When looking at water tanks look for one's with defects. My dad needed a water tank for our water tender truck for spraying and he got one for cheap because it was "under cooked" so it couldn't hold liquid fertilizer but water works fine... good discounts on some new ones with defects
Check out Cobett waters that’s what most serious beef producers up here in Maine run. No power needed, use our down to 40 bellow without electricity. Simple and will last forever. For any pastures used in the winter for bale grazing that’s the way to go! In comparison the Mirafont and others are considered a Hobby farmer quality up here, we had them and won’t use them again.
Can you go into a little bit of detail about the pump (what kind and how much power and GPM) and the solar setup? How many blueberry plants? Are you irrigating with drip? We're wanting to do something similar.
I live in Indiana and we've had some really bad cold weather up here could you use a system like that to run your home if you're planning on going off grid
Well I was just wondering because most pumps after a certain death they have to run off a 220 and I was wondering if you had to have a bank for them or if you could make a bank for them for like during the dark hours cuz that would be really great if that would work could you hook me up with the people that did yours so I can ask him some more questions I'd really appreciate it thank you
Josh thank's for showing all the great info . I like hearing but it helps a lot more to see and learn whats going on . I'm sure it's a lot harder to go to that trouble , but it's one of the reasons you've got a great channel .
Good overview of your solar well system Josh. You did a good job simply explaining a complex setup! Lol. Can't wait till fall to see you get the watering lines and troughs installed! Woooo
12:13 “ you don’t just plop down and say here’s a farm…I’om gonna be a farmer”. … lol that’s exactly what just I did. But I didn’t go to Ag college either….everyone thinks I’m craz
Josh, always good to see how you are progressing. Curiously, why no batteries? A couple hundred AH's would give you some backup, and always make sure you have proper start up current to that pump. I'm guessing you are going to toss a little shed over all that stuff? btw - Do you have a total. all inclusive cost? (water location, well drilling/lining, pump, hoses, solar, etc) Be kinda nice to see all the steps and costs associated. Thanks again for your efforts.
One of the unpopular things I did with my well was to put a cycle stop valve on it. Look into it, it may help in the long run with well pump life and many other benefits.
No fun working on the system in the sun. Those solar panels should be placed south of the pump so you can have some shade when you have to work on them. And you just have to be sure to keep enough room around that hole in the ground for when you have to pull the pump out of the ground.
Good morning! Well a lot of people are doing what Mike Morgan calls the YouShould channel. I’m not seeing any real problem with the build here as you describe and say you’re going to do. Good explanation.
Josh, curious as to why you didn't sink the pump deeper in the well. Seems like putting it deeper would have made more if the water column available for use.
Troy, this is a common misconception. Each well is unique and has a specific capacity. sehydrogeology.com/blog/using-specific-capacity-monitor-well-performance/ Most people do not take the time to calculate this or test pump the well, unless it is a large municipal or commercial well. The advantage we have here, there is a level sensor in the well attached to the pump, it shows us exactly what the water level is and how the fluid level changes as the pump draws down the water level. The static level on this well is roughly 60 feet from surface and when you pump it a 9.xx gallons per minute, the level will stay constant. This allows for less workload on the pump, lower power needs (less solar panels) and much less cost of pipe and wire. Setting the pump deeper is not always necessary nor does it increase well performance in every situation.
Could you use a plastic septic tank for water storage ? 2000 gallon cost about 4 thousand? We used one for a cistern for our farm house water? Just asking.
The bladder tank also keeps the air space intact. Old tanks would allow the air to to dissolve into water (it would make a glass of water cloudy for a few minutes) and you would need to 're-air' your tank regularly. We just installed (replaced old metal tank) a 2500 Gal poly tank for under 2K (delivered) at the family property.
You can look up the wind and ground snow load design criteria in the 2018 international residential code IRC. the international building code also will have this info. look in chapter 3 of the IRC. I commonly see them designed for 115 mph winds and 20 lb ground snow load. That is a question that the answer may vary with each manufacture, as they may have different designs for different geographical areas. I would ask the manufacturer about impact loads such as hail and do they warranty it. Hope that helps a bit.
I don’t know the wind load info, other than our system has been in place for several years without wind or hail damage. We have had about -25 C. There had been no snow load damage, but snow does shade the panel enough to shut it down, so we ran up there and broomed it off first time we could get on site. I think it’s caught 30-40 cm. It hasn’t shed naturally. Farther north, I guess the angle in the winter might be enough to shed?
That's very interesting in talking about your solar well pump, good information. Thanks for sharing. God bless you and as always Amen. Oh by the way, we haven't seen Miss Stonyridge on the videos in a while is everything still good in kosher with you two? Just curious my friend thank you
I know winter is a little bit different where you live compared to where I live in Fargo North Dakota but I know it gets below freezing there and you have that exposed to the elements and I don’t see good things happening
Josh, now is the time to look into a cistern tank for the new house and new out buildings to be hooked on. Not necessarily for potable water but for watering the garden possibly for just rinsing your hands and feet from farm gunk so you don't track stuff on floors and doorknobs..
