No replacement filters to … Now regarding getting the water pressurized and back to our house. Yes, if our water source was not reliable then rain water might be something we would look into. Off-grid houses that use pressure tanks and pumps are doing so simply because they are using plumbing designed for houses with pressurized water mains. I used one of the float switches available at most pump shops. Holding tank. That's really interesting. This is a smartly designed unit that will bring pressure to your outdoor showers and cleaning jobs. Should we have an extended power outage, we can gravity feed water to our home and out to the water troughs in the pastures. If your pressure tank is large, you have a better chance of making it through a short blackout without running out of water. I also ported a 1"1/2 Forestry hose bib up to the tank for fire fighting purposes which I can draw off of if we ever need it. Just measure the pressure of the water coming from you holding tank to determine that. So it would take an enormous holding tank to supply us for months during the very time when we use the most water (irrigating, etc). We actually have a spare 1,500 gal. Once the tank was emptied of water, we closed the taps and fired the pump up. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. I too would prefer a typical float switch. The negatives are that this system does require some physical fitness level that not everyone is capable of. While I typically like manual rather than electronic options for things like this, the selling point is that you don't have to worry about icing making your float switch stick. If having a gravity-fed system is important to your water plan, calculating the precise location for your cistern is crucial before you ever buy the first bag of cement or turn the first shovel of dirt. Take care, Cheap insurance! If you are doing that frequently, you could saturate the ground under the hydrant and it might not be able to properly drain down. As a backup plan, I made sure to install a union on either side of the tee where our pressure tank connects into the water system. Cheap insurance and peace of mind :-). For us, that meant hauling it from a nearby wellshare in a 330 gallon IBC Tote and storing it in a 2700 gallon Enduraplas tank . Doing this makes it so that the hydrant either cannot drain down, or else it tries to drain the contents of the entire hose through it's weep hole and into the ground. We bought our homestead in 1991. And bonus, you’ll build some muscles doing this, whether you’re just lugging the barrels to and from the truck or taking them up a hill on a pole. From solar water pumps to solar modules, we have everything you need to implement an off-grid power system … • Allows utilizing surface, pond, and creek water sources where safer deep wells are not … Well, well, well. Sounds like a fantastic water system. Emergency capacity during a power outage - This is especially important if you are connected to the power company. And having grown up with a well which we often lost power for – thank you, Florida hurricane season – these are really important to consider, not simply because you’re trying to help save the planet. I used my truck inveter to power the little pump. But honestly, if you go with a high quality pump (like a Dankoff), you should have many years of good service. Take care I might argue that they are brothers, but I get his meaning. Thanks for the advise on pressure tanks and selecting sizing. This particular water system is this family’s second phase of the gravity-fed water system. Episode #5Water Cistern System - Our Setup (with list of main components)A short video about our Water Cistern System at our Almost Homestead. Of course, we rarely have freezing weather, and I just never really thought about it. We pump into a 1500 gallon elevated tank which connects to the pressure tank and then on to the house. While the ultimate solution is to have your very own water source as well as a means to store and even treat it, that’s not always an option on day one. This can be accomplished in many ways: a natural spring fed well that is up the hill from your home or cottage. I've also seen an interesting idea which is an electronic switch which doesn't move and detects the water level. With a pond you can obviously have some lovely wildlife neighbors – who doesn’t love watching ducks, geese, and dragonflies congregate around the old watering hole? We have the main system which holds 150 gallons which pumps in to a 1000 gallon under ground tank. Hi Nick, I see you used the plastic unions. We’re looking to restore whatever we can to the health of the planet while ensuring we are consuming fewer toxins and unnatural chemicals than we did when living in the cities. Sure was nice after Hurricane Katrina. Thanks again for the great idea! And if you really want to have drinking water, there areways to purify rainwater for that. Section 3: Off Grid Water Tank Cistern System. tank is elevated high enough above your house (or point of use), then there is no need for an additional pump or pressure tank. So, I have to convert feet to inches, divide by 27 for psi, then use divide by 12 to get back to feet. We did not have enough elevation for a pure gravity system but there is