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Primal Energy Systems Henrico Well REGS Solar Panels Dig by Hand Solar Powered Well Amazing Pump
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Well Proposal
Board, We recognize that healthy turf at Seven Pines translates into safer rugby playing conditions and happier rugby players. The biggest obstacle to healthy turf is the absense of irrigation during the hot summer period, July and August. With this in mind,we have four options listed below for our consideration. Option 1. A deep water well approximately 400' deep. Well and pump capable of creating about 20 gallons a minute and driving several sprinkler heads would cost around $7k. This estimate does not include an underground irrigation system or the well permit which costs $300. This option was discussed with Jim's Well Digging of James City County. He installed the well at both of my homes. Option 2. Dig a shallow well 30-50' deep by hand with a 5" auger that would yield us approximately 2 gallons a minute for trickling onto the turf. The cost for the permit remains the same,$300. The auger and extensions would cost around $300. We would ,also, require a professional licensed well digger to sign off on our work in order for the permit to be approved. Estimate total cost including permit,equipment,pump,and consulting from a licensed well digger under $1300. We realize Pete Sweet is not enthralled with this option but I present it here for the record. Here are some Youtube videos that demonstrate this very effective "third world" approach. Option 3. A professionally installed shallow well 30-50 feet deep with a 3' diamater. Well and pump ready to go,approximately $3500 as quoted by Danny of Ashland Well Digging (804 370 8441). Additional cost of $300 for the permit,of course. A shallow well will yield a water volume approximately half of a deep well,5-10 gallons a minute. The water colume in a shallow well is approximately 70cubic feet or over 500 gallons of water. We could run two sprinklers for about 3 hours and then rest the well for about two hours so it could recharge the water colume. I would be prepared to donate my portable 5000watt generator to the club so we could run the pump during the irrigation season. As an aside L. Walker,the well permit administrator at Henrico Co, referred me to Ashland Well Digging as an outstanding outfit for shallow well installation. A sub option to option 3 would simply have the well installed with uptake pipe and we provide the pump. Well installation only would be under $2500. We could go with an economy pump for about $150 that would provide enough volume to run one sprinkler or a soaking network. Click here for more on this economy shallow well pump. Option 4. If there were no restrictions on our budget and we desired an irrigation and well system comparable in quality to the systems we see at institutional parks,we are looking at $15K for the irrigations system and $15K for the well for a total invoice of $30kplus. This broad estimate was provided by James Painter,professional irrigation installer and contractor and longtime Norfolk Blues flanker. How do we power the pump? The most common approach is electrical service to an electric motor that runs the pump. In that we do not have electical service,our choices are portable generator or solar. Electrical service,by the way,for Seven Pines will cost over $7k for line and transformer installation. I have corresponded and talked on the phone with this website in regard to a solar/well pump system. |
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 This marine pump is only $39,not for pressurized distribution,but would be very cheap pumping system for a drip system. Requires 75 watt solar panel or deep cycle battery,specs say it will lift the water up to 23ft. |
Ron Castle,owner and supplier for simple pump/solar Owner www.sunshineworks.com
Pete, Grinder pumps are commonly used in septic tank transfers because it will "grind" the semi solids in the holding tank before pumping uphill to the distribution box and drain field. I am no expert to fully answer your question about HP. I can say that wattage/amp requirements to drive a motor is the guiding criteria for the amount of electrical service that would be needed. The 1/2 HP motor for the simple pump is DC current and very efficient and designed for low wattage supply. H/P is ,also, rated over a given period of time so the standard for HP can be misleading. All the grinder/septic pumps use alternating current. We would need a robust inverter to drive the septic pump and the inverter alone absorbs watts to operate. Let me do a little more research on grinder/septic pumps. Maybe we could find a DC powered grinder/septic pump? Will advise.
We could go all solar but I think it would be very expensive for the kind of application we need. I tend to support a solar application for our well and a generator for the septic pump. A generator to drive a 1000watt demand while players and guests are at the field would be far cheaper than a solar set up. No need to have actice electrical power to the pump when the property is not being used.
An expensive solar set up at 7Pines would ,also, represent some risk for vandals and theft. Less worries if we keep our assets at 7Pines economically packaged.
Call me when you get a chance 757 521 1356. Interested in more detail about our approved drain field. Best regards, Cary
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From: P. D. Sweet
It's not a grinder pump it's a septic pump but they are probably about the same size. I'll dig out an old invoice and find the size. Why does a 1/2 hp well pump require 150 watts but a 1 hp grinder pump require 1000 watts? Dominion wants $7,000 to run power to us, plus the monthly bill. If we could run our entire operation on solar we could qualify for some power rebates as well as some grant money.
P. D. Sweet
-----Original Message-----
From: Cary Kennedy
Pete,
The smallest grinder pump would be 1 HP,alternating current,110v,drawing 7 to 4 amps. This would require enough solar panels to produce ,at least, 1000 watts. Some amp loss will occur because the solar wattage will have to run through an inverter,too. By comparison, a solar well pump would require only about 150 watts. We would need,at least, 14 75watt solar panels to drive a small grinder pump. We are getting into big dollars. Over $5k for all those panels.
The grinder pump really only needs to operate when the water level in the holding tank rises to full capacity. I think the best application would be to simply run a generator when the toilets are in use on game day. I am not enthralled with a solar application for running a grinder pump.
call me. I have questions about location of drain field on our site plan?
thanks,
Cary
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From: P. D. Sweet
The only acceptable soil for drain field is in the far corner of the property which is not the best location for the restroom/shelter which means it requires a septic pump. We already have the permit. If, in your research for power options you can answer my original "what if" that would be great.
P. D. Sweet
-----Original Message-----
From: Cary Kennedy
Hi Pete,
Its all possible. It we were to adapt solar for the well pump and avoid the cost of multiple solar panels (high cost), the option is to pursue a relatively low volume well pumb (SIMPLE PUMP)**,that would produce around 3 gallons per minute. With this application the solar cost is low because the wattage demands to pump 3 gallons a minute would require two panels producing about 150 watts. More volume means more wattage means more solar panels means more dollars.
In regard to a septic pump,if we locate the drain field below the installation of the toilet and shower,a spetic pump would not be necessary. Gravity would move the sewage. Gravity drain field exists at the three drain fields on my properties. In any event, locating the solar panels close to the motor is the best option to avoid voltage/watt loss in a long electice line.
If we went with the solar option for the well,we could erect a small well house to shelter the well head,pump,and motor. Locate the solar panels on the roof.
I have started a presentation document at http://richmondrugby.net/well for our Jan 10th meeting.
***More about the SIMPLE PUMP is linked at http://richmondrugby.net/well
If you have any other questions or comments on options at 7Pines,please let me know and I will try to answer.
cheers,
Cary
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From: P. D. Sweet
What if we could build a green building with solar panels on the roof of the picnic shelter with enough storage to power a septic pump as well as a well pump.
