First hand solar pump experience for irrigation?

[redlevel]

I'm just trying to maintain some aesthetics and increase the pond's health in dry periods.

Phil----are you planning to initially fill the pond with whatever pump you get? If so, I believe you are going to need something that pumps a whole lot more volume than any small solar pump. I would want something that pumps a minimum of 10 gpm, and 30 or 40 would be better. Somebody mentioned 4gpm for a solar pump. It would take all summer!

I believe the cheapest, as well as the most expedient way to go, is to get something with about a 5 hp gasoline engine and a roll of layflat hose. I'm talking about one of the pumps you see at Northern Tools or places like that that they call "transfer pumps" or "semi-trash pumps" or some such. They move a pretty good volume of water. Fill the pond up, put up with the noise for a few hours (depending on how big the pond really is, one-third of an acre is really pretty good size for a hole in the ground), pick up the pump, roll up the hose, and put it all out of sight until the pond needs to be "topped off."

You could get everything you needed for around $1000. I have done this. I pumped water from a creek 400 feet through a swamp to a hole I dug with a loader and irrigated from it. I used pvc. In your case, none of your pumping apparatus would be visible except for the few hours it would be pumping in hot weather when your level went down.

Just a suggestion.

Mark

 

[GeauxLSU]

These folks were playing with a Sling pump last year... don't know if they have an outlet in the US at this point.
JTM invest AB

Thanks! I shot them an eMail to find out. Not sure why RIFE won't take it off their website. Been out of production for at least over a year (when I first called) but they leave it out there....

Phil----are you planning to initially fill the pond with whatever pump you get? If so, I believe you are going to need something that pumps a whole lot more volume than any small solar pump.

redlevel, no. The pond is more than half full now and if I decide to get it to full pool via artificial means, I'll definitely need to rent a gas pump. This solar pump would simply be to try and help maintain the level and reduce the effects of evaporation in the summer.

 

[stumpfield]

How does a simple man check it to be sure though? GPS?

Since your pond is not too far away from the river. Use a long garden hose. Fill the hose with water. You know...water will try to level itself.

 

[txdon]

GeauxLSU, here are a few pictures I took today. I usually have the pump in a plastic box but I took it off for the picture. The fence is to keep the cows out. The Solar panel is a Kyocera 120. You can see the flow at the garden. The last picture I'm hooking up another trickle flow for the Blueberries.

 

[GeauxLSU]

GeauxLSU, here are a few pictures I took today. I usually have the pump in a plastic box but I took it off for the picture. The fence is to keep the cows out. The Solar panel is a Kyocera 120. You can see the flow at the garden. The last picture I'm hooking up another trickle flow for the Blueberries.

Thanks txdon! It looks very nice and that it could be just the ticket! Just curious, how big is that solar panel?
The flow looks pretty decent and I'm sure would definitely help address my summer time concerns. Don't mind spending a little more either if it'll appreciable help the capacity.
Thanks again for all the info!

 

[txdon]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif, geneva]GeauxLSU, my solar panel is the:[/FONT]

Kyocera 120 KC

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif, geneva]Specifications:[/FONT]

• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif, geneva]Current at max power 7.10 amps[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif, geneva]Voltage at max power 16.9 volts[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif, geneva]Short circuit current 7.45 amps[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif, geneva]Open circuit voltage 21.5 volts[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif, geneva]Size in inches 56.1x25.7x2.0
  [/FONT]

It still looks as good as the day I bought it eight years ago. I bought it with the adjustable mounting frame that tilts up and down and attached it to a 5" fence post which I set into a 6" piece of PVC pipe so I can swivel it both ways.

Link Kyocera 130 Watt solar electric panel

The 130 has replaced the 120.

Here is the link to the pump Shurflo deluxe 12 volt delivery pump

 

[GeauxLSU]

OK, I'm bumping this with a few clarifications.

I've sourced a 275 gallon tank that I will now put at the top of my berm by the pond. I want to pump into the tank (20 feet up and perhaps 40-50 feet from river surface). Then use a gravity fed drip line to water my mini-orchard (approx 2 dozen young trees) . Any overflow from the tank I'll rig to spill into the pond 20 feet below.

The only thing I can't figure out (or at least visualize) is the intake in the river? How would I do something to keep it trash free and I assume it should float? Again, this river rises at least 6 feet in real heavy rains and has a pretty stiff current.

So, thanks again TxDon for the info! Any other thoughts or suggestions?

 

[txdon]

OK, I'm bumping this with a few clarifications.
How would I do something to keep it trash free and I assume it should float? Again, this river rises at least 6 feet in real heavy rains and has a pretty stiff current.

So, thanks again TxDon for the info! Any other thoughts or suggestions?

The distance and height should be no problem for the suggested pump setup. I have a steady height spring fed pond so hopefully someone else that has tried something else will respond.

I attached a 2" PVC pipe to the 3/4" intake PVC with a reducer (unglued so I can clean it). I drilled many holes in the 2" PVC. I then used nylon tywraps to secure a window screen around the 2" PVC. You might be able to use the same setup revised with a flexible hose and a float on the 2" PVC.