Also if there is an animal or animals that need to be temporarily kept near the house to have a closer eye kept on you won't run up water bill or strain a well during a dry spell
I am in Upstate NY - Ag zone 5. I have a 50 acre rural property with a garden - 4 miles from my main home. Since I'm tired of transporting water for the garden in my car, I contacted my local well driller regarding a solar well pump system. He said I will be able to get water directly from the well - no need for a pressure tank. Then, I saw this video, and am wondering about this "hammering effect" of which you speak. Do I need the pressure tank? My concern is that our frost line is 3 feet, and a pressure tank would be outside unless I put it inside my shed. In any event, it will still be very cold and how would I winterize the tank? What is the life expectancy for a solar well pump? Thank you.
Hi. few questions. is the DC voltage being converted to AC voltage ??? Are you able to control the pump speed ???. do you have a variable frequency drive ???. Do you have a grounding rod ???. Thanks.
I wrote a negative comment and I deleted it. Thanks for the video. I am looking into this type of system for Northern Nevada...looking at costs incured.
I don't want to tell anybody how to run their business, BUT I'd either change that PVC to galvanized pipe OR build a little shed roof over that PVC pipe and pressure tank. PVC does not like exposure to direct sunlight. The folks that manufacture PVC piping will tell you sunlight has little effect on PVC( they want to sell PVC pipe) other than "tensile strength", so as long as you don't bump into it or drop anything on it I guess, yer good. Just an opinion from a fella with 40+ years in the pipe trades. Hope ya found something useful in this comment. Continued success. (shade for your cows and PVE pipe ) both good ideas. ;)
There’s a link down in the video description. Go to the contact portion select your country and they will get in touch with you and help you design the perfect system for your property. They are based out of Texas.
You mentioned lightning at the same time I thought of it. Our church got struck with lightning and it fried several electronic devices with surge protection. I thought, why is no one installing lightning rods any more? I wonder if there are specs for making one? Secondly, I would fence off the area where lightning would strike to avoid pre-barbecued-on-on-the-hoof beef, LOL. Really, I think there are different voltage levels of lightning, and I would think a very strong bolt of it could cross any surge protector you have there easily. A lightning rod could be your first defense against damage. PS Hey, when you get older and things start slowing down a bit, you could put in a few small cottages and begin a farming school from all you learned. Then, let them be taught by doing it for you! LOL Being a machinist for over 30 years running all sorts of manual equipment, when you are ready to set up your shop, let me know. I can help you set it up, no charge.
Complete systems including pump, motor, controller, rack, solar panel, dry run protection, float switch and wire start at roughly $1,900. As the lift requirement and/or flow rate increases the cost also increases as more power is needed and larger motors.
The pressure tank is cheaper at Lowes or Home Depot. Besides water hammering the other cool function is it keeps the pump from running every time you turn a faucet. A 20 gal tank will store 10 gal of water at the pressure you set the pressure switch to. It acts like a battery and even if your electricity is off you can still get water because it is compressed at 30 or 60 psi and will just flow when the faucet is opened until the tank is basically empty. When it starts to run low enough and the pressure drops that kicks the pressure switch to turn on the pump and refill the pressure tank. Most of the problems you'll run into on your system is the pressure switch contacts will get a char build up. Unplug it (I don't recommend hard wiring it since it is such a nuisance) get a burnishing tool and clean those contacts, plug it back in and you should be good to go. Watch lots of well pump troubleshooting videos to learn which part is the likely culprit and how to test for what failed. A solar system is awesome. I'd like to use a Brumby pump for my next well, but I want one of those quiet compressors designed like A/C compressors.
I'd like to know the cost difference between wired pump vs solar and and maintenance cost long-term,cause this sounds like a 10k-15k setup with 5000 gallon tank
We had a ‘remote’ research site that needed power to run equipment and sensors that really needed to be on plus heater tape to keep things from freezing (near Columbia Mo, so colder winters than SRF). The nearly mile of underground grid supply line was priced at $45k. We put in about 2x the solar panels, plus a big bank of batteries, plus an LP generator backup, for $33k. SRF doesn’t need those latter two components- it can fill a tank rather than a battery, and the size could be much smaller. But that comparison stunned us. The run of cable underground was really pricey. Our site couldn’t have overhead, which would have reduced the price some but not as much as we would have thought. For an application like SRF, it doesn’t take a very long run to make going off grid economical.
I’m a new subscriber, but have been watching you for a while now. Your chicken processing videos are what sold me. I live off grid in the Pacific Northwest, and have to store all my water. I did a bunch of research trying to find an inexpensive storage tank option. By far, the cheapest I have found based on cost per gallon of storage are the black 2500 gallon tanks at about $1200(I bought it last year) from Home Depot. I’ve seen a lot of 1500 gallon tanks out there for about the same price. Where your using it for cattle, a used tank should be fine if you can find one. I went new because I use it for potable water. Thanks for this video. I will be looking into solar pumps next year after we get a well put in.
William, you are missing the point. The large water storage tank that is going to be put in place is the "battery". The pump will run when the solar panels are producing electricity and store the water in the tank. Gravity will then provide the pressure to deliver the water to the destination points. The same concept as a water tower in any municipality. That is why he's locating the storage tank at the high point on the farm.
@@RickyVentures exactly, and of course a leak will always be a potential problem regardless of how the water delivery system is configured. There are monitors that could be put in place to account for that also.