enough elevation to give us about 12 psi at the house so even if the booster pump and pressure tank fails, we can still wash our hands or flush a toilet until the system is repaired. How Long Do Potatoes Last? I really don't know how to proceed. They’re designed to fit within your well shaft and rest below the groundwater level. They’re a simple, inexpensive gravity-fed system that works in many, many settings. The pressure tanks of Varem line are a basic element of a potable water distribution system. Nick. Nick, I'm building my off-grid house currently, and your timing of this information could not be better! I get about a weeks supply of water at around 23 lbs/sq-in. You are looking for the total volume of the tank, not the figure that is equivalent to an old galvanized pressure tank. Since the water comes from deep in the ground, it takes pumping just to get the water out of the ground and up to your cabin. Anytime I can have a larger supply of water on hand, I'm all in! Neither of those are a good situation, especially in the winter. This works great for us. It's all common sense if you just ponder it a bit. When talking about off-grid living, it is usually electric systems which gets mentioned first. While you'd like to have pressurized water 24/7, you don't want your pump to run 24/7. Perfect for off-grid applications and specifically for use with our water heater systems, Flojet´s Triplex diaphragm water system pump delivers a smooth flow from 0.7 GMP to 2.9 GPM and up to 50 PSI. The login page will open in a new tab. The old tank had bitten the dust. A larger pressure tank means there will be less starting and less surging. So while I wouldn't get a tiny pressure tank, you probably don't need a very large one like ours. I'm curious about why you have a pressure tank on your system since it is gravity flow. You can read about it here. The 5.3 Gal. Most of us looking for an off the grid water system have two things in mind: Being as green as possible and being as healthy as possible. So 10 feet of vertical rise should yield around 4.3 PSI. And, in fact, generally speaking, we’d recommend doing so for safety’s sake. But as long as your tank is buried where it never ices on the top, then that probably isn't an issue. Submersible wells are by far the most efficient, … Thanks again for your great advise as always. If it uses 1,200 watts when cruising, it could take 3,000 watts (as an example) to get it started. If you ran a looong skinny (cheap) pipe you could just call it 2 feet, because friction will rob some flow, reducing [effective] psi a bit. It all depends on the variables of the site and user needs. When I discovered that the full Well-X-Trol model was nearly 3 times the cost of the brand I was looking at, I decided to take a chance on Water Worker (which is the lower quality line made by Well-X-Trol). Also like Brian, I pump into a large (2500) gallon underground tank up on the hill behind my house. The pressure tank is 20 gallons and sits about 300 feet from our home. You will MEASURE full psi, at rest, but some is lost when using flow. And this system will virtually guarantee you have power to your well, since solar-powered systems can store energy for use during storms, rainy days, etc. At BackwoodsSolar.com, we take pride in offering the best products and services in off-grid power systems and accessories. My question is in my application I plan on having the grunfos sq flex well pump pump into an 1100 gal. And 1,000 gal. Can be very handy if you have to deal with a fire also. Then it can collect in a cistern and gravity flow the entire way without a single watt of electricity. Any specific brands and/or models? Thanks for putting this information together Nick. In some places, this is all that some people spend their daytime doing. But every worker has to do this in the beginning. Less power consumption - Every time a water pump starts, it requires a short surge of electricity to get it up and running. If you are unable to get the cistern high enough to have enough water pressure, then you certainly could add a DC booster pump or pressure pump at the house to boost the pressure up to regular household pressure. Galvanized tank with an air valve works well. The major factor when choosing a pressure tank is the size. We recently replaced the water pressure tank in our new to us (old) home. This may not be a huge problem in the summer, but could result in a frozen hydrant in the winter. Cisterns are an off-the-grid passive water system that provides you some water pressure, if they’re elevated higher than the tap. They load up barrels of water and lug them home every day. They’re also reasonably cheap compared to alternatives. It keeps your water system pressurized when the water pump is not running. But we can live without electricity. Typically, starting and stopping a lot is hard on a water pump, so a larger tank should be easier on it. But in that one instance, having a large pressure tank is not quite as critical as it is in most other instances. That way, if the Water Worker model doesn't last well, it will at least be easy to change out :-). All rights reserved. When the big tank drops to the level the main system comes on. Instead, this system is more for portable settings, such as a tiny