Wells and Irrigation Pumps

[scott#2]

Since Im getting my plan together for next years planting and gardening, I was wondering what everyones take on irrigation and pumps is. I have 2 wells on this property both water levels are 19 feet below ground and the bottoms of the wells are 72 feet and 90. I dont use them and plan on borrowing some free ground water next year. I also would like to have the ability to move a large quantity of water through 2" hoses if necessary for fire emergency use, etc. I see these portable 3 and 4 inch, gas driven trash pumps for about 500-2000 $, but they have only a 25' suction head. I would like to just be able to throw the sucker head down the well and start pumping. I dont really have a irrigation system, plan or the water requirements figured out yet. Just trying to get an idea on what equipment to keep my eye out for. What all have you guys done? Reccomendations greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

scott#2

 

[Anonymous-0]

What diameter is your well casing? Your well recharge rate will determine what quantity of water you can pump. Iffin you can get 10 gpm outta a 6" well you are doing "well".

You will most likely need a deep well jet pump and then be limited to single digit pump rates.

Do a test to "determine pre-existing field conditions" and then you will know where you can go.

 

[buickanddeere]

Where are you located?
To obtain enough gpm & pressure for even minor league fire fighting. The absolute minimum is going to be one of these 5HP single phase units.
As for capacity? A conventional 1HP pump with the deep well injector at 50ft is just a dribbling 9 gpm toy v.s a 1HP 40gpm shallow submersible .
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex719
http://www.monarchindustries.com/v4/media/pdf/POP/subs.pdf
MSS85-500LP 660382 85 5 10 34.0 16.5
http://www.monarchindustries.com/v4/media/pdf/POP/subs.pdf
MSS85-500

 

[scott#2]

One well is 24" (formed cement casing) and the deeper is 36" (brick). No one around here is on ground water, all nasty municipal water. First I need to test the water and see what goodies are in it. Someone mentioned permits for drawing large amounts of water. Dont believe it will make much difference around here, as it wont be missed by anyone. Im not gonna go nuts with it, just trying to save a few acres on an intermittent basis. Thanks for the links and info.

scott#2

 

[Jerry/MT]

You need to find out how much water you will need and how much water your wells can provide first.
My irigation system uses 13/64" nozzles running between 35-40 psi at the nozzle inlet and put around 7.3-7.8 gpm per head. That' gives me about 0.33 inches of water per hour on a 40-45 sprinkler spacing x sprinkler throw. I have wheel line with 31 heads so thats about 233 gpm. So if I were pumping from a well, it would have to produce at least that much. But wait, I have to fill the lines so I have to have a pump that can fill the lines at about 5 psi and 300 gpm and then run at 35-45 psi @ the nozzles at 233 gpm. So my well would have to be able to supply a start up of 300 gpm.

Since I have line losses and these pressures are quoted at the nozzle, I have add the line losses to the nozzle requiremnts and size the pump pressure to provide 35-40 psi at the nozzle with the 233 gpm.

You get the picture? How much water can your well supply will dictate how many heads you can run. If you're cropping, your plants and the weather will determine the ammount of water you will have to supply. You have to match the plant demand to the water supply. If you have only so much water, that limits what you can grow and what acrage you can grow it on.

I live in the Northern Rockies and irrigate pasture. Our grass transpires about a quarter of an inch of water a day when the temps are in the 90's. I can get the w/l across the field in eleven days and lay down about 3+ inches of water at a set. In 11 days, the grass I made the first set with has used 2.75 " of water so it's a JIT(just in time) process.

 

[buickanddeere]

It's not about if it makes any difference. It's about safety/environment Nazis being able to empower themselves. And bureaucrats building larger and more secure empires.
I was thinking you had a drilled well with a 4,5,6 or 8" well casing.

 

[havvey]

You can consult an irrigation company/person. Most of them have many tricks and free advice if you are buying product from them.

 

[Red Dave]

"they have only a 25' suction head. I would like to just be able to throw the sucker head down the well and start pumping" If by "sucker head" you mean the intake or suction hose, then the laws of physics are against you.

In theory, with a perfect vacuum at the intake of the pump's impeller, the maximum height you could lift water would be about 33 feet (at sea level). The world isn't perfect and no pump would be either. Those gas-driven trash pumps are centrifugal pumps and their ability to lift water at draft from a static water source drops off greatly when you get over 12 - 15 feet of lift. Some can move water at 20 - 25 feet lift, but not at rated volume and there is a lot of impeller cavitation. Even the big, high performance pumps on fire engines are rated at only 10 feet of lift for their UL tests.

How about a sumbmersible pump in the well which pumps into a reservoir such as a cistern? Or just a big stock tank (if you are above freezing temps) and then pump out of that with your gas engine pump for fire protection. A couple thousnd gallons of reserve in a cistern would be a lot of fire fighting capability.

 

[scott#2]

Thanks Red Dave and Jerry/MT and everyone else. Thats exactly the kind of information and formulas I have been looking for. Just so happens I do have a 2500 gallon cistern that is supplied by rain water as well, thanks for reminding me. I can supplement that with pumped well water when it gets low, for a reservs. I am looking at the sub pumps now and thinking 2 inch pipe size. I can pull what ever volume and pressure I need from the cistern and its in a better place for reaching fields and potential emergency situations, GREAT IDEA! I really appreciate the response by Jerry/MT for the numbers, althoough my system would never be as large as that, probably only 6 heads max. My next step now is to test the wells for contaminants and see what the recapture rate is so I can size a pump. Im not really looking to lay alot of water down on the ground or be wasteful, just keep stuff alive in the event I have to. I wonder what an average recapture rate, or a guess at it would be for the wells described? I'm not trying to hurt anybody here or be anti establishment, but authority maske me wanna vomit through my nose, living in the D.C. area for 50 years has a way of turning you against the system, they do it to them selves, I just laugh at the devil as the train goes by. Hence I always have and will continue to abide only by my own rules, that are quite reasonable. I must ask you all, what have the Feds or State done for you lately? I really would like to hear and would really appreciate some good news on that last question.

scott#2

 

[Jerry/MT]

Stop thiunking in terms of what "an average recapture rate" is and find out what your well will produce. It doesn't do you any good to know an "average rate" because you aren't using the "average well" you're using your well(s).A well drilling outfit or an outfit that installs pump can come and pump your well(s) and determine what the recharge rate is(are).