Solar Water Well ?

[Spike56]

Hope this is a good forum to post this: Does anyone have a solar water well ? I am in the VERY beginning stages (actually, just thinking about it) installing one. Have a 6" cased well an oil company drilled that now is my possession. Several years ago, the static water level was about 80'. A company called RPS solar sells "kits" for a solar well which I have been occasionally looking at. This would ONLY be for cattle water / emergency supply. I would not plumb this to my house, just have it available in case.
Anyone have experience with this company or any advice ? The current site has nothing except a pipe sticking out of the ground. One challenge for me would be to build "something" to protect the equipment/wiring from the weather. The Texas sun eats everything up you leave exposed.
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

 

[Jimbrown]

Lots of ranchers around here use those kits. They are easy to install if you have any mechanic skill at all. You will need a storage tank also.

 

[oosik]

My neighbor waters his cows with two solar pumps. Both systems are many miles out into the open range land. The water originates from shallow springs. Water is pumped into 12 diameter - 2 foot deep circular watering tank. Both operate on an high/low float. They provide plenty of water to a max of 45 - 60 cows.

One thing he learned - right away. All of the mechanicals MUST be protected from the curious cows. They will "nose" the system then rub on it and cause failure.

Rub bar helped but he finally put everything mechanical inside a large diameter culvert. It stands upright. Right next to the watering trough.

Since both systems are already inside the upright culvert - winterizing is easy. Pull the intake pipe - drain the watering trough - disconnect and put the solar panel inside the culvert. Disconnect the battery - to be brought home. Cover the culvert.

Both systems are 100% - 12V. He's been using these two systems for 6+ years now.

 

[Rmart30]

Hope this is a good forum to post this: Does anyone have a solar water well ? I am in the VERY beginning stages (actually, just thinking about it) installing one. Have a 6" cased well an oil company drilled that now is my possession. Several years ago, the static water level was about 80'. A company called RPS solar sells "kits" for a solar well which I have been occasionally looking at. This would ONLY be for cattle water / emergency supply. I would not plumb this to my house, just have it available in case.
Anyone have experience with this company or any advice ? The current site has nothing except a pipe sticking out of the ground. One challenge for me would be to build "something" to protect the equipment/wiring from the weather. The Texas sun eats everything up you leave exposed.
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

look on the diysolarforum.com Should be quite a few on there who have run them and everyone is helpful.

 

[JasperFrank]

Had a 12/24 volt solar water powered well for 13 years. Pump was a rotary diagram type that pushed water up from 130 feet to an above ground tank with a float switch. Get a black storage tank. Mine was clear and needed cleaning once and a while. At 24 volts, the pump would actually charge my two 50 gallon compression domestic water tanks. So I kept the system for domestic water and switched it to a 24 volt DC utility powered transformer and rewired it to use the standard PSI type switch. It worked oky for three years as a domestic water supply till the pump wore out. When I went with a 220 volt ac line fed system. I designed and built the wooden frame for the four solar panels out of 2x4 and 2x6s. Added clips so the panels would not blow off in strong winds. Panels were wired for 24 volt. This was long ago, so the panels and pump were rather $$$. I was able to re-sell the panels/wiring and storage tank for near what I originally payed. As mentioned there are inexpensive solar kits now that are designed as a package. Cows are destructive creatures, so follow any advice on cow proofing your system.

 

[grsthegreat]

One question, before you go to the expense, have you had this water source tested for contamination?

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I have changed out a 702 aeromotor wind mill to direct solar. The owners are much happier with the solar as the water delivery is more consistant with solar and is virtually maintenance free vs a windmill.
Maintenance involves cleaning the snow off the solar panels in the winter when out feeding. Not much to go wrong.

Just remember that diaphram pumps need maintenance depending on the particulate content in the water source. Pulling a pump by hand at less than 100 feet is not a problem.

Here are some links to compare pricing vs RPS.

Higher volume pump

BWS 3″ DC Sub Pump 16 GPM 255′ Submersible Pump with Controller

NOW IN STOCK Backwoods Solar 3DC-16-255 is a submersible pump ideal for many off-grid applications and includes free external controller.

backwoodssolar.com

Smart controller, but is not needed. Just gives you extra functionality.

BWS AC/DC Pump Controller

NOW IN STOCK Provides functions and protections for BWS Submersible pumps making them more convenient and intelligent.

backwoodssolar.com

Lower volume pump.

Aquatec, SWP-4000, Submersible Pump

Or consider our BWS 3″ DC Sub Pump KIT 3 GPM 225′

backwoodssolar.com

 

[deserteagle71]

One of my friends installed a RPS solar well kit a few years ago and loves it. He has a 3000 gallon water tank on a hill so that solar pump is pushing water up about 200' high. I was amazed it had the power to do that.

Here in Nevada most of the windmills are being replaced with these solar pumps - rare to have a cloudy day!

 

[34Willys]

I also have an RPS system. Great product and customer service is second to none.
I was able to text an engineer with a question an a weekend, and got a phone call answer with explanation, and he held the line while I made the proper connections at the controller to make sure everything was good.
Patrick

 

[Spike56]

One question, before you go to the expense, have you had this water source tested for contamination?

No I have not yet had it tested although locals have wells in the same formation (depth) and have been tested. At this point, just doing some research on the possibility of a solar well.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I also have an RPS system. Great product and customer service is second to none.
I was able to text an engineer with a question an a weekend, and got a phone call answer with explanation, and he held the line while I made the proper connections at the controller to make sure everything was good.
Patrick

I love great customer service stories like this.
The RPS system is a good product from what I've seen, can't go wrong with it. I know 5 local ranchers using these.

