# Irrigation question guys!



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

I own 650 feet of water frontage. My home is about 300 feet away, and elevated about 15 to 20 feet above water elevation. I want to run a pump from the waterfront to my lawn, for irrigation purposes alone. I want to run the pump directly into a waterline that will run anywhere from 4 to 6 rainbirds. I'm not going to use a pressure tank or switch. The pump will directly pressurize the waterlines and pressure would be regulated by the amount of sprinklers engaged via valves. My question is....What size pump? I'm running 1 inch line. Input would be appreciated. Thank you.


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## Morgan (Oct 26, 2006)

Well a well pump would be running @ about 50 to 75 psi with a volume of around 5 gallons a minute. That is were I would think that you would want your pump to run at.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

So Morgan, do you think that something like say a half horse to a horse pump would keep up with the distance and rise, and pressurize and deliver enough yield to 6 rainbirds? I figured I could add or subtract sprinklers to get the desired flow and pressure of about 55 to 60 psi. Just seeing if you would think that would work?


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## Morgan (Oct 26, 2006)

http://store.waterpumpsupply.com/fwseprspandi.html

This might help you, I would go with something like this.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Hey, thanks a bunch Morgan. I'm still a couple months out before the ground thaws for trenching, but I'm already looking for my parts! I was going to go with a plain old submersable water well pump, but I think you prompted me in the right direction for something that I'll need for continious operation. I already was given a bunch of 1 inch poly pipe. I think that should be large enough for running up to 6 rain birds. I emailed them about what size pump I might need. The lack of snow "here" leads me to believe that it will be real dry this summer. I want to keep our trees green no matter what.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Hey Morgan....Or anyone else for that matter.......I have the chance to buy a used Gould 1.5 HP 10 gallon per minute pump. Are these a pump that could be rebuilt if need be? It comes with a new controller box for $250 but is used. Tested perfectly the fellow says. Still waiting for the model number, but would love your input guys!


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## kau (Sep 15, 2003)

Did you buy it? How did it work out?


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## Morgan (Oct 26, 2006)

Im not real sure, our irrigation looks like this. LOL


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## Panhandle_Stan (May 21, 2011)

I was wondering how it turned out? Did you end up using rotors or impact heads?


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Well..... Nothing at the moment. I bought a 250 gallon water tank on wheels and intend doing some sort of pump but this project is on hold at the moment as my wifes dad has been in the hospital with heart and breathing problems.


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## Panhandle_Stan (May 21, 2011)

Sorry to hear about the illness in the family.
Here's some info. 
1' head = .433 PSI 
Sch 40 1" is rated for 12 gpm max flow.
PSI loss = 3.36 / 100'
So you start with a loss of 18.74 PSI at 12 GPM through your 1" pipe. 
You should size your pump for the Design pressure of the heads plus the loss plus 10 % of that total.
Depending on what head you use, you can run 1 or several.


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

Hey Panhandle Stan, thanks for the "English" measurements, all of my reference material is in Metric so I knew that it would be pretty useless to the general public in the States, and I haven't had much of a chance to convert it yet.
Cheers
:aussie:


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## Priority1 (Jun 28, 2011)

Here is a link to a 1-1/2 HP Wayne pump that I used at my place.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wayne-WLS150-1-1-2-HP-Cast-Iron-Lawn-Sprinkling-Pump-/250843418888?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a676ed108

I think I paid around $200 at one of the big box stores.

I pump out of Lake Huron and have this pump connected as follows.

Electrical 230VAC 15A (Could wire 115V but not as efficient).

Suction; 1-1/2 inch poly connected to a brass ck valve and 2 inch PVC well point about a foot below the water surface. The pipe is buried to the edge of the water and placed between 6 ft fence posts in the water to keep it in place during the strong storms we sometime get. The last two fence posts are drilled to accept two inch U Bolts to hold the well point secure and at the proper elevation. The well point works well as a screen but has to be cleaned regularly before each use and sometimes during. Anything in the waves gets sucked up to the point.

Discharge; I have two 1-1/4 inch lines one on the N. and one on the S. side of my property. These lines are buried with valve boxes about every 100 ft so I can hook hoses up.

The fence posts do double duty. I use them for snow fence in the Winter.

I would like to dig a shallow well close to lakeside so I wouldn't have to keep cleaning the well point in the lake. I was also considering using the well for a geothermal heat pump. In the Summer I could use the discharge for irrigation, and use a another well for discharge in the Winter. A 3 ton unit would be adequate to cool and would provide approximately 1/2 the heat required on our coldest days. Our temp extremes are generally 90F to -10F but have seen colder and hotter.

Anyone have any well experience???


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

You guys up there are so lucky to have water, Tractorbeam asked me what depth my groundwater was at, I spoke to the local driller the other day and he said that for one of my neighbors he went down 70 metres (200 feet) before getting any water worth mentioning, at $40.00 a metre it will be cheaper to truck the water in!!!!


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## Priority1 (Jun 28, 2011)

farmertim said:


> You guys up there are so lucky to have water, Tractorbeam asked me what depth my groundwater was at, I spoke to the local driller the other day and he said that for one of my neighbors he went down 70 metres (200 feet) before getting any water worth mentioning, at $40.00 a metre it will be cheaper to truck the water in!!!!


Tim, I do a lot of walleye fishing and some salmon fishing. I do feel blessed every time I'm on or near one of the GLs. I hope that I never take it for granted. I think wells here would cost even more.


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

farmertim said:


> *You guys up there are so lucky to have water*, Tractorbeam asked me what depth my groundwater was at, I spoke to the local driller the other day and he said that for one of my neighbors he went down 70 metres (200 feet) before getting any water worth mentioning, at $40.00 a metre it will be cheaper to truck the water in!!!!


You're so right Tim. I consider myself as being one of the fortunate. Last place we lived at, during normal weather yrs, static water level was ~20' come late summer, early fall. During a normal wet winter I could go out to the garden and 2 shovels down and I'd have standing water. Here at the new place, I'm on a hill side, well is about 175' and I have a 15/gal/min well with high qlty water and little to no mineral content.

I am very fortunate but this kind of water availability is not universally true for the whole country.


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