Choosing the Right Off-Grid Pump.
Many people are looking to become independent of the power grid and, as part of this quest, think they need to change their booster or well pump to something that is compatible with their off-grid solar system and battery bank.
If you go to a bakery and order a wedding cake and a birthday cake of the same flavor, you’ll know that it pretty much the SAME cake BUT you’ll pay much more for the wedding cake. Tacking the word “wedding” onto cakes, flowers and event locations seems to triple the price for some reason. In this same way, tacking on the work “off grid” or “solar” onto products for your off grid property jacks the price through the roof OR gets you some cheap chinese junk that will cause nothing but problems.
Just because you are going off-grid DOES NOT MEAN you need to purchase a special type of pump for your well that uses 12, 24 or 48 volts-even though these pumps exist. If you are going off grid you are more than likely installing solar/wind power generation equipment, but you’ll also be installing a battery bank and inverter that will give you standard 120/230 volt household current. KEEP your regular pump! Just make sure that your inverter can handle the household loads and the electrical load from your pumping equipment.
“Off grid” or “solar” pumps aren’t any better or more efficient, they just operate on DC current from your relatively low voltage battery and they do it very inefficiently! Why? Because the low voltage DC requires massive wire and has much more electrical losses due to resistance than the standard 120/230 volt AC pumps. Furthermore, you’ll pay through the nose. Save your money, it will go farther adding solar panels and battery banks then it will buying specialized overpriced or poor quality pumps. Why? Because investing in the solar panels and battery banks means that you’ll produce more power every time the sun shines whereas buying a different pump just means you are pumping the water with a different pump.
If you absolutely feel like you need a different pump for your off-grid transition, definitely check out our blogs on choosing the correct pump for your application, but skip the baloney about getting specialty “off grid” pumps. Stick with a tried a true pump from Franklin Water, Goulds or Grundfos and you’ll have a quality, efficient item that will last for many years.
Our team at OPS has helped our clients select the correct pumps for their off grid, agricultural, residential or commercial projects and can help you with your selection. Touch base with our experience crew today!
