Buying Advice What is the best generator for our needs?

[DarkBlack]

I wonder why soemone put a 3hp pump in an 80' well? Do you have an unusual gph requirement?

 

[catdiva6]

It appeared previous owners may have used for both house and land. The output at a distance must have been dismal as it is only 15gpm. we just use it for the house and a small patch of lawn with no problems.

 

[dave1949]

catdiva6: If you don't need the freeze protection in the hand pump I linked, there are less expensive hand pumps.

Lehman's Hardware These folks sell to the Amish in mid-Ohio, and internet sales. If you are looking for something non-electric, they probably have it. Their prices tend to be on the high side, but just to get an idea of what is out there, it is a good place to look. They have good info about the products. They are very reliable if you do buy from them.

 

[jenkinsph]

It appeared previous owners may have used for both house and land. The output at a distance must have been dismal as it is only 15gpm. we just use it for the house and a small patch of lawn with no problems.

Somethings not right here, you don't need a 3hp pump for a residence and if it is only running a flow of 15gpm while set at 80' then you need to correct this problem first. A 3/4hp submersible will pump 12 gpm at 110' easily. You should be able to get by with good flow 12 to 15 gpm with a similar hp pump. This would allow a much smaller genset as I suggested to pump water in your application.

My well is 245' deep and the water is roughly (depending on the time of year) 100 to 140' below the surface. I use a 1hp well pump to supply our two houses and run my lawn sprinklers. My well pump will flow about 15 gpm continuously while running sprinklers.

Are you getting the 3hp readings from the control box? This might be the rating for the box not the actual hp of the well pump you have.

 

[RFB]

Similar to jenkinsph, our well is 280, pump hanging at 260 and static at 120. We have a 1hp and produce 15gpm.

 

[BobRip]

Somethings not right here, you don't need a 3hp pump for a residence and if it is only running a flow of 15gpm while set at 80' then you need to correct this problem first. A 3/4hp submersible will pump 12 gpm at 110' easily. You should be able to get by with good flow 12 to 15 gpm with a similar hp pump. This would allow a much smaller genset as I suggested to pump water in your application.


My well is 245' deep and the water is roughly (depending on the time of year) 100 to 140' below the surface. I use a 1hp well pump to supply our two houses and run my lawn sprinklers. My well pump will flow about 15 gpm continuously while running sprinklers.

Are you getting the 3hp readings from the control box? This might be the rating for the box not the actual hp of the well pump you have.

A simple check of the running and starting current would clear this up. Do you know anyone with a clamp on ammeter? An electrician or electrical engineer.

 

[catdiva6]

Yes, it is on the box and this is the model listed below. I mistook it to mean we had a 3hp pump as I know nothing about wells. Based on this I think it is safe to say the pump itself is not 3hp, but I am not sure what the actual size is. I don't know anyone offhand with a clamp on ammeter. But I can say I got some drawers cleaned out today in search of any paperwork that might have it listed!

Franklin Standard Control Box 3 HP 230 Volts 1 Ø # 2823028110 (C)

These control boxes are designed for use with Franklin 3-wire singlephase submersible motors from 1 through 5 Hp. Recommended for water systems that use standard/ heavy-duty pressure switches, level switches, or other pilot devices.

Thanks for the Lehman's link....their prices were better. I will keep searching for info on pump and I apologize for the confusion!

 

[RFB]

catdiva6,

Do you have or are you purchasing a tractor. If so, a pto generator might be a more economical choice. (The tractor power take off shaft provides the motive power, so you are not spending dollars on the motor portion of the generator.)

 

[meburdick]

You can buy a meter fairly inexpensively (comparatively against what you could end up saving in gen-set costs) for about $40 from Sears.

Craftsman Digital Clamp-On Ammeter - Tools - Electricians Tools - Multi-Meters & Meters

 

[dave1949]

You can buy a meter fairly inexpensively (comparatively against what you could end up saving in gen-set costs) for about $40 from Sears.

Craftsman Digital Clamp-On Ammeter - Tools - Electricians Tools - Multi-Meters & Meters

That's a good suggestion. Without nailing down the specifics of the well pump power issue, it is too soon to go generator shopping. Catdiva6 could "overbuy" based on erroneous understandings.