We’re all on wells, we all built our own electrical and plumbing systems, we’re all on solar power which doesn’t always work even in the desert, none of us knew what we were doing, we all get dry water tanks from time to time. But when you take the path Ian and I did, a dry water tank is a much bigger deal.
There are two possible approaches: A standard 110v pump that moves 6-10 gpm at the cost of massive but periodic amperage, or a 15v low-flow pump that runs near-constantly (in daylight) at low amperage, with a much simpler electrical plant, at the cost of, well, low flow. We built that second thing. And now, ten days after I fixed that check valve that emptied the tank …
…the water tank is nearly but still not entirely full. First snow of the season and some cloudy days didn’t help. But I’m at least now sure I fixed the problem and can stop rationing well water.
Due to a parallel but unrelated problem with Ian’s electrical system…
…it took a long time to catch up with laundry. Ian’s electrical was more or less trouble-free for all the summer, which caused me to forget all the trouble I had with it last winter after replacing his eight worn-out L16s with eight much smaller T105s: The trouble being that his pressure pump is a huge amp draw that can easily suck the batteries down to the system’s cut-off point and there’s not enough sun to counteract the effect.
Even in summer the pressure pump is on a 12/12 timer because it’s just really important that the pump not be allowed to run at night. But even at peak solar input the amp draw from the pump is twice what the panels can bring in, and if the batteries get to 80% charge the whole damned system shuts down. And in winter it takes days to fully recharge them with full sun and minimal drain.
So I have to be careful about the washing machine, showers are right out, and I have to keep the pump turned off most of the time. The fridge is also on a timer, and the daylight schedule has gone to 2 hours on/off which is enough to keep frozen stuff frozen without stressing the batteries. Unless, of course, we get a few gloomy days which throws everything off. Basically, that big pump requires bigger batteries and a better-placed solar panel array than it has or is likely to get.
I could – and might – bring the Honda back over to his place. It’ll run the pump without difficulty as long as that’s all it has to do. But I’m reluctant to do that since I can now use it to keep my own batteries topped off. Basically, this is why all sensible people who live on solar also have capable generators. Even in near ideal conditions, sometimes solar still sucks.
Five years ago I bought a Wen inverter generator as a plan B to my slightly larger Honda for half the price of a Honda. The Wen just sips gas, and has actually become my plan A!
https://www.amazon.com/WEN-56200i-2000-Watt-Generator-Compliant/dp/B00SMNLF4M?pd_rd_w=PVm6Y&content-id=amzn1.sym.f68529bf-1e30-4507-9735-0291b5057606&pf_rd_p=f68529bf-1e30-4507-9735-0291b5057606&pf_rd_r=KFEKKJRWJTPWHD7EFD2X&pd_rd_wg=pzn9V&pd_rd_r=8103717d-0e6c-4751-90b6-1556548d543b&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_csi_rtpb_bap_sim_0_sc#immersive-view_1731505434558
So here’s a question: clearly, you have the cabin plumbed for a toilet, but it sounds like you don’t have it set up for a shower, yes? Since you already run the place on propane, couldn’t you have a little on-demand propane-powered tankless water heater for showers? Which also brings up another question, do you have hot water at all in the cabin or is it strictly a cold water proposition? And if the latter, how do you do dishes? Just curious. Not trying to armchair quarterback or anything.
CZ, I don’t have hot water inside the cabin. I have a solar water heater for dishwashing and such that works about seven months out of the year. Have to shut it down and drain it in winter. Hot water is complicated: Every water heater we ever tried without a water softener was ruined within a year. Water softeners require a lot more pressure than gravity permits. We have all that at Ian’s because he spent a very large amount of money to make it happen, but only when we have the juice to run it. I’ve been getting along mostly without hot water since I moved into the cabin in 2011. Winters, I just heat water on the stove for sink baths and dish washing.
Who ever thought that being a hermit would require an electrical contracting license, a fluid dynamics degree, a PHD in electrical engineering. And a support group of cantankerous social misfits. What has this world come to… 😉
You’re lucky most of the misfits are smarter than me!
Would the issue with Ian’s system be – at least partially – resolved with a couple more (maybe as many as 4) of the smaller batteries and an additional solar panel or two?
What was/is the approximate cost delta between the original number of the L16s and the current number of 105s?
I have Rolls Surrett L16 batteries in a 24V quasi-portable system parked behind the house. When I did a 48V system for the well, I compared 105s to the RS. The L16s have twice the amphours, but (circa 2019) cost about 3 times as much. I went with 8 Trojan 105s.
For the latter system, I have an input for a generator that could be wheeled up and plugged for charging. Never have used it. Yet.
What RCPete said is right. L16 batteries are about 3 times the price of T105s at roughly twice the capacity. If someone were living at Ian’s place it would have made sense to replace them but I’m just the caretaker here. It didn’t make sense to spend the money for replacement Rolls-Surrete batteries under the circumstances.