Factors To Consider When Getting A Solar Well Pump

Factors To Consider

1. What Is Your Water Source?

This obviously depends on a number of factors. If you are considering a well for the first time, we strongly recommend that you check with neighbors to see how deep the other wells in the area are before having yours put in. There 5 main choices:

• • Rain Catch Cistern
    This is a low-cost and environmentally friendly water source, however, there are some serious downsides. If it doesn’t rain, you must bring in water from another source. Also, a lot of debris can end up in the cistern and the water must be treated before domestic use/drinking.

• • Shallow Well, Spring
    Wells under 20ft deep or spings can be great, low-cost water sources. However, surface water can get in and contaminate the water. We recommend that you treat water before domestic use/drinking.

• • Medium Depth Well
    Wells up to 200ft deep. At this depth, with modern well casings and caps, there is very little chance of water contamination.

• • Deep Well
    Wells between 200ft and 450ft deep. At these depths the cost of a well and pump can easily reach the $10,000 mark. Again, at this depth, water contamination is hardly ever a problem.

• • Very Deep Well
    Wells over 450ft deep. At these depths, the cost of the well and pump combined can reach $20,000. Again, water contamination is hardly ever a problem at these depths.

2. What Is The Water For?

• • Residential Domestic Water
    This water is used for the kitchen sink, bathroom sinks, bathtub/shower, doing the dishes, drinking and most other “around the house” uses.

• • Livestock / Irrigation
    This water is pumped to open livestock tanks, into your gardens/orchards, etc.

• • Specialty Uses
    This can include water fountains, floor heating circulators, solar hot water systems and more.

3. What Power Sources?

• • Direct Solar Power
    Most DC well pumps can be run directly off the solar panels – this is the lowest cost solution, however, without battery storage, power to run the pump is only available when the solar panels are operational (no pumping during cloudy weather or at night)

• Solar To Battery Storage
  By using your solar panels to charge a battery bank and then running your well pump off the battery storage you eliminate the potential pumping outages from cloudy weather and at night, which will make your well pump far more reliable than a direct solar powered well

4. Well Pump Types

There are a number of different pumps to choose from, but, for simplicity HydroJet well pump kits use two main types of pumps:

• • Submersible Pumps
    This type of pump is waterproof and is submerged in the water of your well – also, all of the electrical connections are waterproof and are submerged as well.

• Surface Pumps
  Surface pumps are not waterproof. They must be placed in a waterproof pump pit or pump house. However, if they are put to high above the water level, the pump can have suction problems making the system ineffective or even damaging the pump.

Other Factors That You Should Consider

• The warranties on the solar panels, the pump and the batteries
• Whether DIY installation or professional installation is best for you
• Whether federal, state and local solar incentives are available for your well pump