Need ideas to get water from pond to trough

[gsganzer]

I'm tinkering with ideas on how to get water to a trough on my back pasture. I can run a 600' water line from my shop, but there's a lot of table rock between the two which might make the digging/trenching difficult.

Another option is I have a pond on the front pasture that's 150' from the back pasture fence line. The distance would be 150' with an elevation change of 8'. Does anyone have any experience with a cheap solar pump arrangement? Type/brands? Is it float controlled, timed or constant flow?


I'll be watering 4 horses.

 

[MossRoad]

If the slope is downhill form the source to destination, you could siphon it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Solar is good for that. Do it anyway you like. Buy a cheap solar controller off E-Bay. And a float switch. For some reason, 12 volt pumps like "Sureflow" are always expensive for the tiny little sceaming pieces of crap they are. Again, check E-Bay.

 

[jaxs]

I don't think it's a matter of solar powered pump,more like 12 volt pump powered from a battery which is kept charged by solar panel. Float switch valve is a separate part and readily available. The float switch will require 300 feet of wire(150 feet to and 150 back) between pump in pond and float in trough. You can also use a 12 volt rv pump which cut's off and on as pressure increase's and decreases. If you would find other uses for it,a gas engine sump pump could pump water from pond to an elevated strorage tank beside trough. Gravity flow to trough would be controled by mechanical float.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would get:

Solar Panel
Deep Cycle Battery
Solar Charge Controller
12 Volt Pump
Small SS float Switch
Automotive style Relay to switch pump, with coil switched by float switch

 

[gsganzer]

I don't think it's a matter of solar powered pump,more like 12 volt pump powered from a battery which is kept charged by solar panel. Float switch valve is a separate part and readily available. The float switch will require 300 feet of wire(150 feet to and 150 back) between pump in pond and float in trough. You can also use a 12 volt rv pump which cut's off and on as pressure increase's and decreases. If you would find other uses for it,a gas engine sump pump could pump water from pond to an elevated strorage tank beside trough. Gravity flow to trough would be controled by mechanical float.

Jaxs,
I think you just hit on my cheapest option. I have an old deer feeder box with a battery and solar panel. I just need to find a small RV pump or fountain pump and see what the rating is and if my battery/solar panel would be appropriately sized. Worst case is I buy a bigger battery. I'll mount the battery, panel, trough and float switch up at the fence line and I should only have to run the wire and tubing from there to the pump. I have some 4" pipe I can drive in the pond as a stilling well to keep out debris and protect the pump.

 

[Argonne]

12VDC SureFlo on demand pump powered by solar and battery piped to a little giant type trough switch at the trough. Probably need some kind of filter on the intake to keep crap from clogging the float valve on the little giant open. Don't let that pump freeze even once, the housing will crack. Since it's an on demand setup, automagically protecting the pump using ball checks or something is a tall order.

Now that I think about it, you could probably bury 600' of UF-B Romex out to the pump cheaper than the solar setup. I wired my front gate which is 600 feet for $235 and I still have a lot of the wire left.

 

[hosspuller]

Does the pond have an flowing outlet? If so .. consider a home-made ram pump. You don't need much flow for a trough. Or the ram pump.

Ram pump = no electricity Just plumbing and flowing water.

 

[robbyr]

What about 600’ of water hose? I did this for 200’ across a pasture to trough. Two 100’ water hoses.

 

[gsganzer]

What about 600’ of water hose? I did this for 200’ across a pasture to trough. Two 100’ water hoses.

I did some more thinking and I think I'll just bury 600' of pex from my main water line and be done with it. By the time I buy a pump, solar panel and wire, I could bury the pipe for less and have something more permanent with less maintenance. The issue has been the table rock, but it really only applies to the last 75'. I'll just have to deal with it. I have a backhoe, so all it really costs me is time and diesel.