New Well and Solar Pump

CO-CO

Rather wrinkly & occasionally cantankerous member
We have 3 ponds and bugger all water.

I am considering commissioning another well that is solar powered. I would appreciate any advice from personal experiences.
 
I would recommend Tam at www.facebook.com/bsc.surin He is an engineer by training and did my last 2 solar well pumps. He also has a contact that can drill the well.

I have recently added a third solar well to my property. The first 2 are 30m x 3 inch x 400w with 2 panels. As the 20m wells all around me are drying up, my last one was 52m x 5 inch x 750w with 3 panels. The cost including drilling is about ฿30k for the small ones and ฿50k for the big one.

If you want to see Tam at work:

 
I would recommend Tam at www.facebook.com/bsc.surin He is an engineer by training and did my last 2 solar well pumps. He also has a contact that can drill the well.

I have recently added a third solar well to my property. The first 2 are 30m x 3 inch x 400w with 2 panels. As the 20m wells all around me are drying up, my last one was 52m x 5 inch x 750w with 3 panels. The cost including drilling is about ฿30k for the small ones and ฿50k for the big one.

If you want to see Tam at work:



Thank you for that information.


I am trying to understand the relationship between pump size, pipe size and number of panels required to give an adequate flow of water. Obviously, that calculation is not helped by not understanding how much water I need to regularly pump.


We already have a 60m well that serves the house and immediate garden area. The new well is intended to maintain a good stock of water in our 3 ponds which are approx 4m deep. Apart from the initial filling of the ponds I have no idea what volume of water will be required on a daily basis. We have a small pond at the front of our property that is 40m x 12m, the largest pond is 60m x 20m and is 40 metres from the first pond. A pond at the back of our land (200 metres from the large pond) is 50 x 20 and this is where we want to locate the new well. The back pond was created as a reservoir for getting water onto the rice paddies on the back half of land when necessary; the main pond can service the remaining rice land and provide water for the garden/plants etc from an existing pump. We have sufficient pipes to enable us to pump water from the new well to the main pond when required - we would pump from the main pond to the front pond as required.

On the face of it, it looks like the 5 inch x 750w x 3 panels will be required - if I can get away with less it will obviously help the budget. I would like to complete the task for 30k but will spend 50k if that is required to do the job properly.
 
You have mains electric. Why not have just a deep bore pump (7/8,000baht) and an extension cable to your house. Save a fortune!
 
Hi @CO-CO firstly I am not an expert on pumps and wells, but this is my understanding.

* The deeper the well, the more power needed to raise the water up. 400w is needed for 30m but you need 750w for 50m. You could use your existing 60m well but drop the pump down to only 30m, but you will need to replace the pump if the water level drops below 30m

* You need more solar panel wattage than your pump. Panels are 300-350w so a 400w pump needs 2 solar panels and 750w needs 3

* More powerful pumps tend to be bigger so need a larger diameter well. There is also the recharge rate to consider. If you drain the well it will take longer for a smaller bore to refill.

 
I am finding this article most interesting because my 18m bore-hole ran dry 2 nights ago. This drought is getting worse and the water table is falling rapidly. Urgently need rain and lots of it. Failing that, the main reservors will run dry and Surin City will be without water again. Perhaps I will need to drill a deeper and larger bore-hole too.
 
He wants to fill his ponds. That is not a 24 hour/365 day/year event. Even though it is in the middle of nowhere, rain still falls! Full is full!


Actually, the rain doesn't seem to fall here very often......but I take your point, 25 hour pumping is unlikely to be necessary.
 
Thank you for that information.


I am trying to understand the relationship between pump size, pipe size and number of panels required to give an adequate flow of water. Obviously, that calculation is not helped by not understanding how much water I need to regularly pump.


We already have a 60m well that serves the house and immediate garden area. The new well is intended to maintain a good stock of water in our 3 ponds which are approx 4m deep. Apart from the initial filling of the ponds I have no idea what volume of water will be required on a daily basis. We have a small pond at the front of our property that is 40m x 12m, the largest pond is 60m x 20m and is 40 metres from the first pond. A pond at the back of our land (200 metres from the large pond) is 50 x 20 and this is where we want to locate the new well. The back pond was created as a reservoir for getting water onto the rice paddies on the back half of land when necessary; the main pond can service the remaining rice land and provide water for the garden/plants etc from an existing pump. We have sufficient pipes to enable us to pump water from the new well to the main pond when required - we would pump from the main pond to the front pond as required.

On the face of it, it looks like the 5 inch x 750w x 3 panels will be required - if I can get away with less it will obviously help the budget. I would like to complete the task for 30k but will spend 50k if that is required to do the job properly.

Not wishing to 'rain on your parade', and not having seen what and where you have ponds, I have to question whether you really need another new bore-hole. Pumping water just to fill ponds seems an inefficient system when much of what you pump will probably go to waste through evaporation or leakage. I would consider making the rainwater collection system more efficient, deeper ponds and better water collection to the ponds, rather than pumping water (at a cost) and depleting the water table. Just a thought.
 
Not wishing to 'rain on your parade', and not having seen what and where you have ponds, I have to question whether you really need another new bore-hole. Pumping water just to fill ponds seems an inefficient system when much of what you pump will probably go to waste through evaporation or leakage. I would consider making the rainwater collection system more efficient, deeper ponds and better water collection to the ponds, rather than pumping water (at a cost) and depleting the water table. Just a thought.


Filling ponds would have enabled us to irrigate 12 rai of rice fields last year. The increased yields would likely cover the cost of a well over a fairly short period of time.


You can't collect water, even with the most efficient collection methods, if it doesn't rain. I don't think you appreciate just how little rain we had last rainy season.
 
Filling ponds would have enabled us to irrigate 12 rai of rice fields last year. The increased yields would likely cover the cost of a well over a fairly short period of time.

You can't collect water, even with the most efficient collection methods, if it doesn't rain. I don't think you appreciate just how little rain we had last rainy season.

Another consideration. Is there really any money, as in profit, in growing rice? Many would say "no". Maybe even less when you consider the capital outlay of irrigation systems.
 
Another consideration. Is there really any money, as in profit, in growing rice? Many would say "no". Maybe even less when you consider the capital outlay of irrigation systems.


Absolutely not Nomad and if you would like to call round and tell my missus I would happily pay your fuel costs. ;)


Then again, is there any money in selling apparel at a shopping mall.

Is there any money in running a bar, Luk chin stall, noodle shop, we could go on.
 
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