Solar Pump automatic

[MJCM]

Just now, lopburi3 said:

Perhaps better to build more water storage and make the trips less frequent.  

Not an Option. The Holding tank is close to a lake on the other side of our Property which also (can) feed the Holding tank. And this lake frequently runs dry. But this was the only option when we build the house. (NO Mains Water Available)

 

And thus we dug a "lake" that gets fed by well water (when it starts to run dry) and from the lake this SOLAR pump again feeds the Holding Tank!

 

And one more thing, from the HOLDING tank the HDPE goes all around the garden because there is also the MAIN Water Pump!

 

And finally (and most important one) I don't think my wife will allow me to put more (unsightly) water tanks in her beloved garden. ????

[MJCM]

4 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

How far from the tank to the pump? The installer didn't want to run that cable?

Approx 200 Meters. I have no idea why not he gets paid rather well for the install

If it would have cost more, we would have been happy to pay for it

[MJCM]

5 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Probably  and not compatible with the pressure switch you recommended which is 220 AC.

Which Pressure Switch I recommened do you mean?

[Dante99]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Voltage shouldn't matter, it's just a mechanical switch.

Yes but then why do I see voltage ratings on the switches?  I get that they are mechanical physically throwing the switch.

[Dante99]

6 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Which Pressure Switch I recommened do you mean?

My error, sorry. Netease recommended by posting the link.

[lopburi3]

8 minutes ago, MJCM said:

And finally (and most important one) I don't think my wife will allow me to put more (unsightly) water tanks in her beloved garden.

The final word - always.  Perhaps a radio control switch at pump tied to an electric type float switch at tank with the transmitter?  Believe they have such things for lights and such but don't use myself.  

[MJCM]

Just now, Dante99 said:

My error, sorry. Netease recommended by posting the link.

No problems! I thought maybe the pressure switch I posted on the NON-Solar Pump!

 

So my search is on for a Pressure Switch!!!

[SomchaiDIY]

most controller of this type have auxiliary low volt connection for tank level switch.

see my video of same style controller showing level switch connection.

 

 

 

[Dante99]

19 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

He needs to stop the pump - float only blocks the water - pump would then burn out.

 

It appears would require a powered electric switch at tank and 200 meters of wire to a switch at pump to turn it on/off.  Perhaps better to build more water storage and make the trips less frequent.  

A pressure switch at the pump would stop it.  It is a common solution. No need for wire from tank to pump.

[MJCM]

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

The final word - always.  Perhaps a radio control switch at pump tied to an electric type float switch at tank with the transmitter?  Believe they have such things for lights and such but don't use myself.  

I am doing the walking / turning on the pump / walking back / checking the tank / walking back / turning off the pump for the moment, and it's oke for now and it's good exercise ????  but would be nice if it could be automatic!

[VocalNeal]

Run 200m of overflow pipe back to the lake and let the pump run whenever the sun comes out

[MJCM]

18 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Run 200m of overflow pipe back to the lake and let the pump run whenever the sun comes out

Good Idea, will discuss this with my Wife!

 

But I see one problem with this. There is only 1 inlet on TOP of the tank (there is were the water flows in) and 2 outlets on the bottom (1 (2") is connected to the Garden Feed Pump and the other one (1") is closed off, so is we need to drill a hole in the tank opposite the inlet and connect the overflow pipe to it.

 

And the issue then is how to make this hole water tight!, you don't want it be leaking all over the place!

 

But still a good idea! Just need a way to make it work for our problem.

Edited November 28, 2021 by MJCM

[BritManToo]

52 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Yes but then why do I see voltage ratings on the switches?  I get that they are mechanical physically throwing the switch.

Insulation ............. a 220v switch should be fine for anything less.

Power rating would be more important, but then you could always use a higher power rated relay.

Two strips of copper (with wires attached) a stick (arm) and a tennis ball (float) would do the job just as well.

 

In the 'good old days' I would have just used a mercury tilt switch, a stick and a tennis ball.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/0-3A-10A-Mercury-liquid-level_1295314353.html?spm=a2700.details.0.0.2be8316aAJQ2KI

Edited November 28, 2021 by BritManToo

[Bill97]

47 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Run 200m of overflow pipe back to the lake and let the pump run whenever the sun comes out

Great, and pay how much for wasted reduced pump life?  
 

[MJCM]

2 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Great, and pay how much for wasted reduced pump life?  
 

 

Don't think I will do it that way though, but it's still a solution and thinking out of the box.

 

And it could be an automatic watering system for my wife's garden

 

(Excluding of course the Flooding ???? )

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Great, and pay how much for wasted reduced pump life?  
 

