Automated well pump

[unheard]

I have a setup for the existing house water supply where two old water tanks attached to the manually switched well pump (2 y.o. 1 HP Franklin).

No municipal water supply.

I need to add another water tank for the still unfinished new house on the same lot, but this time want to automate the water tank filling process.

I think I've seen something about well pump control boards that could take care of the process.

My goal is to automate the filling process for at least the new tank.

I'm thinking about running a new, separate water line to that tank, so to separate the old tanks from the new one if it's impossible to use the old line for both manual and automatic fill systems.

Does anyone here have any info on the subject?

Would it be possible to operate such control board in both manual (for old tanks) and automatic (new tank) mode?

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

 

[SomchaiDIY]

possible gravity type method can work if tank in good location

 

at a factory deep well they feed water to 4 big tank on ground ++ 1 tank in ground

 

1 tank is called master tank has feed from well with the electric switch float for pump control

 

other tank feed on the gravity from tank master

 

ball valve at low tank stop over fill
 

[carlyai]

I've just sunk a new 56 m bore thru the rock into (hopefully) a good aquifer and a 0.5 HP submersible pump. I have a couple of existing bores down about 25m with jet pumps. Some times problematic.

This is what I think you need. From your submersible go to a meter that checks the pressure (just a 3 way pipe attachment  with one way to the guage). From there to a tap (another 3 way pipe attachment). The tap is to use when you want to check the water quality. From there to a Non Return Valve, the flat or double flap type. From there I'm going to another 3 way attachment with one side attached to a pressure switch for expansion. The other side continues on the Intelligent Pump Controller. Feeding into this controller is a float switch in the water tank (in my case 3000L tank). The pump turns on when the water level in the tank drops by 1m and then turns off when full. The tank fills thru a cisten type valve so the tank can't overflow. The Intelligent Pump Controller is more powerful than God and controls many parameters, a bit amazing if it does all it says. 

I'm still waiting for my controller from China but got most of the other gear.

My tank float has successfully been stopping and starting my Jet Pump for years  except when I go away and wifey is left to sort things out, so with this new bore, hopefully I'll be forgiven.

 

[unheard]

55 minutes ago, carlyai said:

The tank fills thru a cisten type valve so the tank can't overflow.

I plan to place the new water tank approx 30 meters away from the well.

If I'm not mistaken the intelligent pump controller must be located right next to the tank and well location, correct?

You've mentioned the cisten type valve. Could you please elaborate more on its function?

Thank you.

[Muhendis]

I have a single tank fed from either one of two sources which are a bore hole and a surface water well. I was unaware of any ready built control system so I built my own. I used float switches for the tank and the surface well to ensure the tank would be filled and also to stop the house water pump in the event of a dry tank.

The control box is full of non programmable relays, a 24v power supply and some push buttons for manual operation. It's been trouble free for over seven years  DIY is easier for me than trying to find ready made kit but then, that is something I did much of during my remunerated working life.

 

[carlyai]

12 hours ago, unheard said:

I plan to place the new water tank approx 30 meters away from the well.

If I'm not mistaken the intelligent pump controller must be located right next to the tank and well location, correct?

You've mentioned the cisten type valve. Could you please elaborate more on its function?

Thank you.

The float switch turns the pump on and off and the water into the tank goes thru a valve controlled by a big ball, (forget what they're called... ball cock?) so the water can't overflow. You do need pump protection (which I built up in a box).

Shouldn't matter how for the Pump control box is away from the pump if you switch it on/off with a tank float switch.

[unheard]

20 hours ago, SomchaiDIY said:

1 tank is called master tank has feed from well with the electric switch float for pump control

other tank feed on the gravity from tank master

ball valve at low tank stop over fill
 

Sounds like the solution I might implement in the future.

One of my old tanks seats on an elevated platform.

Unfortunately it's very old and dirty.

I'll need to replace that tank first.

[Saanim]

There is no need for a control box when filling a tank. Just a floating switch that interrupts the power to the pump motor. 

Additional tanks are connected together through a ball valve that shuts off the incoming water in the highest level. 

 

Both floating switch and ball valves are available at most of the village hardware shops for few hundreds of Baht.  

[carlyai]

51 minutes ago, Saanim said:

There is no need for a control box when filling a tank. Just a floating switch that interrupts the power to the pump motor. 

Additional tanks are connected together through a ball valve that shuts off the incoming water in the highest level. 

 

Both floating switch and ball valves are available at most of the village hardware shops for few hundreds of Baht.  

Yes you are correct.

 

Trouble is that if you want to protect your submersible pump against things like: under and over voltage supply, pump pumping with no water, pump overheating, getting full supply volts when starting, pressure or float pump starting, record of why pump failed, then you need some form of control box. 

 

My friend just set up his new  approx. 60m submersible. No protection. Was pumping to his orchard then he finished, turned the tap off and told his Mrs to turn the pump off. She forgot and they discovered the next day the pump had been left on with no taps open. Hopefully it's a burst pipe as the flow rate now is poor, but he has to pull it up to check, so waiting for the bore mob.

[Cake Monster]

Franklin have an Auto Control Board for their Submersible pumps.

Contact their Bangkok office for all the Info you will need.

Sorry dont have the contact Number any longer, but they are most professional.

You will have to give them all the details of the well

Head, Depth Etc to align your pump with the available draw on the water,

The actual switching on/off of the pump can be done with a float switch inside the tank, but the main issue with this , is that if set incorrectly there may not be enough water to draw, and the pump will start to run dry, causing it to overheat and malfunction.

Please remember that the amount of available water to draw upon can fluctuate with the seasons

[Saanim]

3 hours ago, carlyai said:

Yes you are correct.

 

Trouble is that if you want to protect your submersible pump against things like: under and over voltage supply, pump pumping with no water, pump overheating, getting full supply volts when starting, pressure or float pump starting, record of why pump failed, then you need some form of control box. 

 

My friend just set up his new  approx. 60m submersible. No protection. Was pumping to his orchard then he finished, turned the tap off and told his Mrs to turn the pump off. She forgot and they discovered the next day the pump had been left on with no taps open. Hopefully it's a burst pipe as the flow rate now is poor, but he has to pull it up to check, so waiting for the bore mob.

Yes, for such an expensive submersible pump there are other situations to be observed and protected. That's a different case than a simple pump 1 HP needed to fill up a tank. Of course a protection against a dry run is needed at every pump, again by a simple float switch.

  

 

 

[unheard]

On 6/8/2022 at 4:37 PM, Cake Monster said:

Franklin have an Auto Control Board for their Submersible pumps.

Just found out that my submersible is actually connected to such a box. I wasn't even aware of that - never operate the pump myself.

Will now have to figure out how to connect the box to a float switch.

[unheard]

On 6/8/2022 at 3:10 PM, Saanim said:

There is no need for a control box when filling a tank. Just a floating switch that interrupts the power to the pump motor. 

Additional tanks are connected together through a ball valve that shuts off the incoming water in the highest level.

Yeah, that's gonna be the plan.

Will time its implementation to the elevated tank replacement event which will become a "master" and be feeding any additional tanks on the ground by gravity. 

The on the ground tanks' upper water levels controlled by ball float valves.

[carlyai]

1 hour ago, unheard said:

Just found out that my submersible is actually connected to such a box. I wasn't even aware of that - never operate the pump myself.

Will now have to figure out how to connect the box to a float switch.

On my control box the float switch (or relay contacts) connect to the terminal block pins 4 and 5 and you have to set a couple of switches for float switch or pressure switch.

I'm setting mine for pressure and float pump operation.

There should be a diagram that came with the box, or you can probably download one.