Things are starting to fall in place for me to build my country home. No city water so I will need a water well. My neighbor was tellling me what a problem he had trying to run the well water on generator power. At first I wanted to use a 5kw generator but I think that will not start a 1 hp pump. I was thinking of having a smaller pump ready to go next to my regular pump and give up volume during hurricane power outages. Those with water wells what size gen and pump hp you are running.
Generator power for water well.
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ultrarunner
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Friend is running solar to pump low volume to holding tank... no generator.
I would think pump manufacturer would list starting amps to give you a better idea... also some generators are continuous rated and others peak rated.
I do know someone with a small 1800 rpm Onan Diesel Unit and it powers a well pump in case power is out...
RadarTech
Elite Member
Good evening...
I live in the foot hills of NC and while building our house we used a generator to provide water.
The well is 465 feet deep and is about 60 feet below the basement. We used a 5500 watt generator. The pump was a 30 amp, 220 volt setup. I don't remember the HP..
the generator ran the well easily. During the construction an eldery relative below us had their surface spring go dry. So we filled their supply tank every third day for a week or 2 until their new well was drilled. The tank was 1500-2000 gallons. The generator ran for a few hours each time. And never had an issue.
So with all that said, this generator was good enough...
Don't think I would run much else with it though...
Later,
J
I live in the foot hills of NC and while building our house we used a generator to provide water.
The well is 465 feet deep and is about 60 feet below the basement. We used a 5500 watt generator. The pump was a 30 amp, 220 volt setup. I don't remember the HP..
the generator ran the well easily. During the construction an eldery relative below us had their surface spring go dry. So we filled their supply tank every third day for a week or 2 until their new well was drilled. The tank was 1500-2000 gallons. The generator ran for a few hours each time. And never had an issue.
So with all that said, this generator was good enough...
Don't think I would run much else with it though...
Later,
J
BobRip
Elite Member
I have a well about 320 feet deep with a 1.25 HP pump. Initially I used a 4KW generator to start it. This worked OK for awhile. After a couple of years it would not start. I went to an 8KW generator (10KW surge) and it did OK until Hurricane Isabel. I called the well guy out and he ended up putting larger wire in the well. So we went from 12 guage to 10 guage. It works fine now. It turns out that we were at the end of the recommended wire length for 12 guage. My recommendations are to go at least one size larger in wire size than required and getting at least a 8 Kw generator for a 1 HP pump. A well pump has to start the motor and then accelerate the column of water from the well, through the pipe, up the well, and to the house. This means the pump motor exceeds normal running current for perhaps 30 seconds. The water acts like a huge flywheel which must be acclerated. Basically the pump is a lot harder to start than an equally sized motor for any other application. I wish I had actually gone to 8 guage wire in the well, since I cannot easly change the wire from well to house. It is about 100 feet long and still 12 guage. I did change the 50 feet of wire in my crawl space to 10 gauge.
Alan L.
Elite Member
Not to hijack the thread, but I wonder how much sense it makes to get a large holding tank - maybe 250-500 gallons for water to use during a power outage? I have a 5HP pump nearly 400 feet down the hole, so no chance for multiple pumps.
What is the "shelf life" for water in a sealed tank? Maybe flush it out and refill every couple of months for emergency use?
Then buy a 5KW generator run a couple of lights, the frig, and maybe a window a/c. Here in Texas in the summer I'd rather have AC than lights or water either one......
Had a storm earlier this week and we were without power 3 hours. Not real hot yet so not a problem, but when it doesn't get below 80 at night in mid summer it is difficult to sleep without some AC.
What is the "shelf life" for water in a sealed tank? Maybe flush it out and refill every couple of months for emergency use?
Then buy a 5KW generator run a couple of lights, the frig, and maybe a window a/c. Here in Texas in the summer I'd rather have AC than lights or water either one......
Had a storm earlier this week and we were without power 3 hours. Not real hot yet so not a problem, but when it doesn't get below 80 at night in mid summer it is difficult to sleep without some AC.
