'lucky Star' Deep Well Pump - Update

[LoveDaBlues]

Well I'm back from the wife's village after the well dig. I was pleased (but not surprised) when I found I was given some bad information (happens a lot here ) Anyway, the bore hole was not 2" but 4". Upon arrival I saw a nice concrete pad with a 4" blue PVC pipe sticking up about 1 foot.

I didn't get to see the bore hole being dug but I carefully watched the rest of the install and it was actually quite simple.

I decided to go with the Hitachi deep well pump instead of the Lucky Star model. The parts for the Hitachi are made in Japan and then assembled in Thailand. It comes with bronze fittings and a stainless steel tank which the Lucky Star does not.

The guys doing the install showed up about 1 hour before dark. It took every bit of 45 minutes to have the water flowing! Of course now it's close to dark and the laukow must be purchased by the wealthy farang At this point the pump wasn't plumbed to the house they just stuck a hose on it; the next day a guy came over and plumbed it to the house.

Here's some technical info:

Hitachi deep well pump: Model DT-300EX (PJ) (PJ = Parallel Jets) 300 watts

bore hole depth: 30 meters

water level: 12 meters

pump pick-up depth: 16 meters

As you can see by the above info water was first struck at 12 meters as the well guy predicted. The pick-up is at 16 meters to save electricity and have a greater flow rate.

I'm very impressed by this pump. It is very quiet, just a low hum. It acutally does the job of 2 pumps. It not only pulls the water up to the surface it also pushes the water throughout the house. The pump is not even bolted to the concrete pad. It has zero vibration, just sits there and does it's job.

I don't have a pressure gauge so I can't really give an accurate report on water pressure. I'll guess around 20 psi. I turned on both showers and opened the tap in the kitchen. Plenty of water flowing......success! The water in the showers won't peel your skin off but I think this is more a reflection of the shower head and not a pressure issue. Changing the shower head would create a more powerful effect.

The water is very clear with no sediment or color at all. I've brought some back to Udon Thani in the hopes I can get it tested. I tasted it, no taste at all. I'm guessing it's fine for bathing and washing dishes without being filtered.

This pump is supposed to flow 9 liters a minute if the pick-up is at 24 meters depth. I did some flow testing and came up with 19 liters a minute (we're at 16 meters depth). Schweeeeeeeeeeeet!

The beautiful part of this IMO is there is no need for a storage tank. The pump has a small footprint and sits about 3 meters from the back wall of the house. We still have village water hooked up but shut off.

So, if you're in Nakon Nowhere this could be a solution if you have water problems.

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

pump 7,500 baht

misc. 1,000 baht

Total Cost: 15,000 baht

Hitachi also makes a single-jet pump. IMO the twin-jet is the way to go as it's more powerful.

IMO this is a good solution for a single-family residence and not commercial. I won't be suprised if this pump gives 10-15 years of no maintenance service. It comes with a 5 year warranty (only the motor I think; not sure about the other parts).

I think I've about covered it all but if you have any questions just post.

[Beardog]

Sounds like you made the right decision. I would have gone with the Hitachi myself. At least you know where it is from & usually- accept situations excess sand or rust ---- they will last the full warranty cycle without having to pull teeth to get the company you bought the item for to take care of the warranty! I went for the Mitsubishi after contemplating saving 2000 baht by buying a Chinese make with the not so special Tail light guarantee! Not only does it work great but I have the peace of mind knowing I got a top brand & most likely will not have to re plump a new unit( until 5 years & 1 day)

Glad you got a 4" bore. It sounds like you need it in your area! the extra tank might be a plus- but you can always add it in later if you need it. You might need an additional pump to get it from the tank to your house if you do.

Good luck & hope things continue to work out for you.

Beardog

[LoveDaBlues]

Beardog, no need for a tank or another pump. And I have the feeling this pump will be pretty energy efficient.

[Naam]

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

congratulations, that's exceptionally cheap. in Pattaya the average bore hole is 60-80,000 Baht!

