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Pumping water...

R

RSL

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Dec 19, 2008
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We pump water for cows in lots of places. Just wondering what others are using and how they like their system. We have been too cheap to buy a "system" but have built a variety of things using bilge pumps, panels from ebay, sprayer pumps, etc.
We also have one setup where we use a gas pump and run it every couple of days.
Our biggest challenge is lift in volume (and remoteness - no power grid). Does anyone have anything that they reccomend or have used?
I will post some pics of our inventions when I get time.
 
Sounds like a windmill might be the ideal set up...course being a fence/windmill man, I could be a bit partial :wink: . Can be a substantial up front investment if a well needs to be drilled and a windmill, pump, and tank installed, but with a little maintenance it's still one of the most reliable means of pumping water in remote areas. Over the course of a mill's useful life, the cost per year is actually quite reasonable.
 
Just an good old fashion well here.But i agree that a windmill would be the way to go for remote pumping,or a solar pump.If i was more remote and had a creek or river maybe a hydraulic ram pump might work.Looking forward to the pics of your water works 8)
 
I came across a website that sells pneumatic windmills. The turbine litterally pumps an air compressor. You don't have to have the windmill on top of the water source. You run an air line to the well and a pneumatic pump pumps the water. There is also a air fitting on the well so you can use a gas powered air compressor if you need to pump water when the wind isn't blowing. I like the fact you can have the well in the best spot and the windmill in the best spot.

One of these days maybe I'll get one to try.
 
Ben do you have a link to that site?Been combing the countryside this last week looking for a used,unwanted windmill,can't find one :roll: even the beat up one's no body want's to get rid of.Then i was going to get creative and make a home made one,but have'nt made much progress on that.Found a small one that aereates a pond,not what i had in mind though.
 
Ben H said:
I came across a website that sells pneumatic windmills. The turbine litterally pumps an air compressor. You don't have to have the windmill on top of the water source. You run an air line to the well and a pneumatic pump pumps the water. There is also a air fitting on the well so you can use a gas powered air compressor if you need to pump water when the wind isn't blowing. I like the fact you can have the well in the best spot and the windmill in the best spot.

One of these days maybe I'll get one to try.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see a link to that site.
Here's a pump we built out of two plastic barrels and a bit of lumber.
Pump1.jpg

Pump5.jpg

The panel swivels and is removeable and one guy can slide the outfit into the back of the truck. The battery sits in the toolbox that is up the ladder which protects the hose connection and the float switch. We use a bilge pump that will do 1500gph if there is no lift, or a 12 volt sprayer pump for higher lift. The sprayer pump sits in a little toolbox on the edge of the shore or stream and has a hose that drops into the water. With the bilge pump you could water an army of cattle, with the sprayer pump the limit is around 50.

A larger pump we built
Big%20Panel%202.jpg

The bucket has a bilge pump in the bottom. We just couple hoses up to it and the trough (not in picture). The yellow float is a float switch that goes in the tank. Panel from ebay, and battery in the toolbox. One guy can load the pump in a truck and you can sled it around pretty easily. We use the panel (sans pump) for running fencers as well.[/img]

The problem for us is all about lift. I have places I'd love to pump from but once you get over 20 feet of lift life is very expensive.
 
Blkbuckaroo said:
RSL.i like your design,but it seems like if cattle rubbed on it ,they could cause some havoc on it.What anchors it?
Click to expand...

We thought that too, but have never had any problems. It is pretty heavy, and when you add a few hundred pounds of water...
The other thing is that when we pump water our cows don't seem to hang around. They drink and then leave. We actually have more trouble with the cows eating the wires. We now tape them firmly to the water pipe.
 
That pump is pretty neat. It is a tad pricy, but looks buildable. I think I will be taking apart our old compressor this summer as an experiment.
 
Both of those windmills are pretty handy,BMR those windmills are a little more affordable and if you're handy you can build the windmill and buy the submersible pump.Ben's windmill is made better,pumps $800 and BMR's pump is $450,but the second company you can buy the windmill for $1200 bucks.So for $1600 you can get a mill,used rod type windmills cost about $2500 on up. View Cart Checkout
Outdoor Water Solutions
Aeration Windmills and Pond Care Products/Heres another one.Could'nt paste the link.
 

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