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water pump question

3K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  patpr 
#1 ·
Looking for some info from you guys relative to what type of water pump to consider.
Long story short. I have an easement right to a spring that is on the neighbors property. After 2 years of lawyers and such I still have the deeded right to the water. Other things came up so now that leads to this:
The spring is about 200 feet from camp, level. My exsisting water line runs from camp into the spring. I just need some type of pump to suck the water from spring down to camp. Just trying to figure out what will work best to draw water to camp with pumping water 200 feet that will provide enough pressure to fill toilet and to shower. thanks in advance.....
 
#2 ·
Is the spring higher in elevation or lower than your camp? I used to use a camp that had a spring higher in elevation than the house. There was a flexible plastic tube running from the spring to a copper pipe on the side of the house. When arriving at camp we would connect the water line to the copper pipe. There was enough water pressure to fill the upstairs toilet and enough pressure for a good shower. We would open some spigots upstairs and downstairs to get the air out of the pipes till water ran out of them. When we broke camp, we would pull the water line off the pipe and lay it where the water running out of it would run downhill to a creek which kept crud form forming in the water line. No pumps what-so ever.
 
#5 ·
I have a jet pump here at my house.......my spring is probably close to 75 yards from the house, and 30 or so feet below the house elevation......it is a 3/4 horse model, and it works fine for all water uses......
 
#6 ·
200' from camp I would go with a submersible if the spring has any depth to it. run a 1" black plastic pipe and wire from the house to the spring and you can roll it right up in the winter and store it. If the spring isnt very deep, Just dig a post hole about 3' deep and put in a pc. of 8" pvc pipe. Put the pump on a quick disconnect so you can take it with you if you want
 
#7 ·
Rober said:
200' from camp I would go with a submersible if the spring has any depth to it. run a 1" black plastic pipe and wire from the house to the spring and you can roll it right up in the winter and store it. If the spring isnt very deep, Just dig a post hole about 3' deep and put in a pc. of 8" pvc pipe. Put the pump on a quick disconnect so you can take it with you if you want
I agree. while I have stated that I have a jet pump, and it works.....it was here when I bought the place, if I had to replace with a new pump, I would drop a submersible pump in the hole, and be done with it.....
 
#10 ·
If you put a pump <span style="font-style: italic">at</span> the spring, then you'll need over 200' of wire to operate it. Depending on the type of pump you put there, have someone calculate what size wire you'll need to accomodate the voltage drop for the 200' run and the requirements of the chosen pump.

Just putting a pump at the spring, doesn't account for how it will turn on and off. That would need a holding tank/pressure switch to control pump cycles. Or just an on/off switch at the cabin, to activate the pump when needed?

IF the water will flow at all thru the pipe to the cabin, then you can install a small pump at the cabin and not have the hassle of running all that wire, OR worrying about someone snatchin' the pump at the spring?

If the owner of the spring would let you enclose it and set it up so the spring can build up some "head pressure" (higher water level at the spring) that might let you go with a gravity feed?

Our old camp was fed by a spring that was higher, but not high enough to really supply any great amount of pressure/volume. At just "spring pressure/volume", it took about two minutes to fill the coffee pot.

So I installed an old washing machine pump/elec. motor in the basement where the spring pipe came in and wired it to a wall switch on the first floor.

If we wanted more water to quickly fill the tub or wash dishes, just flipped the switch for as long as we wanted "more" water, then turned it off.
 
#11 ·
DennyF said:
If you put a pump at the spring, then you'll need over 200' of wire to operate it. Depending on the type of pump you put there, have someone calculate what size wire you'll need to accomodate the voltage drop for the 200' run and the requirements of the chosen pump.

Just putting a pump at the spring, doesn't account for how it will turn on and off. That would need a holding tank/pressure switch to control pump cycles. Or just an on/off switch at the cabin, to activate the pump when needed?

IF the water will flow at all thru the pipe to the cabin, then you can install a small pump at the cabin and not have the hassle of running all that wire, OR worrying about someone snatchin' the pump at the spring?

Our old camp was fed by a spring that was higher, but not high enough to really supply any great amount of pressure/volume. At just "spring pressure/volume", it took about two minutes to fill the coffee pot.

So I installed an old washing machine pump/elec. motor in the basement where the spring pipe came in and wired it to a wall switch on the first floor.

If we wanted more water to quickly fill the tub or wash dishes, just flipped the switch for as long as we wanted "more" water, then turned it off.
If you were going to use any volume of water, you would be crazy to not use a pressure tank, and switch...........running a pump without a pressure tank is really hard on the pump motors.......

you can get a small pressure tank and a pressure switch for under 150 dollars......
 
#12 ·
Install a pressure tank as Buckshot1822 suggested and a 20#/40# pressure switch. I assume you will use a jet pump with one line system and foot valve at the pump. A pressure gage some wire a breaker. No 200' of wire and the pipe is already installed. You should be go to go.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the information guys. That's why I like this site. Our old camp (destroyed by fire in 2008) had a gravity fed well up the mountain and the pressure was better that city water. No pumps no hassle. The newer place when bought in 2010 had a system in place since 1972 but one stubborn person disrupted that. Thanks for the information.
 
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