Comments on: The Challenge

By: waterbuck

waterbuck — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 01:58:19 +0000

Greater than 700′

By: bill perryman

bill perryman — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 20:02:31 +0000

what is the maximum static depth ?

By: waterbuck

waterbuck — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 00:02:27 +0000

Kelli,
I am sorry to hear about the problems you have had. Yes, an AC or DC water pump driven by alternative energy systems can work with the WaterBuck. The conditions have to be favorable to allow both pumps within the same casing. A lot of DC well pumps use a flexible drop pipe which makes the installation process easier. Please let us know if we can help you with a water supply system for your needs.

By: Kelli Otting

Kelli Otting — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:46:42 +0000

Our well is 300 ft deep with a static water level of 200 feet. We installed a simple pump with disastrous results and lots of wasted money. The gear motor didn’t work and we ended up losing over $200 on the return because Simple Pump didn’t live up to their promises. I, too, wish this was available when we went through the agony of our Simple Pump. The Simple Pump hand pump is nonfunctional right now… not that we’re surprised. We’re looking for a replacement. Can a driven pump work with the WaterBuck Pump? We want a hand backup but a driven pump from alternate energy.

By: waterbuck

waterbuck — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 03:40:14 +0000

Thanks for the clarification. That’s a nice well you have. The deeper the well the better the water in most cases.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 03:11:00 +0000

Our well depth is actually 400ft. 0-2ft through loom, 2-40ft through white limestone, 40-400 feet through white/gray bedrock. There is an operational 3/4hp submersible pump at the bottom which we do not currently use (it was installed when the well was drilled by the previous owner of our property).

The static level is indeed 80ft, but my comment stating we pump from 200ft was a typo. It should have read ~100ft, which is the depth where our Simple Pump pump cylinder is.

By: waterbuck

waterbuck — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 00:50:55 +0000

Tyler,

Thanks for sharing your experience!

By: Tyler

Tyler — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 12:16:37 +0000

My wife and I have been pumping all of our water with a Simple Pump (from a depth of 200ft) on our off-grid homestead for the last six months. We use less than 10 gallons per day, which equates to about 3 minutes of pumping between us (this is for drinking, showering and cleaning, we have a composting toilet).

I think the EPA’s guideline of 80-100 gallons per person per day is a bit disingenuous to use as a metric for a family who is pumping their own water. As soon as water stops spewing forth from a tap on demand, usage falls drastically.

At the moment, our system works perfectly, but our water needs are very small. In the future we will need a cistern to handle situations where we require a high volume of water in a short period of time (watering our future gardens, pressure washing, etc). I project that keeping it full with higher usage will require 10-15 minutes of pumping each day.

I wish I had known the WaterBuck existed at the time we installed our Simple Pump! I might have chosen it instead.

Tyler
Off Grid Homesteading – http://goingslowly.com