[LoveDaBlues]

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

congratulations, that's exceptionally cheap. in Pattaya the average bore hole is 60-80,000 Baht!

I'm smelling a business in there somewhere.

Bore-holes-r-us 50K

[Naam]

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

congratulations, that's exceptionally cheap. in Pattaya the average bore hole is 60-80,000 Baht!

I'm smelling a business in there somewhere. Bore-holes-r-us 50K

plus there is a waiting period if you want a well drilled!

[LoveDaBlues]

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

congratulations, that's exceptionally cheap. in Pattaya the average bore hole is 60-80,000 Baht!

I'm smelling a business in there somewhere. Bore-holes-r-us 50K

plus there is a waiting period if you want a well drilled!

Why the waiting period I wonder? And, is a permit required? In Nakon Nowhere we don't need no stinkin permits!

[Tilapia]

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

congratulations, that's exceptionally cheap. in Pattaya the average bore hole is 60-80,000 Baht!

I'm smelling a business in there somewhere. Bore-holes-r-us 50K

plus there is a waiting period if you want a well drilled!

Why the waiting period I wonder? And, is a permit required? In Nakon Nowhere we don't need no stinkin permits!

Actually you do, we got caught about 3 years ago all business who use ground-water have to pay a water tax, this will also include private house-hold, when they have time to locate the ones with there own bore-hole. The good thing is that it's very cheap, so no need to worry.

[Beardog]

Sounds like you got a hel_l of a deal on the borehole 60,000-80-000 baht in Baan Sare. I thought maybe it was a typo!

If Naam uses Hitachi for his systems you should be pretty safe. I looked online & the Hitachi looked like a great unit & they tend to not fudge on the specs. You ever by a huge roll of firecrackers from China. We were bored & on new years we cracked open

1000 tau firecrackers to find out that less than 1/2 of them contained gunpowder just wicks. I don't think you really get as much bang for the buck as you do with more western style supply houses.

Maybe with a borehole setup you wouldn't have an issue with adding a tank- but if you really don't think you need one -keep it simple.

[Naam]

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

congratulations, that's exceptionally cheap. in Pattaya the average bore hole is 60-80,000 Baht!

I'm smelling a business in there somewhere. Bore-holes-r-us 50K

plus there is a waiting period if you want a well drilled!

Why the waiting period I wonder? And, is a permit required? In Nakon Nowhere we don't need no stinkin permits!

normally a permit is required but nobody seems to have one i was told that a permit in the Pattaya area has the disadvantage that the well is taxed with several thousand Baht per annum. don't know whether the information is correct but i had no intention to find out

[Naam]

Costs: bore-hole with concrete pad and plumbed to house 6,500 baht

congratulations, that's exceptionally cheap. in Pattaya the average bore hole is 60-80,000 Baht!

I'm smelling a business in there somewhere. Bore-holes-r-us 50K

plus there is a waiting period if you want a well drilled!

Why the waiting period I wonder? And, is a permit required? In Nakon Nowhere we don't need no stinkin permits!

because borehole drillers can't cope with the demand. so when will you establish your new "well" business?

[Maizefarmer]

Yup - suspectd the original info wasn't right - 16m and 4" all sounds a lot more healthy - glad to hear it's all working.

[phibunmike]

... The pump is not even bolted to the concrete pad. It has zero vibration, just sits there and does it's job....

Hi,

Just a thought; chain it or bolt it, I know of a couple of cases of pumps in my area being stolen. Mine is in a little hut (more like a dog's kennel) with a padlock on the door. The hut also contains the timers for my sprinklers.

Cheers,

Mike

[Beardog]

I got my 305 locked down in cement & rebar. As much of a nightmare for me to remove as well, it would take 1/2 a day to get all the bar cut & cement smashed to get it out. It is water tight & withstood 2 major floods. That is good advice- a thief will always go after an easy target!