Apologies in advance-I'm not a plumber and barely handy. My water source is a 20gpm water well with a 2hp pump and pressure tank. I need to pump water to my 1700 sq ft house that is only used on the weekends. I need to pump a few gallons a minute to maintain a 200 gal water tank (w/ float valve) 1200 ft away in a pasture, and I think I'd like to run a consistent flow of water (24/7) to a large new pond 300 ft away. Everything is pretty much lined up in a straight line and no big elevation changes. I'm getting puzzled looks from my guy helping me, and recommending all manual valves to control water flow. Is this a tricky set-up to get water to these 3 areas? Is there a way to set this up without turning manual valves every time we step out there? I'll take any thoughts/suggestions-thanks!
ranch plumbing setup suggestions?
- Thread starter pdubdo
- Start date
Help Support Plumbing Forums:
I'm not a plumber either but I live on a farm and have a well setup with water going to various parts of the yard. It's all manual shutoffs, but I wonder if you could set up a timed thing with something like a sprinkler system? I've never tried it.
With my setup, there is a main shutoff and then there are three other shutoffs-- one is to the exterior going down to the barn area, another is to the other outside areas, and then there is one to the house. They are all in the area with the well and pumps. Generally, if water isn't being run and there aren't any leaks, the pump will stay off until something needs water. Not sure how the pond setup would work. Are you planning to get a float or something to have it fill the pond when it gets low?
If you're running all new lines, it would not be a bad idea to have a separate shutoff for the hot water going to the house so you can shut off just the hot water or just the cold water independently of one another.
With my setup, there is a main shutoff and then there are three other shutoffs-- one is to the exterior going down to the barn area, another is to the other outside areas, and then there is one to the house. They are all in the area with the well and pumps. Generally, if water isn't being run and there aren't any leaks, the pump will stay off until something needs water. Not sure how the pond setup would work. Are you planning to get a float or something to have it fill the pond when it gets low?
If you're running all new lines, it would not be a bad idea to have a separate shutoff for the hot water going to the house so you can shut off just the hot water or just the cold water independently of one another.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 8,578
- Reaction score
- 2,976
You do not fill a pond with city water, the water is treated
Usually, a pond is filled by rainwater runoff from the surrounding area. and it takes about 3 years to fill a pond
after it has been dug out
run a 1.5'' pvc schedule 40 line with Honeywell,1'' zone valves
to control flow
Usually, a pond is filled by rainwater runoff from the surrounding area. and it takes about 3 years to fill a pond
after it has been dug out
run a 1.5'' pvc schedule 40 line with Honeywell,1'' zone valves
to control flow
Chris
Well-Known Member
You shouldn't need to fill the pond 24/7. If you do it will kill your pump pretty quick. Do you know what pump you Have? If so do some research on running time. I know it better for it to run for hours than start stop but running 24/7 can't be good for the pump or the well.
That's why I was wondering if he/she could get some sort of timer like on a sprinkler system that would tell it to start filling at a certain time and then shut it off. So maybe run it for x amount of minutes and then shut off.
Thanks for the comments. Pump is 2hp Franklin-specs say duty: continuous. Well guy said the pump is worn out by on/offs not continuously running. I've got a 6 ft-acre/2mil gal pond. At 20 gal/min pumping, it'll take me 800+ days to fill it up. I'm hoping to get 25% from my well and the rest from watershed and just get a full pond sooner.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 8,578
- Reaction score
- 2,976
patience, patience, after you get it filled, then you stock the pond with fingerlings
and wait another 2 years to give them time to grow
digging a pond is a 4 or 5-year wait from the time it is dug till fish on the table
tip, fish food is expensive, dog food is the same damn thing
and wait another 2 years to give them time to grow
digging a pond is a 4 or 5-year wait from the time it is dug till fish on the table
tip, fish food is expensive, dog food is the same damn thing
Chris
Well-Known Member
Have you checked your well to see if it can handle it? If the well can than the worst you could do is pay a huge electric bill and burn up a pump or two.
You ever thought about a windmill pump? If it would work in your area?
You ever thought about a windmill pump? If it would work in your area?
If the pond is 1 million gallons, and the pump is putting out 20 gallons a minute, I come up with 35 days to fill it.
Probably the biggest question is whether of not the well can handle that much drawdown.
Probably the biggest question is whether of not the well can handle that much drawdown.
Does the pond have any water in it now?
And does it rain where you live?
If you lived near my area the pond would get filled fairly quickly by the rain, but I know some areas are dry.
I think it would be better to fill the pond up over time, as Frodo suggested.
If the pump is hooked to PVC and constantly runs it can melt the PVC and cause leaks. I've had this happen numerous times when my pump got hot (mostly bc of a problem with the tank not filling all the way bc the ancient float lever setup was not working properly anymore).
Also, since some of the water will be going to your house, have you considered some sort of water filtration/softener setup going to the house? Sometimes you can end up with sediment that will coat the pipes and all of the fixtures.
And does it rain where you live?
If you lived near my area the pond would get filled fairly quickly by the rain, but I know some areas are dry.
I think it would be better to fill the pond up over time, as Frodo suggested.
If the pump is hooked to PVC and constantly runs it can melt the PVC and cause leaks. I've had this happen numerous times when my pump got hot (mostly bc of a problem with the tank not filling all the way bc the ancient float lever setup was not working properly anymore).
Also, since some of the water will be going to your house, have you considered some sort of water filtration/softener setup going to the house? Sometimes you can end up with sediment that will coat the pipes and all of the fixtures.