Well most of the guys on here are talking <deleted> I thought I would join in.

[MJCM]

41 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Well most of the guys on here are talking <deleted> I thought I would join in.

Care to expand on that comment? I am looking for a solution to my problem

 

I have a couple now

 

1- Float Valve and turn off the pump at the origin

2- Pressure Switch (which One I am still not 100% sure about)

3- Overflow pipe running back to the origin

4- Not do anything and keep walking ????

 

TiA

Edited November 28, 2021 by MJCM

[Crossy]

I'd go with the float valve and pressure tank / pressure switch at the pump. The problem will be that your pressure switch will be designed to switch 220V AC rather than the DC from your panels, it will certainly work, but how long will it last is the question (if it fries in short order then a relay, probably solid-state, will be needed, not rocket science). I'd switch the panel input to the controller rather than the pump itself (I'm assuming this is a batteryless system).

 

Does the controller have any sort of on/off input which can be used with the pressure switch?

 

By the way, a centrifugal pump operating into a closed line won't blow up or fry, what will happen is that the energy will heat up the water in the pump, probably not what you need.

 

How about a pressure relief valve at the pump so when the float valve closes the pump just dumps back to source? I bet that you could modify a regular non-return valve to open at a higher pressure, new spring needed.

 

 

[MJCM]

Thx DC.

 

Pressure switches I (will) have plenty in stock, why ?

 

The pressure switch on the Main Garden Pump blew out (read stopped working) a couple of weeks ago and my better half was in panic mode because she couldn't water her garden. So to circumvent that problem I bought 3 of those pressure switches (2 to be used as spare and 1 installed NEW on the pump).

 

I am also thinking of buying an extra PUMP just to be sure that when the PUMP goes I have a spare (this garden is her pride and joy but it's costing me a fortune 5555555555)

 

About that pressure relief valve, good idea but you sound like it's that easy (NOT for me it isn't) ????

 

[Crossy]

555, for Madam it's her koi No.1 followed very closely by her plants. The fish have redundant water pumps and air pumps and I'm in trouble if I don't sort any issues in double-quick time. If the fish start floating rather than swimming ...

 

If the pressure isn't too high I bet you could set something up with a vertical return pipe which didn't operate until the tank float closed.

 

There are just soooooo, many ways to address this problem.

 

Task A. Install a float valve at the tank.

 

[Bill97]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

 

The pressure switch on the Main Garden Pump blew out (read stopped working)

Sometimes the contact points just need a bit of scraping to remove corrosion or a fried jingjok.  Edit:  this is not a Crossy quote, it  is a Bill comment which I Bill do not know how to correct. Sorry.

Edited November 28, 2021 by Bill97
Correct quote

[Crossy]

15 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Sometimes the contact points just need a bit of scraping to remove corrosion or a fried jingjok.

 

Ours was ants, the little mini ones that seem to like electric fields.

 

They are definitely non-conductive when smashed between the contacts and resist all conventional methods of removing them.

 

 

[Bill97]

3 hours ago, MJCM said:

2- Pressure Switch (which One I am still not 100% sure about)

Probably the grey one circled in red in your photo would work, it is what I have been using for 20+ years with one replacement.  But you have the complication of DC which may or may not be a problem re Crossy and Britman comments.  They know the tech end better than I.

[MJCM]

Thx Guys for all the replies.

 

We are going (hopefully) tomorrow to the shop and talk to them, because I know my wife and I guess (maybe maybe not ????) she will want that garden Pump also to be Solar in the near future, and that DEFINITELY needs to be automatic!!

 

Will keep you informed

 

[BritManToo]

22 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Thx Guys for all the replies.

 

We are going (hopefully) tomorrow to the shop and talk to them, because I know my wife and I guess (maybe maybe not ????) she will want that garden Pump also to be Solar in the near future, and that DEFINITELY needs to be automatic!!

 

Will keep you informed

 

I can already predict the answer = can't do.

Ask a different shop, if you want a different reply.

[MJCM]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I can already predict the answer = can't do.

Ask a different shop, if you want a different reply.

Thx. Yes that will be the next thing on our list tmrw (and also a visit to Global to have a look at the 5kw (or 10) solar install they have. )

 

What we think of doing is, get the same guy (btw from the same shop as the Solar guy) who made our garden pump automatic (Pressure Tank, Pressure Switch etc) do it for the Solar Pump and see where that takes us!

 

[MJCM]

Update: Went to the shop .

