I'm installing a water system for a friend who has just had a well drilled.

Details-
-House is off grid
-6kw diesel generator powers the homestead, not always on 24hrs a day, most appliances are proane so generator is often shut off at night
-about 2000gal of water storage in plastic tanks about 75' elevation above homestead and well site currently set up to gravity feed homestead
-well drillers said 5 GPM at 260' they drilled to 303'

Wondering what direction we should go with the water system. Since the generator for the homestead is often off at night, it would be nice to pump the well up to the existing water storage tanks, which are set up to gravity feed the homestead. This way when generator is running the tanks level could be maintained, and when the generator is off water to the house would be maintained.

The 240v deep well pumps I see online 1hp say max pump depth 300', so if the well is 300 feet deep and the tanks are another 75' up in elevation from there, I'
Im not sure if the pump would reach the height of the tanks.

I was thinking I could wire the well pump through a pump tec to provide run dry protection, and put a float switch in the tank which would throw a contactor in the circuit feeding the pump, which would kick on the pump when the tank level dropped.

what do you all think, whats the best way to do this?

 

Welcome to the forums.

The float/control system is easy to put together. Your key item is your pump. Based on 300' + I would not go smaller than a 1-1/2 HP pump. I would stay with Franklin or a Grundfos SP.

 

Yeah I think float control system would be pretty easy with a contactor to switch power to pump and float switch to power the contactor. I know many people use a float valve pressure switch system here but I have never had much luck with keeping these systems working well for long periods of time and this system needs to be as maintenance free as possible.

I will look into those pumps. Thanks for the suggestions.

As far as placing the pump in well, how do I know where to put the pump in the well up and down? I assume you don't want it right on the bottom sucking sand. I have been reading old posts and people talk about static water level, is this something I need to be concerned about? If so how do I determine this?

 

Your well drilling company should have given you that information.

 

OK I will talk to them. Any ideas on how to figure it out if they didn't record it? And what is the general idea here as far as pump placement goes? Do I want it toward the bottom of the hole regardless of where water level is? That what makes sense to me? Or does this determine the pump needed, because I need a pump that will lift from static depth to the ground surface? Sorry for the hundred questions just looking to understand what I am working on here.

 

I am not a pro in well design. I mostly do service on them. I usually rely on the drill guys to determine flow, static level and preferred draw height.

They know the ground composition and the refresh rates in the area.