Utility water is too expensive to put in at the farm

[warhammer]

My Farm is utility challenged I don't have electricity to the barn either. ;o}
Good news is someone in the past did have electricity to the barn and then to a pole right by the well so the hookup would "only" be about $1100 with almost all of that being the deposit the electric company wants for a commercial connection.
I plan on getting the electricity hooked up soon as I really want to paint the barn this year.

Put a shallow well pump in the well, connected to a timer which only allows the pump to run an amount of time which is calculated to NOT run the well dry---then set a "well recharge" time to allow the well to recover, then pump again. You should be able to keep your tanks full--unless the well is very weak. This will allow you to build the rest of the system as you can afford it, and will not require hauling or buying items that will not be used in the final system. The timer can automate the whole thing to keep your tanks full.
Bill

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Put a shallow well pump in the well, connected to a timer which only allows the pump to run an amount of time which is calculated to NOT run the well dry---then set a "well recharge" time to allow the well to recover, then pump again. You should be able to keep your tanks full--unless the well is very weak. This will allow you to build the rest of the system as you can afford it, and will not require hauling or buying items that will not be used in the final system. The timer can automate the whole thing to keep your tanks full.
Bill

I like this since you are getting power. It could just meet your needs.

What about a small watering tank on a float. Evaporation would be little and the well would only run when they get a drink.

You would have to do something if the well was dry part of the year. With use the well may even flow a little better. If you get one tank you could pump it dry and check the recharge time and see if it improves over time.

Do you know about water production experience of past owners?

Again what is the size and depth?

 

[Mousefield]

Put a shallow well pump in the well, connected to a timer which only allows the pump to run an amount of time which is calculated to NOT run the well dry---then set a "well recharge" time to allow the well to recover, then pump again. You should be able to keep your tanks full--unless the well is very weak. This will allow you to build the rest of the system as you can afford it, and will not require hauling or buying items that will not be used in the final system. The timer can automate the whole thing to keep your tanks full.
Bill

You might also be able to use a float control system, when the well reaches a certain level down the float will stop floating and hang straight down shutting off the pump. This is what I have in my 2,000 gal storage tank. When the water level falls to a certain point then the well pump will kick in and top off the tank, when it reach full the float changes position and the well pump will turn off. Some variation on this may work for you.

 

[dcyrilc]

You might also be able to use a float control system, when the well reaches a certain level down the float will stop floating and hang straight down shutting off the pump. This is what I have in my 2,000 gal storage tank. When the water level falls to a certain point then the well pump will kick in and top off the tank, when it reach full the float changes position and the well pump will turn off. Some variation on this may work for you.

I was thinking the same thing, but with dual floats. One in the well to shut off in low water conditions and one in a tank to activate a pump when the tank is low. The floats woud need to function opposite of each other and be wired in series. Both floats have to be active for the pump to turn on.

The float in the well would inactive (circuit open) when the float is hanging and the float in the tank would be active (circuit closed) when the float is hanging. Pretty simple to wire up.

 

[Oldmax]

I have used the timers to time a pump "say pump 5 min in an hour " Until the tank is full use a float type shut-off on tank to shut- off pump. Hook in line with timer. You will be surprised how much water you can get from a well that has low flow.

 

[forgeblast]

When you say small well, how deep is that? I wonder if you could build a spring house near on, over your well, have the tank in there and use a solar pump to keep the tank filled. may be more work but then your water source will be secure. You dont want animals (2-4 legged) getting in to the water.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

When you say small well, how deep is that? I wonder if you could build a spring house near on, over your well, have the tank in there and use a solar pump to keep the tank filled. may be more work but then your water source will be secure. You dont want animals (2-4 legged) getting in to the water.

Since he is getting grid power I do not think solar would be cost effective perhaps.

 

[warhammer]

Even in the drought last year the well level stayed up. It is only ~20 feet deep as are all the wells in this area that I have seen.
I believe the last time the well water was used it was for livestock. I don't know how many animals it supported.
I was just looking up shallow well pumps and when I get electricity connected this looks like a pretty cheap way to proceed. Those pumps look an a lot like regular pool pumps to me.

I like this since you are getting power. It could just meet your needs.

What about a small watering tank on a float. Evaporation would be little and the well would only run when they get a drink.

You would have to do something if the well was dry part of the year. With use the well may even flow a little better. If you get one tank you could pump it dry and check the recharge time and see if it improves over time.

Do you know about water production experience of past owners?

Again what is the size and depth?

 

[Gale Hawkins]

My home place had a 20 foot well and they used the same jet pump for about 30 years. If the check valve started letting the tank empty back into the well they would have to prime it if it leaked down too low but replacing the valve was not a big job and they lasted for years.

How close can your livestock get to where the well is located? With a stock tank I think 15 gallons would be about all the water needed at a time to refill it.

In your case you may want to go with a small tank so you pump less hot water into the stock tank if that is going to be the main need for water.

When I was in college in Abilene, TX my landlord had a small farm and he had a wind mill set up that feed into a watering tank that over flowed into the pond. It was a hobby farm and the windmill was cool.

 

[warhammer]

I just finished the clean up of scrub and brush and fencing a couple of months back and seeded Bermuda and cultipacked yesterday. No livestock on it yet until the grass gets established.
When I do have animals they will be able to walk right up to the well. There is also a stock tank 20 feet away.

My home place had a 20 foot well and they used the same jet pump for about 30 years. If the check valve started letting the tank empty back into the well they would have to prime it if it leaked down too low but replacing the valve was not a big job and they lasted for years.

How close can your livestock get to where the well is located? With a stock tank I think 15 gallons would be about all the water needed at a time to refill it.

In your case you may want to go with a small tank so you pump less hot water into the stock tank if that is going to be the main need for water.

When I was in college in Abilene, TX my landlord had a small farm and he had a wind mill set up that feed into a watering tank that over flowed into the pond. It was a hobby farm and the windmill was cool.