Trying to get a consistent flow of water from the stream to the well is proving to be a challenge.
This was the first time I’ve installed a pump to extract water from a stream – well more a rivulet. And a few lessons learnt.
Initial plan was to have the pump the gate about 4 to 5 meters vertically from the water. There is power there and a controlled area. Getting the pump fully primed proved to be too difficult. You need to get the full length of the inlet pipe full of water plus the pump, so gave up after numerous strategies to get the pipe filled and pump primed. The internet recommends that you fill the pump through the outlet. Only problem is the controller is screwed into the outlet and wiring to the pump would need to be disconnected. All to hard up a bank.
Maybe try again some other time so as an interim found a spot on the bank next to the water. Not that ideal. Worked well for the first day then stopped. First lesson. Although the water in the stream runs clear there is still sufficient debris that comes down and gets sucked into the pump. I also blame Totoro as he loves to run through the water.
What should be installed was a foot valve.
Foot value is a one way valve on the inlet, preferably with a filter. Because there was no foot valve and filter too much muck ended up in the pump and it stopped. Got one our visitors to drag the pump back some 30 m to the gate to it sorted. Attempted to disassemble the pump but cannot budge the diffuser. Suspect some grit has been wedged somewhere making it stick fast. It’s plastic so have been hesitant to apply to much force. It should be able to be extracted is the theory.
Get too frustrated as we need the water and get a new pump from the local builder supplier.
Second lesson is not to bother with the internet and go through the fiasco of non delivery and having to collect at the depot. Pump is the equivalent to what I’d bought before but proudly made in china. Even the shade of blue on the casing is identical. Get the pump installed and managed to get a truck load of water into the well.
Next day open the valve to the well but no water. Next lesson is that not all pump controllers are equal. It’s the drop in pressure in the pipe that triggers the controller to start the pump. But it appears that and I needed a 10Bar controller because of the pressure. Nowhere on the details is the pressure requirements stated, although the !0Bar controllers state 10Bar in the product name. Strange.
Debris collecting on the foot well is the other problem as that blocks the flow of water. Solution is to implement a sump – a large bucket dug into the stream bed about 8 cm below the water level.
Jordan had great fun picking through the rocks but we have the sump and that seemed to have helped.
Still need to install the new controller, but have an interim solution. I fortuitously put a valve in the pipe by the gate. Never know when that would be useful. And this is useful to get the pump going again by opening the valve to allow the water to flow out of the pipe and close it again. The loss of pressure lets the controller start the pump again.
Will get this sorted out once I’m fit again and get the first pump fixed. Will probably need to break out the diffuser and get a new part. With these pumps you can buy new parts from motor to bolts and washers.