house, RV, camping setups for a season, or other temporary situations. cistern filled up nearby for fire season. The 2 things to look out for with frost free hydrants are: Anyhow, I REALLY like having a large supply of water on hand like you do. Once you've used enough water to drop the water pressure before a certain threshold, the water pump turns on again and pumps the pressure back up. Consistent cold requires heat. Maybe I'm not understanding the whole setup. And it probably needs to be replaced when your water pump is turning on more frequently than it used to. To have the pressure I use a shallow well pump with a small gallon pressure tank. Thanks for sharing! Every time you close the valve (turn the hydrant off), it opens a weep hole at the bottom of the hydrant (underground) and lets all the water above weep down into the ground. This form of water system has been around since Biblical times, with reference after reference made to them found in the pages of the ancient text. Hi Mike, Sounds like a nice water system you are setting up! As long as the bottom of the cistern is above the highest point of use, water will flow, you just need to use plumbing designed for low pressure … The family that built this one has done everything they can to get completely off-grid, and uses this water system (and another) to live a green life. I'd just couldn't bring myself to rely entirely on rain water, as I've been through too many droughts. We just finished our off grid water system and like you, opted for the larger pressure tank to reduce cycling of the pressure tank and booster pump. Thanks again for sharing. Good point, Dave. Use the mist spray for hot days on the boat, jet rinse to spray the mud from your tires, shower setting for getting the salt off you skin, or center spray for cleaning dishes on the go. The first, gravity-fed storage, has been used for millennia and relies on the force of gravity to push water through your pipes. Also a lot less pump starting and stopping as it drops over 500 gallons before restarting. You’ll just have to replace the barrels every now and then. The pressure tank stores the pressurized water of the booster systems working as … He had to imagine his workbench and parts. So I went with Schedule 80 unions (rather than the typical schedule 40) since they are stronger, and I also put some silicone lubricant on the o-rings to hopefully keep them supple and give a good seal. Greywater – used water from washing machines, sinks, tubs, showers, etc.Blackwater – used water from toilets or other water containing human wasteNote: There is a completely valid argument to be made about tub and shower water not being true greywater since it is likely to contain skin cells, microbes, and occasionally human waste (y’all … Years ago living in a small community we actually had a 1500 gallon tank that was used as our pressure tank. Depending on the pump, you might have to plumb in a bypass to circumvent it while repairing it. There should be no issue at all with leaving a frost free hydrant open for extended periods of time, as long as it is a time of year where there is no danger of it freezing. Off Grid Running Water Two main systems allow running water while off-grid. You can find rain barrels just about anywhere online from Wayfair to Amazon, Ace Hardware, and anywhere else that outdoor supplies are available. Whether you live in the city and want to have some back-up water sources – or green sources for watering the garden and lawn – or you’re a homesteader working on getting totally off-the-grid, these various water systems are likely to provide what you need. Do I still need a DC pump to push the water into the house , or is the pressure tank all I need? If you already have a pond on your land – or have the type of land where you could install one – this is a great alternative to many of the others for a backup water source. Wells are also one of the longest-lasting options out there, with less maintenance than many other systems, meaning that once you’ve drilled, you’re pretty much set for decades. Ponds are reasonably easy to maintain, which is a huge bonus, and they are refilled naturally by the rain, dew, and other natural sources of water – especially if you can somehow tie your pond into a natural spring on the land. And like you mentioned, it's important to have that extra capacity during fire season. In that case, you would want a pressure tank installed. Pressure tank A - shows the tank void of water and the factory precharged air pressure of 28 PSIG (pounds per square inch gauge) Pressure tank B - shows the water pressure; pumped up by the well pump, compressing the air chamber. Wind-powered systems are also best for locations without as much direct sunlight year-round as say, sunny Florida. You can also hire someone who’s more electrically inclined to install the system as well. This particular Instructables tutorial will help you figure out how to install your own solar-powered water system. You could actually do a lot with 12 PSI, but I would have done the same as you did--install a Dankoff booster pump to bump the pressure up. The first and potentially most logical option for any homesteader is digging a well. Rain Water Harvesting. 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