Hi Josh, We just had a well dug a few weeks ago. It uses regular a/c current and has its own “pole service”. Does the company you had put in your well system, have a “back up solar system”, that could attach to our system? Our well is 400 feet deep as we have lots of rock here in Union County NC....love ur Chanel 💕💕💕
Mary, we do have options for using the grid as the main power source and then using solar as a backup. You can check out our website at www.lorentz.de or give us a call at (806)728-0110
"pump as much water as you can with the power you have" is the default, no need to ever use the app. The app is there to put constraints on the system so that it delivers the water you need. You can limit flow, control by water levels, control by pressure, pump at certain times of day, pump x gallons then stop. It also tells you how much water was pumped, how much electricity you did not buy and how smart you were to buy it :-)
Would a simple small battery system (solar keeps battery charged, pump runs from battery) give you the cushion that the pump needs for voltage? - OK, so if you were more north and had to worry about freezing, how would you keep the tank from freezing? A little heater? Our frost line is... more feet than inches.
George, battery systems are expensive. Storing water is much less expensive and is maintenance free, lead acid or AGM batteries might last 3-5 years being in an outdoor highly variant temperature environment. Some applications need batteries, such as low yielding wells that need to be ran 24/7 to achieve the gallons needed to water livestock, wildlife or humans. The first choice and most economical is to store water, not power.
@@ericmacias9093 With the solar panels making enough power for the pump, the battery would be nothing more than a buck & boost, more or less. You wouldn't need a large battery setup. We aren't talking running the pump for a day, or even hours. Again, minutes... think more like using it like a voltage regulator of sorts. And I can tell you for a fact the batteries you mentioned last much, much longer than that. The more you discharge and recharge a battery the shorter the life but I can tell you even standard starting batteries last 10+ years. Do you have any UPS battery backups in your home or office? Did you know when you plug something into that you are not running off the 'house' power? You are actually running off the battery, and the UPS being plugged into the wall is just charging the battery. That's what I'm talking about. The UPS output is clean power without any dips or surges, unlike what comes out of your wall. And I don't know what crappy battery you get that only lasts 3-5 years outside, but I'd change brands. How do I know all this? That is how my set up is... in a barn, in two different sheds, and on a well. Our power goes out... like right now. ;(
no sir...look back through my vids and you'll find the well drilling vid. Of course it can be used for a home...there's a playlist on the channel...solar, wind and water I think....check that out...so much more to how this all comes together
Hey, Josh, when you mentioned the price of the tanks, it got me thinking. Have you considered building water cisterns? I used to live on a remote island off the coast of Honduras, where our only water source was rain. So everyone had these massive cisterns (typically 16000-50000 gallons) to last them through the dry season. I heard that they typically would only cost a couple grand since they were made of cinder block, wood beams, cement, and some pc pipes.
Probably even buy some cheap concrete tubes and set them up straight and fill the bottom with cement, put a lid on it and good to go. As long as you filter the water going into your house it's probably better than plastic tanks.
It is a DC brushless motor, the benefit is that it is >90% efficient at any speed. More water from the available power. Typically 60% more water across a solar day.
Hey Josh, Great video. You’re explanation about the purpose behind having the union isn’t entirely clear for me. Can you please elaborate more on this? Thanks! Dave
I have a well. All I know is that it has a submersible pump how can I find out things like how deep how many gallons per minute and anything else I might need to know. I have no idea who the well installer was.
To find the GPM, go to the well head and pump the water into a 5 gallon bucket while timing it. If it's pumping a lot of water run for 15 seconds and then measure how much water is in the bucket and multiply by 4. (4x15 secs= 1 min)
He needs the tank to serve as a reservoir to gravity feed to the cattle. The tank needs enough capacity to be able to water all of the cattle for three or four days of cloudy weather. The tank will refill when the sun comes back out. I'm not sure how a non return valve would solve that problem.
@@matthewbrown9840 In the video, he says that the purpose of the tank is to prevent hammering of the pump. When the pump is turned off the back pressure hits the pump and reduces pump life. Sorry but I didn't hear the part where he says about watering the cows for 3 to 4 days. Then again a tank that size to hold that much water when it is half filled with air?🤔🤔That must be a magic pump.
@@amitghosh3711 I'm sorry, when you mentioned tank in your comment I was thinking about the holding tank Josh wants to install, but you were talking about the pressure tank.
Very good job explaining Josh. However, I don't understand how putting another 4 panels is better than having battery storage. Granted you don't have the upkeep of the batteries and thus your expression of it is better to store water. But when it comes to cost I am having some trouble understanding. When you mention that you are putting a 6000 gallon storage tank for gravity feed to the waterers I would think that that would more than cover the expense of the batteries. And by having the batteries in place it would allow for emergency use at night or during cloudy, rainy days. Maybe I am just not thinking outside the box right now. Is there a by-pass to run a generator for the pump if needed? Granted, if an emergency comes up, just throw a pump in the holding tank would work to. Anyway, I would suggest that you run your 1 1/4 line inside a larger line. I personally have found that the smaller diameter pipe moves with the ground more (I am alot colder than you) and should you have a breakage, repair is as simple as pulling it out of the larger diameter, repair it and push it back in. I would also suggest shut offs at each hydrant. I am sure you have thought of all that, but thought I would suggest. Thanks for taking us along as you develop this watering system...It is interesting as I am trying to decide what to do myself. Thanks again.
Give some thought to how many batteries it would take to store enough electrical energy to pump 6,000 gallons to an elevation of 250 ft (that is how deep is well is). The energy stored in that 6000 gallons of water at the high elevation point of his farm would be equal to a massive battery bank.
