Need pump for lake water to irrigate yard with water hose

[VaJohn27]

I have a 3/4-acre yard on a 14-acre lake. I have 25,000-plus feet of yard to irrigate. The spinkler location farthest from the lake is about 275' from the dock where the pump will be. Topography is an immediate 45-degree slope that puts the yard about 10 feet above the lake, then a flat yard for just under 200', with the final 75 feet sloping to an additional 8 feet, for a total lift of 18 feet. Distance from my shop (power source) to the dock is about 175 feet.

I want to install a sprinkler system, zoned and all, but my slate is full until next year. I'm a very busily "retired" contractor who's finally keeping my many remodeling promises at home. That said, my yard is looking great this spring, and I know that I need to irrigate it to avoid losing ground this summer. I'd like to install a pump now that allows me to move a hose and tripod sprinkler, maybe two, to get the job done this season. Hopefully, this pump will also work with the future, zoned irrigation system.

To be honest, this pump stuff has always had too many critical variables for me to feel comfortable "coming up to speed" on my knowledge and deciding for myself. I also find that many salespeople are far from qualified to act as my brain trust. (After perusing several threads, I partly blame Valveman for my distrust of pump sellers!)

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[RS]

You will loose about 8 psi pushing the water up 18 feet, so you need to take that in consideration. I would position the pump just above the high water mark of the lake, as it's more efficient to push water than suck. We pump water out of a lake, but our yard is relatively flat and only about 4 feet above the lake level. The pump we have is 1.5 hp, but only develops 44 psi, so that wouldn't work very well for you, it's good to have 40 psi for sprinklers. Most all pumps come with a pump curve chart, so you can see what the output is. Our pump will pump about 40 gpm at 40 psi, so we run 10-12 sprinklers at once.

 

[rhr4223]

You would be better served using a stainless-steel submersible pump, probably in the 3/4 H.P. range. resting in a cradle on the lake bottom. The pump should be placed well below the low waterline, or far out enough to ensure water throughout the summer. You don't mention if you are in a cold climate and your lake freezes over so I'll assume you aren't, and you're able to leave everything in place year-round; (there are ways to deal with that as well). Using a properly sized submersible pump, you should be able to easily supply all of your water sprinkler needs. Find a reputable deep well pump supply house in your area and they should be able to sell you everything you need. I once installed a submersible pump in six shallow wells all tied together underground, pumping water 300 feet away, up a hill rising 100 feet, to supply a mobile home park with all of their water needs. Submersible pumps, if sized correctly, are capable of amazing work. Good Luck.

 

[RS]

I agree that a submersible would work fine, but I don't think a 3/4 hp would supply the volume to run very many sprinklers, most of them are rated at only 10-15 gpm. Our 1 1/2 hp pump will provide 40 gpm with enough pressure to run 10-12 sprinklers at once.

 

[rhr4223]

First of all, my mention of a 3/4 H.P. pump was purely for reference, and he would most likely require something bigger. I was merely throwing out a number. I don't know what type of pump you have but I'm guessing that it's probably a jet pump for your application. Jet pumps are single stage and can't attain the same flow characteristics as a multi-stage submersible, for example like a 6 or a 10 stage. I can show you submersible pumps that will deliver 50 GPM if you need it. That is precisely why I said he needs to go to local "pump dealer" so they can recommend the correct pump that will serve his needs once he knows exactly what his future requirements will be. Jet pumps for drawing lake water are fine but, depending on the head, you'll most likely need a pump house near the lake to house the pump; with a submersible you just put it in the water and bury the water and power lines and place the controls up where the irrigation controls are, all under one small cubby. He has a very small head requirement, (18-20 feet) so his application is an easy one to resolve. A properly sized pump should be able to serve his needs for many, many years.

 

[RS]

Our sprinkler pump isn't a jet pump, it's just a single stage centrifugal, but I have seen 2 stage ones, that's what this person might need to get the necessary pressure. I rebuilt a 2 stage pump once, not much more complicated. Jet pumps are used for wells to achieve enough suction to lift water about 25 feet. Most pumps like ours are just a few feet above the high water mark and don't need a jet for suction. A jet pump isn't a efficient because it recirculates part of the water it pumps.

 

[rhr4223]

My apologies to "VaJohn27". It wasn't my intention to turn your original question into a debating contest between two contributing members. As you so aptly stated, there are many factors that go into selecting a properly operating system so I'll end my comments by repeating what I said earlier; find a well-respected dealer experienced in water pump sales and make your decision based on his/her recommendations, and your budget. There you will find your answer. Good luck.

 

[Valveman]

(After perusing several threads, I partly blame Valveman for my distrust of pump sellers!)

Lol! Sorry about that. But you are wise to be cautious of pump sellers. Although, there are some good ones left, finding or recognizing one is almost impossible. If you have to deal with a contractor, educating yourself on the subject is your best defense.

 

[Twowaxhack]

The problem with educated homeowners is most of their education comes from people who don’t know Jack ****

 

[VaJohn27]

The problem with educated homeowners is most of their education comes from people who don’t know Jack ****

I hear ya! My problem is that I've been studying the info at "Irrigationtutorials.com", and it's just too much in some ways.