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Back up power for SHTF

Tom396

Tom396

.30-06
Been looking at alternatives for long(er) term power during SHTF. I already have a backup generator that has served me well, but of course, it is limited to fuel supply. It also has to run at night, while I am worrying about, in the middle of the night. :)

I have looked at solar power panels. The one thing I have to have is water. I have well water. If I can supply power to my well pump, I basically have an unlimited water supply. I started looking at youtube videos about solar power for backup well pump power. I learned something, right away. The solar panels do not run the pump. The solar panels simply keep a bank of batteries charged that power the pump. I am thinking I could put a bank of batteries on a kid's wagon, along with a power inverter, and power the pump. I can keep the battery bank charged, with a trickle charger, til the power is out. Then I can even charge the batteries off the generator, while I am running the generator. Lastly, I can purchase a solar panel to charge those batteries, to save fuel and/or charge those batteries after the fuel is gone.

Think this is a solid logic? Think I can pull it off pretty cheaply? Take care. Tom Worthington
 
I enjoy working on things like this and am glad to offer what I can.

I wired up our cabin for solar this past spring. While the small 20 watt panel that I originally installed keeps the batteries charged between trips, it would be inadequate for recharging the batteries if we used it more, so I am replacing it with a 100 watt panel this week.

I have limited direct sun at the cabin and the panel only gets direct light about 3 hours a day, and in turn, only recharges the battery about 1/10 of a volt a day. So, is why I am getting a bigger panel so I can get (recharge) about a half a volt a day would be better for our needs. Especially with hunting seasons coming up.

If the panel got more direct sun, would obviously be more effective, but I'm not clear cutting the mountain side to do it. We've already cut about a half dozen small trees to get the limited sunlight that we're getting now.

You will need to place the panel where it will get as much direct sun as possible for it to work the most efficiently. If you're worried about theft, consider placing the panel on your roof and running wires to wherever you can (within a reasonable distance so as to not have too much power drop) and store your battery banks to make it as difficult as possible. Also, engrave your name on the frame of the panel somewhere in case it goes missing and your neighbor down the street suddenly "buys" a used solar panel at the flea market.

Let me ask you this.

Is your water pump 110v or 220v? I ask because most I have seen are 220v.

If you're just catching (say 20 gallons) of water a day for instance, a decent solar panel, appropriate charge controller and deep cycle battery should have no problem with that. The trick is, you'll have to have two 110v AC invertors hooked to the battery(s) to operate the pump if it is in fact a 220v pump. And you'll also need to find how many watts/amps your pump draws to ensure the invertors you choose are strong enough to work it.

Many people will often split up their panels and battery banks to dedicate to certain things. A water pump being one, and lighting would be another for instance. Many invertors won't be strong enough to run most big things in your home though. Water heaters, cook stoves, AC, etc.

But for lighting and other small things, work fine.

To try to make it simple, you will need at minimum a solar panel, charge controller (probably a 20 or 30 amp), and a good deep cycle battery. Either two 50 Ah rated batteries wired together positive to positive and negative to negative or a single 100 Ah battery should do fine. I bought my 100 Ah deep cycle at tractor supply for about $89. 100Watt panel is about $110, and 20A charge controller was about $20.

I have 2 different invertors for different things. An 800 Watt invertor for running sawz-alls and other small power tools, and a simple 100Watt cigarette lighter plug invertor for our lights. Both were under $100 combined.

I am using the 15w LED lightbulbs that are equivalent to 100 w incandescent lights and the 100w invertor is running them like a champ while not using a lot of power up from the battery.

If you are wanting to run big items like skill saws and the likes, you'll probably have to get upwards of a 1500 or 2000 watt invertor, but as I said, most of my power needs is for lighting and running a window box fan so the 800w invertor is hardly ever switched on unless I'm putting windows and doors and stuff in like I have been doing.

Hit me up if you have more questions.
 
My well's pump is 110V. There is actually a two outlet receptacle located inside the pump house. I can simply plug the pump into any 110v receptacle, including extension cords.

I was thinking of even pulling the solar panel and battery out into the center of the yard, when charging, and then pulling it back to the well when running the pump. Or, I could keep two batteries in rotation, one charging while the other one is running the pump. Take care. Tom Worthington
 
Since it's 110v, you just need to find the power ratings of the pump so we can find out how big of an invertor you need to run it.

If you need help determining what size invertor you need, I need to know the power (120) and you will need to tell me either the amps or the watts that the pump needs so I can use Ohms law to help you figure out what invertor you need.

Obviously, you will want to get at least that size, but you should always go bigger to help with startup (peak) power or if you want to run something else along with the pump.

Also, a large bladder tank would reduce the amount of time the pump will be running. And don't forget that the water will also be running through the hot water heater whether the breaker was on or not, so even while the hot water may not be hot, there will still be some reserve water pressure in it.

Question: Is the water pump plugged into the duplex outlet in the pump house, or at least on the same circuit in the breaker box as that outlet?

If it is and you plan on running anything else inside your house simultaneously, you can use an extension cord from the invertor and plug it directly into the outlet in the pump house and it will feed power back through that side of the breaker box. So whatever was on the same buss on the breaker box would be powered with no further wiring needed.

Naturally while you have the generator or invertor hooked to it, you would have to trip your main so it doesn't feed back out to the main electric line, and you would also want to turn off any double pole 220 breakers or any breakers that you don't need, but you could probably at least wire your house lights and pump up easily enough just by where the breakers are located in the panel. Also, you would have to put a male end on both sides of the extension cord to go from the invertor and into the duplex outlet but that's easy enough.

Just throwing out idea's to help make your life more simple and to help you save some time and wiring and stuff.
 
I was thinking of strictly a dedicated power supply for the pump. So I would keep the breaker off and not backfeed through that outlet. There is nothing else assigned to that breaker.

When I use the generator to run the house, I backfeed through a circuit in the garage. And, of course, I keep the main turned off.

I really just want something to insure a constant supply of water. I think of most everything else as a luxury in a SHTF. :D Take care. Tom Worthington
 
I understand and agree.

I don't have a well or pump so in a long term power failure, I will be using gravity fed water filters and carrying water quite some distance.

But if you need help determining what size invertor you need for your pump, just get me the amount of amperage the pump is rated at and I'll help you determine the size of the wattage the invertor has to be to keep you in running water.
 
John A. said:
I understand and agree.

I don't have a well or pump so in a long term power failure, I will be using gravity fed water filters and carrying water quite some distance.

But if you need help determining what size invertor you need for your pump, just get me the amount of amperage the pump is rated at and I'll help you determine the size of the wattage the invertor has to be to keep you in running water.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I will do that. Take care. Tom Worthington
 
Well (no pun intended), I took a look at what I have. There is a data plate on the pump motor, but it has degraded too much to make out any details. I found a label that called it a Myers HJ60D pump. From my research, it appears that particular model is no longer being made.I did find a Myers HJ50D, and I suspect my pump must be similar. I can see that my pump is 1/2HP and the HJ50D is also 1/2HP. The next size up is an HJ75D which is 3/4HP. I see something called SFA that is 10/5. Perhaps that is startup and running amps? Not as much info, online, is available as I thought it would be. Take care. Tom Worthington
 
Lots of great information and lots to think about. I do think I am going to do something, though. Probably very slowly. LOL. Take care. Tom Worthington
 
i have a few items for power
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shopping
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