@@byronmill With a battery bank, you would not need to pump the 6000 gallons as it would be direct feed from the well to the waterers. As it would be an on demand system, the batteries would have opportunity to recharge in between short length usage (in theory).
@@dhansonranch gravity water supply systems are the ultimate "on demand" design . That is why you see water towers in so many municipalities. They allow for moderately sized pumping systems to keep the storage at a working level and still provide the opportunity for high demand instantaneous usage far beyond the capacity of the pumps. They are simple and low maintenance. He currently has about 30 head of cattle. Daily water demand for the herd could easily reach 1,000 gallons. It is well within reason that the skies could be overcast for 2 to 3 days in a row meaning he would have to have at least enough battery storage to pump 3,000 gallons. How does it make sense to pay for that large battery bank, pay to maintain it and then pay to replace those batteries when they reach the end of their service life when a simple water storage tank will provide better water supply, more surplus storage and virtually no maintenance cost?
Byronmill and others addressing this above are correct. Gravity feed from a higher elevation is a very mature technology, perhaps even older than water wheels themselves. A large quantity of water can be stored with low flow, and delivered at higher flow on demand. The Municipal water towers are the most common example of this. From my experience with a panel plus battery bank plus generator system, this complexity is needed only if there is a need for electrical power to do something besides deliver water, because water can be delivered with a simple tank and gravity.
@@byronmill Fair enough. Gravity systems are indeed simple and low maintenance, but they also need to be set up with the correct sizing of pipe to ensure a usable volume of water at the furthest distance. As the feed for the waterers will be at the bottom of the tank, the supply will be not unlike dumping water on the top of the hill and it making its way down. Commercial towers are feet in the air to ensure this problem does not exist. The gravity will work, of this I am sure, I am just not sure it will supply enough pressure/volume to supply the waterers so they work properly. Coming out of the tank with larger diameter and then reducing down over the distance will help ensure that. In either case you have a maintenance as the tank will not last for ever either and will degrade over time plus there is the water quality of stored untreated water vs the maintenance of batteries. Granted, you don't have batteries to keep warm so that is a bonus. Thanks for the discussion.
Iv got a 5000 gallon tank for you if we can figure out how to get it to you I'm in middle ga and have just taken over 1100 acres of cattle farm and need your help info wise I'll give you tank though
Hello from Minnesota. That is pretty awesome Josh!
Hey, thanks Ricky!
WELL lodie da...nice high tech H2O..Josh now the Elon Musk of farming + using 💫 star link
Great information, thanks Josh! I love your variety of content.
Agreed!
When looking at water tanks look for one's with defects. My dad needed a water tank for our water tender truck for spraying and he got one for cheap because it was "under cooked" so it couldn't hold liquid fertilizer but water works fine... good discounts on some new ones with defects
WELL DONE PALL. YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAY. CHUFFED FOR YOU. KEEP IT UP. ALL THE BEST 👍❤🙏😇🐇
its amazing how much farming has advanced since i worked on a dariy 30 years ago !
Whats that blue box there does it matter near well hole
Hey from AZ, where water is always in demand. That's an awesome set up!
Check out Cobett waters that’s what most serious beef producers up here in Maine run. No power needed, use our down to 40 bellow without electricity. Simple and will last forever. For any pastures used in the winter for bale grazing that’s the way to go! In comparison the Mirafont and others are considered a Hobby farmer quality up here, we had them and won’t use them again.
I just bought 20 acers an hour outside Montreal... I will look into this ! Can't wait till they let us back in Maine ! Thanks for the info !
Could u please give a web site for Cobett waters . I tried to look it up but could not find it, appreciate it
Are u talking about cobett waterers ??? It appears to be a water valve
We have a very similar setup on our blueberry farm but in the pond. Does an awesome job.
Got to love solar!
Can you go into a little bit of detail about the pump (what kind and how much power and GPM) and the solar setup? How many blueberry plants? Are you irrigating with drip? We're wanting to do something similar.
Great information Josh. Love the variety of content that you put out
Loved the cow's "wooo" in the song - nice touch.
I live in Indiana and we've had some really bad cold weather up here could you use a system like that to run your home if you're planning on going off grid
I'm sure you could....it pumps water...as long as the sun is hitting the panels
Well I was just wondering because most pumps after a certain death they have to run off a 220 and I was wondering if you had to have a bank for them or if you could make a bank for them for like during the dark hours cuz that would be really great if that would work could you hook me up with the people that did yours so I can ask him some more questions I'd really appreciate it thank you
Josh thank's for showing all the great info . I like hearing but it helps a lot more to see and learn whats going on . I'm sure it's a lot harder to go to that trouble , but it's one of the reasons you've got a great channel .
Good overview of your solar well system Josh. You did a good job simply explaining a complex setup! Lol. Can't wait till fall to see you get the watering lines and troughs installed! Woooo
I’d love an 18” frost line. I’ve been replacing frost free hydrants at 4’ deep. Great video!
12:13 “ you don’t just plop down and say here’s a farm…I’om gonna be a farmer”. … lol that’s exactly what just I did. But I didn’t go to Ag college either….everyone thinks I’m craz
Josh, always good to see how you are progressing. Curiously, why no batteries? A couple hundred AH's would give you some backup, and always make sure you have proper start up current to that pump. I'm guessing you are going to toss a little shed over all that stuff? btw - Do you have a total. all inclusive cost? (water location, well drilling/lining, pump, hoses, solar, etc) Be kinda nice to see all the steps and costs associated. Thanks again for your efforts.