One of my other options with a generator for the well is to get a tote that can hold 275 gallons of water. Use the water from the tote for flushing the toilet, washing the dishes, about anything that I can do with a bucket. Just run the well pump for filling up the tote, filling up my drinking water containers, taking a quick shower etc. In that area there was no power for a good 2 weeks so planning for a possible long outage has to be taken into account.
Where I live now I have parish water. The last hurricane I ran a honda e2000during the day for freezer and ref than my 4kw at night for the whole house with a window unit in my bedroom for cooling. The 4kw struggle to run the washing machine on a full load. I may upgrade to at least 6kw.
Where I live now I have parish water. The last hurricane I ran a honda e2000during the day for freezer and ref than my 4kw at night for the whole house with a window unit in my bedroom for cooling. The 4kw struggle to run the washing machine on a full load. I may upgrade to at least 6kw.
RonMar
Elite Member
3KW, but only have a 1/2 or 2/3HP pump. With a deep well, I think it makes sense to have a large holding tank that the well keeps topped off. You then draw water from the holding tank thru a smaller pressurization pump that keeps the domestic water system pressurized. Pumping water is tough, and asking a deep well pump to both lift and pressurize the water makes for a large pump and lots of large gauge wire and electric current to feed it. A pump that is only tasked with lifting the water(high volume/low pressure) has an easier life, and reguires less copper and current to provide for it's needs. This type system could be fed by a smaller generator in an emergency, with you only topping off he holding tank as needed. The holding tank also gives you options, such as hauling water to add to the tank if you should have a well or pump problem... Plus any well problem does not mean you are immediatly out of water. YOu have a little time to decide on a course of action, or find someone to work on the system.
CurlyDave
Elite Member
What is the "shelf life" for water in a sealed tank? Maybe flush it out and refill every couple of months for emergency use?
One ounce of Clorox per 30 gallons of water will make any clear water safe for drinking. When I had a motor home I always added it to the water tank as I filled. I didn't actually drink from the on-board tank, but we bathed, washed dishes, and used it wash veggies and stuff like that. Bottled water for drinking and cooking is under $1 per gallon at Wally World, and there is an expiration date printed on the bottle.
* * * * *
Our well is 710 feet deep and there is another 100' or so of elevation change to the house. Pump is either 3 or 5 HP, don't remember.
We have a 15kW Generac, which runs it with no problem. Clearly overkill, but I got it from Home Depot, delivered for $1800. It was on special and I had a 10% coupon.
The only disadvantage is that it uses more gas than a smaller generator, but a smaller one would have actually been a lot more expensive. We don't have hurricanes, but we do have several hour power outages a few times per year.
A big advantage is that it weighs ~500 lbs when full of fuel. It is not going to just grow legs and walk off like a smaller one can.
One ounce of Clorox per 30 gallons of water will make any clear water safe for drinking. When I had a motor home I always added it to the water tank as I filled. I didn't actually drink from the on-board tank, but we bathed, washed dishes, and used it wash veggies and stuff like that. Bottled water for drinking and cooking is under $1 per gallon at Wally World, and there is an expiration date printed on the bottle.
* * * * *
Our well is 710 feet deep and there is another 100' or so of elevation change to the house. Pump is either 3 or 5 HP, don't remember.
We have a 15kW Generac, which runs it with no problem. Clearly overkill, but I got it from Home Depot, delivered for $1800. It was on special and I had a 10% coupon.
The only disadvantage is that it uses more gas than a smaller generator, but a smaller one would have actually been a lot more expensive. We don't have hurricanes, but we do have several hour power outages a few times per year.
A big advantage is that it weighs ~500 lbs when full of fuel. It is not going to just grow legs and walk off like a smaller one can.
Why not make your large holding tank your pressure tank, only elevate it so you can gravity feed during power outage, or pump failure, that's what I did in S AZ. 1000 gal steel tank 8 feet up.
You could do the same thing on a smaller scale with two of the large size air bladder pressure tanks and end up with 2 to 3 hundred gallons of water in reserve.
good luck