 

The Guy who did the Pressure Tank etc on the "Normal" Pump don't want to try it as he never done it with a Solar Pump.  And also we had a lot of back and forth with the Solar Guys,  but got nowhere, so we decided that I should keep walking for now ????

 

Something else, but solar related, we went to Global for the 5KW system.

 

This is their offer right now (it's brand new dated 1/12) and uses Growatt inverter and 330W panels) price is inclu install.

 

Any good???

[Crossy]

On 12/1/2021 at 3:16 PM, MJCM said:

This is their offer right now (it's brand new dated 1/12) and uses Growatt inverter and 330W panels) price is inclu install.

 

It's a bit more than half what @Thaifish paid for his 10kW system so is in the right ball park certainly. It's worth talking to his installer too, you might get a better deal.

 

I found Global pretty competitive for panels (although there was a recent price hike) but inverters and other bits are (not unexpectedly) cheaper elsewhere. 

[sezze]

You can check yourself .

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/3-on-grid-3kw-i1587136264-s4307788466.html?&search=pdp_v2v?spm=a2o4m.pdp_revamp.recommendation_2.10.7fdf4d57pIuG0r&mp=1&scm=1007.16389.126158.0&clickTrackInfo=422fb5e0-3e9a-47b3-9811-69edd8bc2047__1587136264__12093__trigger2i__202835__0.208__0.208__0.0__0.0__0.0__0.208__9__8__PDPV2V__251__null__null__0____87100.0__0.24225028702640639__5.0__1__66000.0__100116,101724,102684,105635__null__null__null__3650.16545_3650.16544_955.3632__null__13499__null__0.0__0.0__elp.9_starplus.9_star.10__

 

Or these ...

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/genius-set-gs-340wp-poly-340-83x25-50-1x4-5-kerry-i1358268110-s3426496160.html?spm=a2o4m.pdp_revamp.recommend_2.1.7fdf4d57pIuG0r&mp=1&cid=0&mp=1&impsrc=&ad_src=1110_1201:85.007055,1400_410:0.0428453041546824,1400_522:0.333333,1400_900:0.612607285125852,1400_2202:0.855200707912445,1400_910:0.997835723683516,1400_1014:2.00240265837142&cpc=136&originalCpc=515&pos=0&highest_price=515&pa=sponsored_bottom&did=4c55265d-34d5-4639-ad83-2225dd7c93de&abid=0,195686,237633,8460342,10909574,10909598,11989614,12091908,12189920,12192856,12210544,12331960,12346170,12449264,12523892,12559240,12575180,12575246,12656132,12705920,12729392,12773904,12786048,12793016,12900792,12900842,12919120,12950432&adFlag=3&adid=0&bucketId=0&sellerId=100025434&itemId=1358268110&member_id=151261087&ncid=101100009470482&adgroup_id=422082007&creative_id=915006352&brand_id=4032&category_id=10100249&regional_key=300300001305&pdp_item=2758017956&pid_pvid=1ef91dad2244b86fcf787986d758c6a6&nick=&pvid=4c55265d-34d5-4639-ad83-2225dd7c93de&pvtime=1638485041&ad_src=1110_1201:85.007055,1400_410:0.0428453041546824,1400_522:0.333333,1400_900:0.612607285125852,1400_2202:0.855200707912445,1400_910:0.997835723683516,1400_1014:2.00240265837142&crowd_id=&one_id=

 

+ inverter...

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/must-grid-tie-inverteron-grid-3000w-6000w-pure-sine-with-anti-backflow-control-ph50-3000mph50-6000m-i345224535-s673566457.html?

 

The price on solar panels is pretty ok , on the surrounding things , well as far as i've seen they are not at all cheapest . I just copied a few links from Lazada , there's plenty there .

 

 

[007 RED]

 

On 12/1/2021 at 3:16 PM, MJCM said:

Update: Went to the shop .

 

The Guy who did the Pressure Tank etc on the "Normal" Pump don't want to try it as he never done it with a Solar Pump.  And also we had a lot of back and forth with the Solar Guys,  but got nowhere, so we decided that I should keep walking for now ????

As I'm not sure of your location, I don't know if this will assist with your 'daily walking routine' but not far from my home on the Western outskirts of BKK, I discovered a shop (Roove Solar Lighting) that sells a wide range of solar products including solar pumping equipment.

 

They don't have a website, but use a Facebook which will give you some idea of what they have available and maybe worth having a look at.   https://www.facebook.com/roovesolar888/

 

Their address is on the home page.  FYI - the owner speaks good English and is very helpful.

 

I purchased my solar panels from them recently and spotted on the outside of the shop a solar pumping setup working.

 

Hope this helps to save on the feet.