One of the unpopular things I did with my well was to put a cycle stop valve on it. Look into it, it may help in the long run with well pump life and many other benefits.
Beautiful pasture
Great explanation thanks Josh.
I just love these cows. They are well care.
josh you need a shaded insulated tank to go along with your well, good stuff even in the winter. Good Luck. PS remember solar due south.
No fun working on the system in the sun. Those solar panels should be placed south of the pump so you can have some shade when you have to work on them. And you just have to be sure to keep enough room around that hole in the ground for when you have to pull the pump out of the ground.
While looking for used tanks keep an eye out for IBC tanks and above ground swimming pools.
So informational thanks man I plan on having this for a personal home
Good morning! Well a lot of people are doing what Mike Morgan calls the YouShould channel. I’m not seeing any real problem with the build here as you describe and say you’re going to do. Good explanation.
Josh, curious as to why you didn't sink the pump deeper in the well. Seems like putting it deeper would have made more if the water column available for use.
Troy, this is a common misconception. Each well is unique and has a specific capacity. sehydrogeology.com/blog/using-specific-capacity-monitor-well-performance/ Most people do not take the time to calculate this or test pump the well, unless it is a large municipal or commercial well. The advantage we have here, there is a level sensor in the well attached to the pump, it shows us exactly what the water level is and how the fluid level changes as the pump draws down the water level. The static level on this well is roughly 60 feet from surface and when you pump it a 9.xx gallons per minute, the level will stay constant. This allows for less workload on the pump, lower power needs (less solar panels) and much less cost of pipe and wire. Setting the pump deeper is not always necessary nor does it increase well performance in every situation.
That's not how that works.
Hi..... Thank you 🎥👍👍👍
Could you use a plastic septic tank for water storage ? 2000 gallon cost about 4 thousand? We used one for a cistern for our farm house water? Just asking.
Thank you so much for sharing. I have learned from you a lot.
What kind of pump did he use that's all I want to know. Mine went caputr after 3 x used
Lorentz solar....there's a link in the video description for ya
That’s a nice looking panel
Love the ending . Perfect, in time moo’s and a show off. ❤️
Love the setup.
For future reference. Surge protectors don’t stop lightening.
The bladder tank also keeps the air space intact. Old tanks would allow the air to to dissolve into water (it would make a glass of water cloudy for a few minutes) and you would need to 're-air' your tank regularly.
We just installed (replaced old metal tank) a 2500 Gal poly tank for under 2K (delivered) at the family property.
How do you power the pressure switch?
it's all powered via the solar panels
Nice! I just finished the same project, but I use a battery generator charged by solar
Please tell me about the battery generator charged by solar. Can it work with an AC well pump?
Enjoyed your explanation! How do the Panels handle more severe Winter? Full Snow Load and Ice, say -30 to -45C Temps. What is its Max Wind Capacity?
You can look up the wind and ground snow load design criteria in the 2018 international residential code IRC. the international building code also will have this info. look in chapter 3 of the IRC. I commonly see them designed for 115 mph winds and 20 lb ground snow load. That is a question that the answer may vary with each manufacture, as they may have different designs for different geographical areas. I would ask the manufacturer about impact loads such as hail and do they warranty it. Hope that helps a bit.
I don’t know the wind load info, other than our system has been in place for several years without wind or hail damage. We have had about -25 C. There had been no snow load damage, but snow does shade the panel enough to shut it down, so we ran up there and broomed it off first time we could get on site. I think it’s caught 30-40 cm. It hasn’t shed naturally. Farther north, I guess the angle in the winter might be enough to shed?
It's called a key and even works on a cloudy day ☺️
Very nice setup. 🚜-Woooo!!
Free power!
That's very interesting in talking about your solar well pump, good information. Thanks for sharing. God bless you and as always Amen. Oh by the way, we haven't seen Miss Stonyridge on the videos in a while is everything still good in kosher with you two? Just curious my friend thank you
I know winter is a little bit different where you live compared to where I live in Fargo North Dakota but I know it gets below freezing there and you have that exposed to the elements and I don’t see good things happening
It's gets a little bit colder up here for us Yankees. :)
Josh, now is the time to look into a cistern tank for the new house and new out buildings to be hooked on. Not necessarily for potable water but for watering the garden possibly for just rinsing your hands and feet from farm gunk so you don't track stuff on floors and doorknobs..
Also if there is an animal or animals that need to be temporarily kept near the house to have a closer eye kept on you won't run up water bill or strain a well during a dry spell
cool idea!
Hi Stoney Ridge farmer
Hey KADEN!!! WOOOO!
I am in Upstate NY - Ag zone 5. I have a 50 acre rural property with a garden - 4 miles from my main home. Since I'm tired of transporting water for the garden in my car, I contacted my local well driller regarding a solar well pump system. He said I will be able to get water directly from the well - no need for a pressure tank. Then, I saw this video, and am wondering about this "hammering effect" of which you speak. Do I need the pressure tank? My concern is that our frost line is 3 feet, and a pressure tank would be outside unless I put it inside my shed. In any event, it will still be very cold and how would I winterize the tank? What is the life expectancy for a solar well pump? Thank you.
you need a pressure tank to prevent water hammer...ask him...that can burst pipes and destroy your system
How do you do your trenches and will you be doing a video on it? Farm looks great and congrats on the weight loss.
