Off grid water system

   / Off grid water system #1  

joeu235

Platinum Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
724
Location
Little River, TX
Tractor
John Deere 4020 / 6403 / 317 Ford 5600
I recently finally got water back to our barndominium but figured I'd show the setup I used for water for a couple years
before now.
 
   / Off grid water system #2  
Nice, well done Video. You said the connections on the pump were proprietary? Can you explain?

Why did you opt for an AC pump?
 
   / Off grid water system
  • Thread Starter
#3  
   / Off grid water system #4  
Did you chlorinate, or otherwise treat the water to keep "stuff" from growing in the storage tank?

I have considered such a thing for a part of my shop where it would be nice to have "hand washing" water,,,

My needs would be met by 5 gallons per day, so, I would be storing water for a while,,,
 
   / Off grid water system
  • Thread Starter
#5  
I never treated the water but the tank was in the dark when I wasn't there, plus I never used it for drinking.
 
   / Off grid water system #6  
If you had utility power, I'm wondering why you didn't go with a large frame (cheap) pump.

I don't undertand why those little pumps cost so much.

For peace of mind, I would add a little bleach. I personally don't drink enough tap water to make a little bleach a concern.
 
   / Off grid water system
  • Thread Starter
#7  
If you had utility power, I'm wondering why you didn't go with a large frame (cheap) pump.

The Shurflo pumps come with built in pressure switch. I'm not aware of cheaper big pumps having that.
 
   / Off grid water system #8  
The Shurflo pumps come with built in pressure switch. I'm not aware of cheaper big pumps having that.

I like the posters innovative water supply and wanted to add a idea or two.

I, too, have property on a mountain top with no well OR electricity. I had three well driller all estimate that a well would be over 900' deep and need casing. $$$
The power company will not run elect up my mile long road unless I "build a year round permanent residence".
The property is an unattended mainly forested 70 acre farmette that I plant mini crops for the deer....haven't killed one in 10 years.

Anyway, I digress, sorry. I have three of the tanks that the poster shows. I fill them in town, 275X8= 2200lbs and tow them back up my mountain. I have a generator and AC pump to transfer to an empty tank (can't lift them). I use a water hose to pipe the tanked water to a ext. fawcet. I plumbed the building thinking that I would eventually have a well. The water enters the building and goes to a DC MARINE 12V pump that DOES cut off with adequate pressure. The pump puts out 3.3GPM. After the pump (probably should be BEFORE) I have a large whole house water filter, then the water splits going to a propane wall mounted water heater and/or on for cold water to a SHOWER and DEEP SINK.
I have 4 SOLAR panels and 4 marine batteries to supply the DC for everything; lights, water, inverters for light AC. I rarely run the noisy gas generator.

This makes my building inhabitable for a couple of weeks of serene, QUIET, peaceful escape. :)
 
   / Off grid water system #9  
Have you considered setting up a catchment system - collecting rain from the roof?
 
   / Off grid water system #10  
An inexpensive pressure (on demand) switch should pretty much be able to be added to any pump, no? A switch with a very tight on and off limit.
 
   / Off grid water system #11  
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We have a community well about 2.5 miles away. About every 3 or 4 months I spend a day hauling water. After I got all 3 tanks plumbed together at the top, it was much easier to fill.

I also have tanks that collect rain water for irrigation. A 2500 gal on one side and an 1100 on the other.
 
   / Off grid water system #12  
Have you considered setting up a catchment system - collecting rain from the roof?

Thats what we have, a 6x6m roof plumbed into a 2000l tank,
 
   / Off grid water system #13  
We had a roof catchment system at our cabin in AK. Steel roof - rain gutter into 55 gallon wooden whiskey barrels. First barrel was half sand on top of half activated charcoal. Then into second barrel for storage. Worked well and the water alway tasted real good. In the winter we just brought a five gallon jug of water from home. Melted snow if we needed more. There was no plumbing in the cabin. Dip what you needed out of the second barrel.
 
   / Off grid water system #14  
In SW Alaska many homes collect roof rainwater in large storage tanks and use it for domestic purposes.

Then, of course in many areas you cannot harvest rooftop rainwater. It is already spoken for.
 

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