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115v AC deep well pump recommendation for small inverter

Garage Solar

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I want to replace our existing 230VAC deep well pump with a 115VAC well pump that could be run during power outages with a small power station like a Bluetti 2400, Inergy Flex 1500, etc. that uses an inverter in the 1000-1500W (continuous) range. Our well is about 90 feet deep, with intermittent pumping to a pressure tank. Our current pump/pressure system feels like overkill for our modest needs, we don't need a lot of pressure or high volume per day.

The smallest I've seen online is 115VAC 1/2hp, which I'm guessing (from reading other posts on this forum) pulls maybe 300-400 watts while running with double that for startup surge. But it's a guess. Is there anything smaller? Our backup to date has been a Simple Pump piggybacked on our well over the electric pump, it works great, but it would be nice to have running water during our frequent power outages.

If a DC pump could be run normally through the house AC circuits with a converter, and then through a DC port on the power station or through a converter on an AC port on the power station, that would be fine, too. Just looking for a low power unit.

Thanks!
 
Running an AC well pump from an inverter takes a large inverter. Starting current is normally a lot more than double the running current. The volume of water you need in any short period of time is important. A small DC pump can take a lot less power but will deliver a lot less water in a short time. A holding tank might be part of a solution. In other threads people have listed some soft start options. Soft start reduces the starting current but some motors might not work well with soft start solutions. I have seen some rather odd well pump starting solutions (talking about single phase AC pumps).
 
115V pumps pull twice the startup amps of the 240V cousins... and twice the running amps... and 90feet might not be possible...
 
Have a look at GrundFos SQ Series pumps. https://ca.grundfos.com/products/find-product/sqe.html

I run an SQ-5 120VAC Soft-Start deep well pump. It's 260' deep pushes to a 50 Gal pressure tank @ well head, then 75' to house. Never ever feel a pressure drop with this pump either. It starts off at 500W and stages up to 1100W by the time the pressure cutoff triggers.

Grundfos is not a cheap product but you really do get what you pay for and will last a very long time. There are other Name Brand Quality ones out there as well which have "Soft Start" to eliminate the big surge pulls and that are Inverter Friendly.

My inverter (Samlex EVO) allows me to real time monitor the wattage, the GrundFos pumps HAVE NO BIG SURGE thanks to SoftStart. In fact many things can have a Softstart motor which can be retrofitted as well... Even air compressors and some fridges & AC units have softstart (with various names).

A 90' deep well isn't that deep when you peak about. One thing for sure, you want a good pump you won't have to replace for at least 20 years if not longer. There is no joy in pulling up a deep well pump from the depths.

ONE WORD OF IMPORT !
When you replace your pump and the new one is down the hole, SHOCK THE WELL ! for 90' x5" casing/bore, 1 gallon of household bleach should be sufficient, dump that in AFTER you've installed the pump & completed the first flush (water dump from the well).
 
Have a look at GrundFos SQ Series pumps. https://ca.grundfos.com/products/find-product/sqe.html

I run an SQ-5 120VAC Soft-Start deep well pump. It's 260' deep pushes to a 50 Gal pressure tank @ well head, then 75' to house. Never ever feel a pressure drop with this pump either. It starts off at 500W and stages up to 1100W by the time the pressure cutoff triggers.

Grundfos is not a cheap product but you really do get what you pay for and will last a very long time. There are other Name Brand Quality ones out there as well which have "Soft Start" to eliminate the big surge pulls and that are Inverter Friendly.

My inverter (Samlex EVO) allows me to real time monitor the wattage, the GrundFos pumps HAVE NO BIG SURGE thanks to SoftStart. In fact many things can have a Softstart motor which can be retrofitted as well... Even air compressors and some fridges & AC units have softstart (with various names).

A 90' deep well isn't that deep when you peak about. One thing for sure, you want a good pump you won't have to replace for at least 20 years if not longer. There is no joy in pulling up a deep well pump from the depths.

ONE WORD OF IMPORT !
When you replace your pump and the new one is down the hole, SHOCK THE WELL ! for 90' x5" casing/bore, 1 gallon of household bleach should be sufficient, dump that in AFTER you've installed the pump & completed the first flush (water dump from the well).
This is the way to do it. Grundfos most likely has a 3 phase inverter driven pump motor and control which is powered from the single phase power. That gives them full control of the RPM and power of the pump. Great solution.
 
Thank you all for the replies, very much. So a soft start Grundfos sounds best for AC.

What about the DC option hinted at above by DThames? "Small DC pump". We can get by just fine with slow DC pump rates to fill a low pressure tank during normal day to day use.

Is it possible to run such a small DC pump with a converter during normal on-grid power, and then with an AC/DC power station when the power is out? If so, what range of power specifications should I look for in a DC pump?
 
Look on Amazon for "DC well pump" You will find several...maybe like this. You could easily run one of these off of a battery system and keep the battery charged by an AC powered charger or by solar.
 
I've installed a DC pump in a 300' well. It pumps into a 500 Gallon storage Tank.

There a small DC pressure pumps fills a pressure tank and then it goes to house and garden.

The pump in the well runs directly via solar, no batteries, controllers etc. One Panel One Pump. Just a level switch in the Tank which shuts it of when the tank is full.
 
Grundfos 3" submersible
 

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHYLIYU-50...mersible-Screw-Deep-Well-Pump-US/193156874090 THIS UNIT MAy do the job, there is a 115v version of it for USA, 1/3hp 250w 230ft head 8gpm flow rate. seems impressive to me
ROFLOL, yeah buy 3 of those, so you have a backup & another one....
When it comes to water pumps, especially dep well submersibles, being Cheap is utterly stupid ! Seriously, there are somethings you can play the game of frugality but the well system is not one to be playing that game with.
 
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