Yes...I'll do a video series on both water systems (both sides of the farm) the full install!
Awesome information. Love ya channel.
What was the overall cost of the Lorentz system?
Hi.
few questions.
is the DC voltage being converted to AC voltage ???
Are you able to control the pump speed ???.
do you have a variable frequency drive ???.
Do you have a grounding rod ???.
Thanks.
DC pump DC voltage and yes...I can control the speed via app on my tablet through bluetooth... 2 ground rods one per solar panel bank
I wrote a negative comment and I deleted it. Thanks for the video. I am looking into this type of system for Northern Nevada...looking at costs incured.
Excellent vid bud - content is superb as usual. Take care.
I don't want to tell anybody how to run their business, BUT I'd either change that PVC to galvanized pipe OR build a little shed roof over that PVC pipe and pressure tank. PVC does not like exposure to direct sunlight. The folks that manufacture PVC piping will tell you sunlight has little effect on PVC( they want to sell PVC pipe) other than "tensile strength", so as long as you don't bump into it or drop anything on it I guess, yer good. Just an opinion from a fella with 40+ years in the pipe trades. Hope ya found something useful in this comment. Continued success. (shade for your cows and PVE pipe ) both good ideas. ;)
Where can you buy Lorentz in the USA?
There’s a link down in the video description. Go to the contact portion select your country and they will get in touch with you and help you design the perfect system for your property. They are based out of Texas.
Where is your information to contact Lorentz. I live in EastGeorgia and am very interested in this setup for my use. Thanks John
google buddy or use the link in the video description click show more
You mentioned lightning at the same time I thought of it. Our church got struck with lightning and it fried several electronic devices with surge protection. I thought, why is no one installing lightning rods any more? I wonder if there are specs for making one? Secondly, I would fence off the area where lightning would strike to avoid pre-barbecued-on-on-the-hoof beef, LOL. Really, I think there are different voltage levels of lightning, and I would think a very strong bolt of it could cross any surge protector you have there easily. A lightning rod could be your first defense against damage. PS Hey, when you get older and things start slowing down a bit, you could put in a few small cottages and begin a farming school from all you learned. Then, let them be taught by doing it for you! LOL Being a machinist for over 30 years running all sorts of manual equipment, when you are ready to set up your shop, let me know. I can help you set it up, no charge.
I like it!! Do they do installs in the mountains states, Utah, Colorado?
lorenz solar...check them out my friend
What is a general cost of you system? Thanks
Complete systems including pump, motor, controller, rack, solar panel, dry run protection, float switch and wire start at roughly $1,900. As the lift requirement and/or flow rate increases the cost also increases as more power is needed and larger motors.
@@ericmacias9093 thanks for the info. Not as bad as I thought!
I need a solar pond aeration system
Where did you put the check valve?
What was the total price of the equipment and install?
it depends on your well and your needs my friend.....this system cost about $12k ish...but this was several years ago
Hey Josh 🇺🇲 that looks great 🇺🇲 I really enjoyed this video 🇺🇲 WOOOOOO 🇺🇲
Great explanation! Thanks
The pressure tank is cheaper at Lowes or Home Depot. Besides water hammering the other cool function is it keeps the pump from running every time you turn a faucet. A 20 gal tank will store 10 gal of water at the pressure you set the pressure switch to. It acts like a battery and even if your electricity is off you can still get water because it is compressed at 30 or 60 psi and will just flow when the faucet is opened until the tank is basically empty. When it starts to run low enough and the pressure drops that kicks the pressure switch to turn on the pump and refill the pressure tank. Most of the problems you'll run into on your system is the pressure switch contacts will get a char build up. Unplug it (I don't recommend hard wiring it since it is such a nuisance) get a burnishing tool and clean those contacts, plug it back in and you should be good to go.
Watch lots of well pump troubleshooting videos to learn which part is the likely culprit and how to test for what failed. A solar system is awesome. I'd like to use a Brumby pump for my next well, but I want one of those quiet compressors designed like A/C compressors.
Do they have a small set up for a back up in case power goes out.
Jon, the solar panels are independent of the grid, the pump runs when there is enough light to cast a shadow. Solar powered pumps.
I'd like to know the cost difference between wired pump vs solar and and maintenance cost long-term,cause this sounds like a 10k-15k setup with 5000 gallon tank
We had a ‘remote’ research site that needed power to run equipment and sensors that really needed to be on plus heater tape to keep things from freezing (near Columbia Mo, so colder winters than SRF). The nearly mile of underground grid supply line was priced at $45k. We put in about 2x the solar panels, plus a big bank of batteries, plus an LP generator backup, for $33k. SRF doesn’t need those latter two components- it can fill a tank rather than a battery, and the size could be much smaller. But that comparison stunned us. The run of cable underground was really pricey. Our site couldn’t have overhead, which would have reduced the price some but not as much as we would have thought. For an application like SRF, it doesn’t take a very long run to make going off grid economical.
Greg Judy uses old tractor tires along with ponds. Just an idea.
