Farm Windmill for pumping water

bebster · Jan 18, 2004

I'm interesting in putting up a windmill to pump water for irrigation (rather than running an electric pump). I have water down about 50 feet below the surface in sandy soil. But I haven't any experience in farm windmills. On Cape Cod it can get pretty windy (hurricanes every 10 years) so I'm wondering if a windmill will even survive in strong winds. I saw a store in Texas on a recent trip (picture attached), but they were closed when we drove by. Not too many stores like this up in my neck of the woods. Thanks for any advice.

Bird · Jan 18, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm wondering if a windmill will even survive in strong winds )</font>

Yes, when the wind gets too strong (and I don't remember just what speed that is), you just turn it off. A windmill like that provided our sole source of water for everything when I was in my early teens.

Taylortractornut · Jan 18, 2004

i have a friend that built a 30 foot tall wind mill out of a car hub and rim. It had a 5 foot diameter rotor but now hes making one with a 10 foot rotor and it will have an in hub genereator to make an arrangment of lights light up on the blade tips for a light show. I just machined him a crank shaft to run a pump for his huntiong camps windmill he made. Ill ask him about their durability.

PineRidge · Jan 18, 2004

Bebster years ago I had the same idea as you. Fact is I purchased a rebuilt Aerometer Windmill with an 8 foot blade but have yet to erect it on my lot. It is much, much older than I am. I wanted one to keep my pond topped off in the summer months.

Most good windmills have a handle on them to move the tail in line with the main blade so that they will withstand strong storms.

Do a Google search and you will find a wealth of information regarding windmills. If you are unable to find a local supplier let me know and I can furnish two suppliers in Ohio that can ship you parts or complete mills.

Remember the wind blows freely. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

kensfarm · Jan 19, 2004

Hey PineRidge.. I have one too.. bought it from a man down the road.. it's an Chicago Aeromotor Windmill.. 8' blade.. w/ a 50ft tower. I need to get new anchors for the tower.. mine's stored in the barn for now. I wanted a new well drilled for livestock.. and then use the windmill for the water pumping.

This woman is very nice.. lots of info from her.

Ellen Sattler
American Windmills
Ellen@windmills.net
http://www.windmills.net

RalphVa · Jan 19, 2004

You might want to check out solar-powered deep well pumps. They make them. Search for them on something like www.google.com. Think they'd be less troublesome than a windmill.

Ralph

Jimbrown · Jan 19, 2004

I concur on the solar pump. I have one pumping from a 300ft well. it pumps water all day at abou 2.5 gallons a minute. I can put the pump in the well and take it out by myself with no special tools or apparatus. from 50 ft you will not need a big one or very big panels. look here
http://www.solar-electric.com/

bebster · Jan 19, 2004

Jim, how many panels do you have? In Massachusetts I'll probably need at least twice as many. On Cape Cod, I've got more wind than direct sun.

JDgreen227 · Jan 19, 2004

Pineridge,

You have it correct. A quality windmill is engineered to furl the blades out of the wind when it gets too strong. My wife's brother in law was given a 1950's vintage Aermotor windmill about 1991, and when he relocated to the Saturn factory down in TN. he passed it on to me. While a windmill is a practical way to obtain water with no power, I would be more interested in restoring and re-erecting my windmill for display purposes--in JD green and yellow, of course.

PineRidge · Jan 19, 2004

JDGreen227 we did basically the same thing only ours is fire engine red with the Pine Ridge 7 Ranch logo painted on the tail. One day it will fly next to our pond. But for now there are more important projects underway. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif