Solar water pump

I wonder if it is cheaper to put together your own little solar pump system with a solar panel big enough to run the pump all day and charge a battery enough to run it all night. Any thoughts?

rubybeetle

I wonder how big the solar panel would need to be? WHile the idea of using solar power is very attractive to me, I don't fancy having some big panel up above my head while I'm walking around the garden.

My husband and I have been looking into the solar chargers that they put on electic fences. I would think something like this would work for a pump and it's not that intrusive.

Surely they have actual solar pumps out there.

True! I asked my husband what he could do to hide the panel. He said he could run a line underground to the panels on top of my shed, where they'd be out of the way.

That would work. But most of the panels we have priced have been crazy (like 20 grand or something like that). I couldn't see doing that for a pond, especially if you are going to be running lines underground anyway.

My entire solar system for my trailer-- four solar panels, six batteries, charge controller and inverter-- was under $3,000. My husband just did a huge solar job which had big solar panels with the highest output available for $1000 each. I don't think I need one that big for a pond. A friend said she saw some used ones on ebay, I think I'll check them out. I wish I could just plug in my pump to my current system, but it's stretched thin with the fridge.

We're not on the grid, we live in the middle of nowhere! But I still love it.

I'm new to this forum and quite a bit late on this thread but I saw this on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-2-5-Watt-Sol...QQcmdZViewItem

Originally Posted by Muttchaser

I'm new to this forum and quite a bit late on this thread but I saw this on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/New-2-5-Watt-Sol...QQcmdZViewItem

Interesting, I wonder if you can get one that has more the 45gph. Thanks cranking up my brain thoughts.

There are many good solar pond products out there if you know where to look. Oase has great pumps. Visit http://www.richdeer3pondsupplies.com and see the solar product pages. Good luck, Gail

Here is a Link from New York that specialises in Solar Panels..You can even build your own Panel for alot less money as they have kits available..

http://www.siliconsolar.com/

http://www.pondsonlinecanada.com/pumpssol.htm