I like that pump,where can I get one to buy
I’m a new subscriber, but have been watching you for a while now. Your chicken processing videos are what sold me. I live off grid in the Pacific Northwest, and have to store all my water. I did a bunch of research trying to find an inexpensive storage tank option. By far, the cheapest I have found based on cost per gallon of storage are the black 2500 gallon tanks at about $1200(I bought it last year) from Home Depot. I’ve seen a lot of 1500 gallon tanks out there for about the same price. Where your using it for cattle, a used tank should be fine if you can find one. I went new because I use it for potable water. Thanks for this video. I will be looking into solar pumps next year after we get a well put in.
You might consider adding some battery storage to extend available pumping time
William, you are missing the point. The large water storage tank that is going to be put in place is the "battery". The pump will run when the solar panels are producing electricity and store the water in the tank. Gravity will then provide the pressure to deliver the water to the destination points. The same concept as a water tower in any municipality. That is why he's locating the storage tank at the high point on the farm.
@@byronmill good point. No passive loss with the water storage...unless you get a leak! :)
@@RickyVentures exactly, and of course a leak will always be a potential problem regardless of how the water delivery system is configured. There are monitors that could be put in place to account for that also.
That's exactly what I was looking at and wondering.... "Why is that 2nd pole in the ground where it is?" haha
Those cows have it made in the shade 👍🏻
Install in maine ? How much for the same set up here?
How much GPM are u getting? how many acres is your beautiful farm?, real good videos 📹 👏
around 13 gpm If I remember correctly
Hi Josh,
We just had a well dug a few weeks ago. It uses regular a/c current and has its own “pole service”. Does the company you had put in your well system, have a “back up solar system”, that could attach to our system? Our well is 400 feet deep as we have lots of rock here in Union County NC....love ur Chanel 💕💕💕
Mary, we do have options for using the grid as the main power source and then using solar as a backup. You can check out our website at www.lorentz.de or give us a call at (806)728-0110
Good video brother
Does your phone app have a setting that says just work.
does your car have a setting that says just work lol....the cool thing about this system is it's adjustability and adaptability
"pump as much water as you can with the power you have" is the default, no need to ever use the app. The app is there to put constraints on the system so that it delivers the water you need. You can limit flow, control by water levels, control by pressure, pump at certain times of day, pump x gallons then stop. It also tells you how much water was pumped, how much electricity you did not buy and how smart you were to buy it :-)
Would a simple small battery system (solar keeps battery charged, pump runs from battery) give you the cushion that the pump needs for voltage? - OK, so if you were more north and had to worry about freezing, how would you keep the tank from freezing? A little heater? Our frost line is... more feet than inches.
George, battery systems are expensive. Storing water is much less expensive and is maintenance free, lead acid or AGM batteries might last 3-5 years being in an outdoor highly variant temperature environment. Some applications need batteries, such as low yielding wells that need to be ran 24/7 to achieve the gallons needed to water livestock, wildlife or humans. The first choice and most economical is to store water, not power.
@@ericmacias9093 With the solar panels making enough power for the pump, the battery would be nothing more than a buck & boost, more or less. You wouldn't need a large battery setup. We aren't talking running the pump for a day, or even hours. Again, minutes... think more like using it like a voltage regulator of sorts. And I can tell you for a fact the batteries you mentioned last much, much longer than that. The more you discharge and recharge a battery the shorter the life but I can tell you even standard starting batteries last 10+ years. Do you have any UPS battery backups in your home or office? Did you know when you plug something into that you are not running off the 'house' power? You are actually running off the battery, and the UPS being plugged into the wall is just charging the battery. That's what I'm talking about. The UPS output is clean power without any dips or surges, unlike what comes out of your wall. And I don't know what crappy battery you get that only lasts 3-5 years outside, but I'd change brands. How do I know all this? That is how my set up is... in a barn, in two different sheds, and on a well. Our power goes out... like right now. ;(
You remind me of Bill Engvall from Blue Collar Comedy! LOL
I just spent an hour looking up the lorentz 150 solar pump and the controller is 3 K WOW
That intro song is 🔥
Did the solar company dig the well for you also,,,,,and can this system be used for a home ?
no sir...look back through my vids and you'll find the well drilling vid. Of course it can be used for a home...there's a playlist on the channel...solar, wind and water I think....check that out...so much more to how this all comes together
How do you adapt for a cold climate where waterlines are buried 6 feet?
Hey bud.. how be the cows hoof??
Only works when there is sun? Would be a problem for home use.
You can install a lightening rod.
👍👍this is an awesome tool for the farm
Hey, Josh, when you mentioned the price of the tanks, it got me thinking. Have you considered building water cisterns? I used to live on a remote island off the coast of Honduras, where our only water source was rain. So everyone had these massive cisterns (typically 16000-50000 gallons) to last them through the dry season. I heard that they typically would only cost a couple grand since they were made of cinder block, wood beams, cement, and some pc pipes.
Probably even buy some cheap concrete tubes and set them up straight and fill the bottom with cement, put a lid on it and good to go.
As long as you filter the water going into your house it's probably better than plastic tanks.
Is the pump motor brushless? If it is it takes less power.
It is a DC brushless motor, the benefit is that it is >90% efficient at any speed. More water from the available power. Typically 60% more water across a solar day.
