First hand solar pump experience for irrigation?

[GeauxLSU]

OK, here's my setup. Just had pond enlarged (still very small, maybe 1/3 acre) but the old seasonal stream that fed it has dried up. It just so happens to be less than 100 feet from a year round good flow river. I'd like to pump from the river into the pond. This is purely a guess but I think the water levels in the pond and the river are roughly the same height however I would have to rise roughly 10 feet to get out of the river and then another 10 feet after a horizontal run to get over a burm around the pond then a downhill run of approximately that same 20 feet.
I'd prefer to have the pump near the pond vs. the river but I guess that's not mandatory. In the very unlikely event there is overflow it's set up to run back into the river.
So, I'd like to hear from those with personal experience with solar pumps. I'm just trying to maintain some aesthetics and increase the pond's health in dry periods. Any recommendations on specific equipment and price ranges is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Phil
Not much to look at right now and it was an absolute mess from yesterday morning's rains. But I'm hopeful....

 

[GeauxLSU]

Anybody?

 

[Jimbrown]

I have never done what you want to do. I have a solar well and have helped several other people install solar wells. Solar stuff ain't cheap. You might look here Northern Arizona Wind & Sun I was at Harbor Freight yesterday and they had a couple of 12 volt pumps designed for continous run in the $30=40 range. I think they were boat bilge pumps/ You would need a few hundred dollars of panels to run them. It should work if you are willing to spend the money. You might be better off with a gasoline pump and just run it when needed.

 

[stumpfield]

I have a solar well pump (Grundfos SQflex 11). Generally, solar pumps are very expensive and very slow. These pumps are very energy efficient and designed for that specific purpose. The whole setup cost about $5k. The pump alone cost about $2k. That gives me about 2gpm when the sun shines. I believe they are for clean water only. If you are pumping out of the river, you might need a trash pump. You would need a lot of solar to run this type of pump. Solar cost about $10 per installed watt.

 

[deereman64]

I'm in the same situation,except my old pond is leaking and my thought was to recirculate the water back up. I have looked at various solutions. One is the Shurflo pump with a linear current converter. This allows the pump to start at lower voltages albeit slowly. Have you thought of wind power? For me this would be a good alternative My location is fairly exposed and most summer afternoons a good wind gets up.

 

[GeauxLSU]

From the limited looking around I tried doing it appeared I could get a decent sized system for under $3k? Wind appeared to be much more money and more expensive to maintain. Plus I don't have a good constant wind source. The river is always there.

 

[txdon]

I have a shurflo pump, cost is about $70 and it is connected to one solar panel $500 for about 8 years now. The pump runs when ever the sun shines (no battery) 10 months a year (I shut it down Jan and Feb). The pump last about three years pumping dirty (spring) pond water to my garden which is about 30 feet of elevation and 300 feet away in 3/4" black hose. I just get another pump and keep on pumping. The flow is slow, about 4 GPM in full sun and a lot less in partial sun. This is enough to water several garden beds. It would be enough to maintain a pond level but it would take forever to fill that pond.

I have the solar pannel facing southeast and the pump runs most of the day peaking around 10A.M.

I got the setup from Arizona Wind and Sun. I would figure about $100 per gallon of water per minute for the setup but contact them for their professional opinion. It is nice to hear the buzz of the pump knowing that all you are using is a couple of square feet of sun.

 

[tommu56]

If you got flow in stream try a ram pump

probibly the cheapest pump

tommu56

 

[GeauxLSU]

If you got flow in stream try a ram pump

probibly the cheapest pump

tommu56

I've got good flow but no fall. Thought you needed fall for a ram pump?


txdon,
Thanks, I'll give them a ring.

 

[txdon]

GeauxLSU, I was going start the pump today from the winter hibernation but there is no sun at all. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the pump flowing and the solar panel. I am rearranging the water lines in the garden getting ready to use my new tiller. I used the solar pump for raised beds but now with a tractor I'm adding rows. I have a motto with the raccoons this year, "If you can't beat them feed them".