Driving your own well with electric pump & tank

[eDJ_]

I've seen several setups for doing this. Mother Earth News used to advertise a 4 cycle lawnmower engine that turned a housing with several tips available. Thus if there were rocks you may have to drill thru they were supposed to handle those issues. But as most of us know water is a key issue in any living arrangement.

So I saw this guys Youtube video where he used a 1800 psi pressure washer, 50 ft pressure hose, and PVC pipe of 2 inch housing and 1 1/4 inch PVC water carrying (up to the pump) pipe to put in a shallow well of around 40+ feet in depth. He also used a scavenging pump to pump water away from the head of the well. Where he was drilling he had grid power and water, but if you were off grid you'd need a generator and a pickup truck with a tank of water in it for the job. This well used a pump & tank set up which was set at 30 & 50 psi. (so the pump motor would kick on when the pressure got down to 30 psi and kick off at 50 psi.

I'm guessing that after the well is operational he could sell the equipment, return the truck & tank to its owner. He would likely have to have enough solar panels & battery bank suitable to operate the water pump as needed, but that should be more than enough power for the whole Tiny Home's needs.

 

[Deleted member 45]

If its not very deep, it works alright.
2 inch width and 10 ft extensions, not so good for the job

 

[its_simon3]

I've seen several setups for doing this. Mother Earth News used to advertise a 4 cycle lawnmower engine that turned a housing with several tips available. Thus if there were rocks you may have to drill thru they were supposed to handle those issues. But as most of us know water is a key issue in any living arrangement.

So I saw this guys Youtube video where he used a 1800 psi pressure washer, 50 ft pressure hose, and PVC pipe of 2 inch housing and 1 1/4 inch PVC water carrying (up to the pump) pipe to put in a shallow well of around 40+ feet in depth. He also used a scavenging pump to pump water away from the head of the well. Where he was drilling he had grid power and water, but if you were off grid you'd need a generator and a pickup truck with a tank of water in it for the job. This well used a pump & tank set up which was set at 30 & 50 psi. (so the pump motor would kick on when the pressure got down to 30 psi and kick off at 50 psi.

I'm guessing that after the well is operational he could sell the equipment, return the truck & tank to its owner. He would likely have to have enough solar panels & battery bank suitable to operate the water pump as needed, but that should be more than enough power for the whole Tiny Home's needs.

Interesting approach! I've been looking into water solutions for my tiny house build too, and the idea of a DIY well is really appealing. I'm trying to make my build as eco-friendly and self-sufficient as possible, so this is right up my alley.

I just have a few questions.. for the off-grid start-up, you mentioned a generator and a truck with a water tank. How big of a generator and tank would be needed to get the job done? That seems like a significant upfront cost and logistics challenge. And once the well is in and you're running off solar, do you have a sense of how much power that pump requires and what kind of battery bank would be necessary to run it reliably, especially on cloudy days? I'm trying to budget for my solar setup and a water pump could be a major power draw.

Really thanks for sharing, this gives me a lot to think about!

 

[eDJ_]

Yes, I understand. Much of it will depend on the landscape you will locate on. Will it be flat or with some rolling hills etc. Or will it be in a valley with hills to either or one side.

I once traveled thru Pennsylvania's Amish country and noticed the people there had their wells in on higher slopes. They used these devices that were spring loaded like valves that relied on suction at the well head and a shut off valve at the site where the water would be used. Basically not needing a pump.

One excellent source for ideas was published in the early 1970's titled "The Last Whole Earth Catalog".

But If it were me, I'd start with a substantial gasoline generator to have dependable power for my build. It could always be sold or traded later once you have panels & batteries with an inverter that would be suitable for all of your needs.

As for the pickup truck with a 250 gallon water tank in the bed, it should be adequate to get a well in place. Another idea is to consider a 250 gallon or larger plastic cistern tank to collect rain water. Of course this would need a suitable filter and only a small 12 volt water pump.

As for electrical needs, you mentioned "budget". Yes, those who would outfit you with panels and batteries should be able to help you out with that. You may even find a 12 volt well pump for this application. Given the interest in "off grid".

Unfortunately I don't know what you will be finding to work with so I have to defer you to the solar vendors. But if you get all set up with the generator and working in your new digs, then the solar folks can inventory what you have to work with and budget from there.

 

[eDJ_]

A bit on how the Amish do things. Of course in the Appalachian region there are hills. Many small towns set their municipal water tank on a hillside some distance above the town. From there they can use gravity to supply the town. This doesn't require building a water tank tower. Of course these aren't Amish communities and can use electric pumps to fill the tank where the Amish don't use electrical devices except under special circumstances.

There is some interesting info in this video

.

 

[Benson.bo]

I've seen several setups for doing this. Mother Earth News used to advertise a 4 cycle lawnmower engine that turned a housing with several tips available. Thus if there were rocks you may have to drill thru they were supposed to handle those issues. But as most of us know water is a key issue in any living arrangement.

So I saw this guys Youtube video where he used a 1800 psi pressure washer, 50 ft pressure hose, and PVC pipe of 2 inch housing and 1 1/4 inch PVC water carrying (up to the pump) pipe to put in a shallow well of around 40+ feet in depth. He also used a scavenging pump to pump water away from the head of the well. Where he was drilling he had grid power and water, but if you were off grid you'd need a generator and a pickup truck with a tank of water in it for the job. This well used a pump & tank set up which was set at 30 & 50 psi. (so the pump motor would kick on when the pressure got down to 30 psi and kick off at 50 psi.

I'm guessing that after the well is operational he could sell the equipment, return the truck & tank to its owner. He would likely have to have enough solar panels & battery bank suitable to operate the water pump as needed, but that should be more than enough power for the whole Tiny Home's needs.

Definitely more of a DIY workaround than a long term rig, but it can get you water without renting big equipment

 

[microhaven]

Interesting approach! I've been looking into water solutions for my tiny house build too, and the idea of a DIY well is really appealing. I'm trying to make my build as eco-friendly and self-sufficient as possible, so this is right up my alley.

I'm in the same boat. DIY for a well goes great with wanting to live off the grid. It's a good idea to sort out the water and power stuff first.

 

[TengaarWarrior]

Looks cool on YouTube, but in real life shallow wells can go dry fast. If you're counting on it for a full-time water source in a tiny home, better have a backup like rain catchment or a hauled-in tank.

 

[eDJ_]

Agreed, you really need water. Much of what we are discussing here is "start-up" stuff. Lots of post discussing what "I/They" need to begin a Tiny Home build.

When I purchased the home I live in now it was a distress situation. The power had gone out due to storms in the winter and the water froze and pipes burst. I took possession of the home and began living in it without water. I got several large containers I could fill with water and use mainly for flushing my toilet. Fortunately I could shower and clean up at my Grandparents home several miles away.

But carrying water is no fun. As it was coming into the spring rainy season I found several barrels that were lined to sit beside the house and run the rain gutter down spouts into to catch water. With a small two gallon a minute battery powered water pump I was able to fill five gallon jerry jug water tanks to bring into the house. Pulling my car up to the barrels allowed me to connect the pump to the car battery.

In time my plumber buddy and I repaired the water lines and I had water. Suddenly the bathroom worked, the kitchen sink etc worked again and I was in business again. But the lesson learned was in realizing how I had taken having water on demand for granted. And it's the same for heat or air conditioning. Even having a lawn mower to cut the grass in the summer. I'm writing this to let those wanting their first home of their own what to expect if they've been living at home or in an apartment
for some time. Having your own place carries some baggage.