 

[Spike56]

Thanks to all who responded, especially those with direct RPS knowledge / experiences. Still considering this a possibility, but LOTS of things to do before getting too serious. Probably take me several days to clear out around the site to even begin planning.
Also, I am still trying to come to grips with ALL the items you need to get everything setup / running. LOL, putting in the pole to mount the solar panel on alone is a MAJOR deal for me ! Crappy RED CLAY, near a fence line will take me forever to dig and has to be "over" done or the clay swelling / contracting will cause (as with fence posts) the pole to lean or worse yet push out of the ground.

 

[ponytug]

Thanks to all who responded, especially those with direct RPS knowledge / experiences. Still considering this a possibility, but LOTS of things to do before getting too serious. Probably take me several days to clear out around the site to even begin planning.
Also, I am still trying to come to grips with ALL the items you need to get everything setup / running. LOL, putting in the pole to mount the solar panel on alone is a MAJOR deal for me ! Crappy RED CLAY, near a fence line will take me forever to dig and has to be "over" done or the clay swelling / contracting will cause (as with fence posts) the pole to lean or worse yet push out of the ground.

Clay can be a hassle for sure.

Have you considered mounting the panels on a roof or perhaps an "A-frame" with cross bracing that would be more tolerant of the swelling and contracting of the clay? With your local winds, I suspect that you are going to need a substantial mount, no matter how you slice it.

All the best,

Peter

 

[deserteagle71]

My friends with the RPS system lives in an area that is mostly soft sand. They poured a good-sized concrete slab and mounted a stout steel pipe probably about 4" diameter in the concrete while it was wet. Solar panel array is mounted to that post. Very stable and the wind isn't going to move it!

 

[Spike56]

Clay can be a hassle for sure.

Have you considered mounting the panels on a roof or perhaps an "A-frame" with cross bracing that would be more tolerant of the swelling and contracting of the clay? With your local winds, I suspect that you are going to need a substantial mount, no matter how you slice it.

All the best,

Peter

Yes, I have thought to mount the solar panel/s on whatever structure I build to cover the well head and equipment. Of course, for now I have not decided on what type of structure to build and faced with the same clay issue depending on the structure foundation.

 

[D'oh]

I just have a Cooler with a 12v On Demand pump and 12v Battery in it, a 100W Solar Panel and Charge Controller (optional at 100w).

Mind you, I don't have the Lift that you would require, unless you ran the Pump down the Pipe.

They make Deep Well Solar Pumps though

 

[Valveman]

Most solar powered pumps are positive displacement using balls or pistons. These will work at low RPM, which is conducive to solar, but they usually don't last very long. Still rather pull and replace one of those every year or three than keep up with the maintenance on a windmill. I would only use solar where grid power is not available or extremely expensive. Little pumps like that don't use much electricity and are much more reliable and longer lasting when powered by AC from the grid.

 

[34Willys]

RPS pumps use centrifugal or helical rotor for different applications, and all work at low wattage.
Here's a link to one of their videos describing the differences and why you would use one or the other.

Patrick

 

[etpm]

I looked online and found several examples of band and other types of clamps that could be used on a 6 inch well casing to hold a post or posts for a solar panel. This would obviate some sort of scheme where a hole is drilled into the clay for a post or posts. And then, as another poster suggested, a piece of culvert could be used to protect the electronics from curious cows. I have a 6 inch steel well casing for my well and it is certainly stout enough to support a couple of 2 inch steel pipes that would then support a solar panel. My well casing is at least 1/4 inch wall thickness and I know it extends about 45 feet into the ground. Of course I don't know what the OP's situation is but I would be really surprised if the well casing is less than 1/4 wall thickness and if it didn't extend at least 20 feet into the ground just because of the well seal. Where I live the well seal is made from bentonite clay and must extend down at least 12 feet from the surface and there must be at least 8 feet of well casing extending down from the seal for stability. Texas may be different but I doubt the well casing thickness is much thinner and I can't see a well casing extending less that ten feet underground. But I know nothing about Texas laws so I could be completely off base.
Eric

 

[Valveman]

RPS pumps use centrifugal or helical rotor for different applications, and all work at low wattage.
Here's a link to one of their videos describing the differences and why you would use one or the other.

Patrick

Good video. I agree piston, diaphragm, and ball type pumps wear quickly and need replacing often. As the video states centrifugal impeller pumps are best for many reasons. But with solar they can't build much head because they need close to max speed to do so. Solar only runs as fast as the sun is bright. Even with lots of panels solar pumps only work at max speed for the brightest hour or two a day. The rest of the time they are spinning too slowly to produce much head.

Helical shafts have been around for generations. In the 60's there was what we called the Peerless wigletail, which looked exactly the same except with an AC motor. The helical shaft doesn't run smoothly like a cylindrical shaft, and vibration would take out the top motor bearing. They would also build incredible pressure if/when the pressure switch failed to shut the pump off, and would blow pressure tanks through the roof of well houses. But at low RPM vibration is not too bad and with the use of a pressure relief valve is fairly safe from high pressures.

For these reasons a regular AC pump is best if grid power is available. But out on the ranch just about any solar pump is better than working on a windmill. Ugg! RPS been around a while and seems like a good company.