I'm kicking around the thought of switching out the well pump to a larger one, but I need some advice.

Currently, the well puts out 27 gpm with a 1 hp motor. I can (and do) run a pipe to the pond to fill it, but I need to run the pump wide open to the pond to make a slight difference, and that means no water pressure in the house. If run at full capacity to the pond it will raise the water level 1/2" in approximately 13 hrs. at the current pond level. At full pool, the surface of the pond will increase by approx 3/8 to maybe 1/2 ac. Right now the pond is down 2'.

I can switch the pump to a 2 or 3 hp motor, each supplying 50 or 80 gpm respectively. The well aquafier and casing has the capability of supplying over 100 gpm.

The electric rate here is 9.8 cents per Kwh. Which pump would be cheaper for me to run over the long haul? I'm trying to figure out how to balance the increased electric consumption vs. lessened run time.

To drop a dedicated well for the pond would cost approx. $3500

This may be over simplifying, but it seems like the 2 hp pump would use 2x the electricity and deliver not quite 2x the water (2hp:1hp and 50:27 gpm), while the 3 hp pump would use 3x the electricity for 2 2/3 the water (3hp:1hp and 80:27 gpm). If you are delivering the same amount of water over a 24 hour period, I think running the 1 hp pump would be cheapest.

I wonder if it would be possible to run a very small pump just to pressurize water for the house from the 1 hp pump feed to the pond. I've never heard of anything that that being set up. If possible, this should cost less than getting a 2 or 3 hp pump.

A friend of mine does exactly that.He pumps from the well to a holding tank,then uses a smaller pump to pressure up the house.

Tom G: How does he do that? Would it be something like "t'ing" off the from the water supply to a one way valve, then to the pump that's governed by a pressure switch, then to a bladder tank, then to the house?

Theo, et all, another concern of mine is the amount of run time that I would have on that 1hp well pump. I don't know how many hours of run time they are designed for, but I figure I would be running it for roughly 24 days straight just to get the pond up to full pool, not taking into consideration the amount of water that would leak out in that time. Another reason for getting more GPM from the well.

I wonder if there are any satellite views of my place that are current as of late February thru early June of 2009? (to get a aerial shot of the pond at full pool).

esshup
Maybe that guy near Lakeville could give you some insight on the best way. He pumps at least once a week.

Dap,you talking about the pond about 3/4 miles South of Lakeville on the West side of 31?

Yep thats the one. I know he pumps quite often and has a big well. He might be able to shed some light on which way to go. I think he also digs ponds too.

I know the place. I heard that he had to make his pond much smaller because of the sandy soil. He couldn't keep it full with the amount of clay that he found, but after shrinking the pond, he was able to have enough clay to line it. That will give me a good excuse to hit the bait shop there as well.

esshup

I feed evening and when the time comes to put some in the frying pan I think I could just throw in a bare hook and they would take it. A fly rod would be a massacre.

esshup, I think the kind of system Tom G speaks of is what I use on my farm. You have a well that pumps into a holding tank which feeds a booster pump that goes to your pressure tank, then to where ever you need water. Here are some pics of the holding tank which holds 3000 gallons. The well head is next to the tank under the fake rock

the next pic shows the electric panel which controls the well pump, the limit probes in the storage tank and booster pump

this picture shows the two pressure tanks, the booster pump and pipe manifold with check valve the feeds my house, barns, automatic horse waterers, and irrigation for one acre of yard.

There are various on-off valves buried as the water pipe goes to the different areas so if a leak happens you don't have to shut off everything.

I think I got it now, thanks! Nice set-up. How warm does the water get in the holding tank?

Hot water temperature from holding tank isn't an issue here, so sure wouldn't be in your neck of the woods. However, cold temps up there could be an issue so far as the water freezing in the holding tank. Surely someone up there stores water during the winter, but they may have to bury the tank up there. Just don't know..du

I've got my bladder tanks 6' below grade in an old milk house, and I still have to run a heater in there from November thru April or they'll freeze.

That is just too cold for me I'll take the Texas heat!

I live in the city and weekend in the country. I have a simplified version of what David shows. Out of the 1/2 gpm well, into a 2,500 gallon holding tank, to a pump that goes to the pressure tank and then to the house. After twice freezing and busting the cast iron pump, I now drain the pump and pressure tank when I leave in the winter. It takes a couple of minutes to drain and about 1 minute to restart it. I put a cup of bleach into the holding tank twice a year to kill off algae but still buy drinking water. Standing water gets scummy.