Hi,

This week we installed a well (~20m deep) pump feeding a 1500L tank.

The tank uses a smaller 300W Hitachi pump for the house.
https://www.homepro.co.th/product/1056436

So during a big storm this morning we lost power so currently busting with no water for flushing. Been a few hours and have been researching dc pumps.

My first thoughts were to battery backup the Hitachi 300W, keeping batteries charged with mains power. I'm a total novice at this stuff but I think you need an expensive setup (because of the startup drain from these pumps) to run the Hitachi with an inverter, batteries and charger.

Has anyone found a good/cheap/simple solution to this? Maybe a separate dc pump for the occasional power outage, solar/battery or mains charged battery with a charger.

I see there are a load of submersable dc water pumps on eBay for less than 20,000B but no idea how these would fit into existing setup.

I suppose the simplest solution would be to have a big water bucket next to the dunny ????

Any thoughts please?
 

Edited October 6, 20187 yr by BaanOz

16 minutes ago, BaanOz said:

I see there are a load of submersable dc water pumps on eBay for less than 20,000B

For this sort of $$$ you could buy a decent size gasoline generator which would run far more than just the pump.

 

Keep your lights, TV, freezer (and the pump) going as long as necessary. 

About 10 years ago, I tried sourcing a small DC pump for providing constant drip irrigation during the dry season using solar panels... The panels were easy to find and would have been the cheaper part...

 

But please let us know if you do manage to find a reasonable DC pump. 

18 minutes ago, Crossy said:

For this sort of $$$ you could buy a decent size gasoline generator which would run far more than just the pump.

 

Keep your lights, TV, freezer (and the pump) going as long as necessary. 

Thanks Crossy, haha what was I thinking! ????
Perfect solution.

"couldn't see the forest for the trees"

Just for an example.

 

Buy a Made in Thailand (copy Honda engine) Kwaithong 3.3kVA gasoline generator for THB 19,900 ????

 

http://www.hardwaremart.net/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=4109&category_id=120&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64&vmcchk=1&Itemid=64

 

We have the larger EP6500 which has electric start and I've converted to fully automatic operation, runs the whole house (including 1 aircon) except the water heaters.

 

 

http://www.kwaithong.com/en/product_detail.php?ref=do:read/id:2#

 

We got a good deal on the beast during the 2011 flooding and it's served us well ever since. Apart from regular oil changes all it's needed is 2 plugs, 1 air filter and a fuel tap (my fault I over tightened it).

 

 

 

6 hours ago, BaanOz said:

I suppose the simplest solution would be to have a big water bucket next to the dunny ????

Any thoughts please?
 

I have a water tank in the roof, problem solved.

5 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

I have a water tank in the roof, problem solved.

Yes raising the tank another option, at the moment it's under the eaves on a slab so would need moving onto a stand.

Edited October 6, 20187 yr by BaanOz

10 hours ago, Crossy said:

We have the larger EP6500 which has electric start

Thanks Crossy, electric start would be nice. Would have to decide whether to go the whole way and get someting like this beast or just enough to run water and maybe lights. I see your posts about the switchover too.

The outages rarely last more than a few hours occasionally, not having water is a pain but fridge is OK for the time and aircon can live without.

 

Cheers.

12 hours ago, BaanOz said:

Yes raising the tank another option, at the moment it's under the eaves on a slab so would need moving onto a stand.

Don't move the one you already have. You only need a small 250 to 500 litre tank just to cover for the power cuts and water cuts.

 

With a small tank you can make the support high. The base of my house tank is about 2.8 metres above my shower head so I can still have showers when the power is off. If it were not in my roof I would prefer it to be higher than that.

 

Do not use ½" pipe from that tank 1” or greater will give a good flow.

Your pump is just a normal AC, not DC pump motor.  Raising your water tank a few feet off the ground will work if you live in a bungalow!

23 hours ago, Crossy said:

Just for an example.

 

Buy a Made in Thailand (copy Honda engine) Kwaithong 3.3kVA gasoline generator for THB 19,900 ????

 

http://www.hardwaremart.net/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=4109&category_id=120&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64&vmcchk=1&Itemid=64

 

We have the larger EP6500 which has electric start and I've converted to fully automatic operation, runs the whole house (including 1 aircon) except the water heaters.

 

 

http://www.kwaithong.com/en/product_detail.php?ref=do:read/id:2#

 

We got a good deal on the beast during the 2011 flooding and it's served us well ever since. Apart from regular oil changes all it's needed is 2 plugs, 1 air filter and a fuel tap (my fault I over tightened it).

 

 

 

My friendly hardware shop has something similar 5.5 kva for around 16k thb. Then you need Crossy's advice for an auto switch over.

 

There are manual ones around as well.

 

Crossy has an excellent information thread on TVF.

 

(grovel grovel)

On 10/6/2018 at 11:34 AM, BaanOz said:

I suppose the simplest solution would be to have a big water bucket next to the dunny ????

Besides all high tech. If all else fails

We have. I fill them up regularly.

Our "stand" is an 8 m high replica of the Eifel tower

Bloody dangerous to walk up there (no proper guard rail and the tank uses most of the space of the platform).

But I love it when there is a power outage.