he talked about at length. A regular level switch, switching the solar panel DC will smoke the level switch contacts.
cause of the voltage level he's using- it's high voltage not regular regulated household currents
why` didn't you just use a float valve to stop the pump when it is full. Also, whjy add another submersible pump? Just replace your noisy pump with a quieter booster pump.
The manufacturer has a float valve setup to turn the pump off through a data connection through the existing pump wires. Its expensive and prone to failure causing overflows of tanks. It would be unreasonably expensive to try to float switch a relay capable of opening 300 volts DC.
A submersible pump can put out a tremendous amount of pressure for very little money and noise. You can have city water pressure for under 150 dollars
haha the sailboat pump :) IS PUMPIN :)n (even AIR) :) need more power? just put em in serial :D
Can’t do a lot of this in Colorado or any western state.
bull if you have a well in CO you can do the rest of this setup. yeah usually CO requires 40 acres for new well permits. but that has zero to do with water storage laws you are thinking of..that's just rainfall storage
Doesn't this system, "pumping all the time", put an excessive LOAD on the Ground Water Levels? Felling a Pond with Well water is not a good way to protect your well,,and it's a Waste of good water too. Evaporation waists water you and others in the area could be using for Human and Animal Consumption. Just saying, This is NOT being a Good Shepard of the land and water.