Hey Josh, Great video. You’re explanation about the purpose behind having the union isn’t entirely clear for me. Can you please elaborate more on this? Thanks! Dave
Build a wooden water tower , it would be a great project to watch
I have a well. All I know is that it has a submersible pump how can I find out things like how deep how many gallons per minute and anything else I might need to know. I have no idea who the well installer was.
To find the GPM, go to the well head and pump the water into a 5 gallon bucket while timing it. If it's pumping a lot of water run for 15 seconds and then measure how much water is in the bucket and multiply by 4. (4x15 secs= 1 min)
Any well inspector should be able to find that information. At least they did on our house well.
Hi! Is Lorentz chiping to Mexico????? Thank youuuu
Wonderfull experience
New to the channel, just curious tho. Did you consider ram pump(s) etc for getting your water around the property?
How about using "non return valves", instead of the tank??🤔🤔🤔
He needs the tank to serve as a reservoir to gravity feed to the cattle. The tank needs enough capacity to be able to water all of the cattle for three or four days of cloudy weather. The tank will refill when the sun comes back out. I'm not sure how a non return valve would solve that problem.
@@matthewbrown9840 In the video, he says that the purpose of the tank is to prevent hammering of the pump. When the pump is turned off the back pressure hits the pump and reduces pump life. Sorry but I didn't hear the part where he says about watering the cows for 3 to 4 days. Then again a tank that size to hold that much water when it is half filled with air?🤔🤔That must be a magic pump.
@@amitghosh3711 I'm sorry, when you mentioned tank in your comment I was thinking about the holding tank Josh wants to install, but you were talking about the pressure tank.
Very good job explaining Josh. However, I don't understand how putting another 4 panels is better than having battery storage. Granted you don't have the upkeep of the batteries and thus your expression of it is better to store water. But when it comes to cost I am having some trouble understanding. When you mention that you are putting a 6000 gallon storage tank for gravity feed to the waterers I would think that that would more than cover the expense of the batteries. And by having the batteries in place it would allow for emergency use at night or during cloudy, rainy days. Maybe I am just not thinking outside the box right now. Is there a by-pass to run a generator for the pump if needed? Granted, if an emergency comes up, just throw a pump in the holding tank would work to. Anyway, I would suggest that you run your 1 1/4 line inside a larger line. I personally have found that the smaller diameter pipe moves with the ground more (I am alot colder than you) and should you have a breakage, repair is as simple as pulling it out of the larger diameter, repair it and push it back in. I would also suggest shut offs at each hydrant. I am sure you have thought of all that, but thought I would suggest. Thanks for taking us along as you develop this watering system...It is interesting as I am trying to decide what to do myself. Thanks again.
Give some thought to how many batteries it would take to store enough electrical energy to pump 6,000 gallons to an elevation of 250 ft (that is how deep is well is). The energy stored in that 6000 gallons of water at the high elevation point of his farm would be equal to a massive battery bank.
@@byronmill With a battery bank, you would not need to pump the 6000 gallons as it would be direct feed from the well to the waterers. As it would be an on demand system, the batteries would have opportunity to recharge in between short length usage (in theory).
@@dhansonranch gravity water supply systems are the ultimate "on demand" design . That is why you see water towers in so many municipalities. They allow for moderately sized pumping systems to keep the storage at a working level and still provide the opportunity for high demand instantaneous usage far beyond the capacity of the pumps. They are simple and low maintenance.
He currently has about 30 head of cattle. Daily water demand for the herd could easily reach 1,000 gallons. It is well within reason that the skies could be overcast for 2 to 3 days in a row meaning he would have to have at least enough battery storage to pump 3,000 gallons. How does it make sense to pay for that large battery bank, pay to maintain it and then pay to replace those batteries when they reach the end of their service life when a simple water storage tank will provide better water supply, more surplus storage and virtually no maintenance cost?
Byronmill and others addressing this above are correct. Gravity feed from a higher elevation is a very mature technology, perhaps even older than water wheels themselves. A large quantity of water can be stored with low flow, and delivered at higher flow on demand. The
Municipal water towers are the most common example of this. From my experience with a panel plus battery bank plus generator system, this complexity is needed only if there is a need for electrical power to do something besides deliver water, because water can be delivered with a simple tank and gravity.
@@byronmill Fair enough. Gravity systems are indeed simple and low maintenance, but they also need to be set up with the correct sizing of pipe to ensure a usable volume of water at the furthest distance. As the feed for the waterers will be at the bottom of the tank, the supply will be not unlike dumping water on the top of the hill and it making its way down. Commercial towers are feet in the air to ensure this problem does not exist. The gravity will work, of this I am sure, I am just not sure it will supply enough pressure/volume to supply the waterers so they work properly. Coming out of the tank with larger diameter and then reducing down over the distance will help ensure that. In either case you have a maintenance as the tank will not last for ever either and will degrade over time plus there is the water quality of stored untreated water vs the maintenance of batteries. Granted, you don't have batteries to keep warm so that is a bonus. Thanks for the discussion.
Iv got a 5000 gallon tank for you if we can figure out how to get it to you I'm in middle ga and have just taken over 1100 acres of cattle farm and need your help info wise I'll give you tank though
IM IN SC NEED YOUR EDUCATION KNOW HOW EVERYTHING 😂❤PLZZZZZ JUS STARTING OUT !!!!!
It’s on the top of the hill so you can put a windmill up.
Cost of the system?
depends on your needs my friend..this one was around $10k ish
Cost?