Very Low watt pump

[gavinl]

Hi all

I am new to Aquaponics and was hoping for a little advice about pumps. I live in a solar house (240volt - although 12 or 24v could be hooked in directly) and as the pumps seem to be on most of the time (is that correct?), would like to get a pump with a very low energy usage. I noticed that one of the pumps on the site is rated at 75 watts, which would seem quite good, but 75 x 24 hrs adds up to quite a bit of energy.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

gav

PS: I take it that I'll need two pumps...would that be correct?

[GaryD]

Hi GavinL,

If your system gravity-feeds from the grow beds back into the fish tank, you'll only need one pump. If, however, your growbeds do not gravity feed and you use a sump tank, then you'll need two pumps.

The wattage of your pumps depends on how much water you want/need to pump. I have a 45 watt pump thatis rated at 4,500 litres of water per hour......and other one which is 6,600 litres per hour that is 110 watts.

How long your pump runs depends on the type of system configuration you opt for. For example, you may choose to use flood and drain gravel grow beds which you can set up to irrigate for 15 minutes in the hour....using an electric timer (with 15 minute increments). Similarly, if you use float valves, your pumps will kick in (or out) depending on the water levels in your various tanks.

Alternatively, you may choose to use autosyphons to control your pumping cycles....which will require a continuous pumping regime.

Gary

[Murray]

Hi Gav,
I use two pumps.
From the fish tank to the grow beds is a 240 volt x 700 watt x 15,000 ltrs per hour pump. It only runs once every 40 to 45 minutes and then the actual run time is 3 to 4 minutes. So the actual watts used is very small.
The other pump that moves the water from the collection sump back to the fish tank is 240 volt x 300 watt. It runs about every 5 - 7 minutes or so for about 3 minutes. That is, 5 to 7 minutes off then 3 minutes on.
My pumps are controled by float switches.
So, once again the actual watts used is really low.

I have a 2300 ltr tank with 4 x 585 ltr grow beds and one 250 ltr grow bed.
I also run another smaller pump on a seperate smaller system which is a 90 watt pump x 4000 ltrs per hour. I run that pump continuously....don't really need to.
Murray

[fishfood]

Hi gav my system now runs 2 1/2 min in the hr from 8.30 in the morning to 5.30 at night its an ex pool pump high volume the experts tell me the whole system costs $35 to $40 a year power to run

[Quietly]

Hi Gavin,
I am currently running one pump per grow bed. Currently only one growbed is being used but I have 2 in the system. I am using flood and drain and the pump in on continuously for 16 hrs/day. My pumps are 3000L/h with a 240V rating of 66W.
As you may now begin to understand the setup you choose combined with the size of the system and the way you choose to move the water through the system will ultimately decide the size of the pump you will need to complete the task.
As a guide only the manual for my pump gives the following data on their range of pumps (Waterwerks)
At 240V
750lph = 10.5W, 1200lph = 14.5W, 1500lph = 25W, 2000lph = 48W and 3000lph = 66W
Quietly

[GaryD]

Hi,

I should also have mentioned that I use a small 1000lph (10 watt) submersible pump to irrigate a one square metre gravel/expanded clay grow bed.....using an electric timer to switch the pump on for 15 minutes in every hour.

Gary

[gavinl]

Thanks Gary and Murray.

Sounds like I am jumpimg the gun and should wait until I design the system first - not long now until my book, cd and dvd will arrive. I reckon from both your replies that it will be possible though, which is great.

thanks heaps

gav

[gavinl]

Thanks also Fishfood and Quietly

Seems there are many approaches and a good design (like when building a house) is the most important thing.

Much appreciated

gav

[Murray]

Gav,
One of the Forum members, I think it might be Jimbo, runs his whole house..everything on solar and wind.
Perhaps he might jump in here and be of assistance.

Yes it is Jimbo....link to his thread...http://www.aquaponicshq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17

He will have the knowledge......

[Jimbo]

As Murray correctly says my whole house, and the shed where the Aquaponics system is being built, runs on solar and wind power.
I will recap a little on my plans- I have the big 15000l/hour pump which Murray sells and the current plan is for it to just run for just 3 or 4 minutes an hour- total estimated power usage in 24 hours should be about 700wH ie less than 1kwH which would be about 10-12 cents a day if I were on the grid. Clearly this would not be a problem for town folk. The system is still in construction phase so I might have to modify this estimate when it really starts.
I was going to make a few other suggestions but really all that needs to be said has been in previous posts on this thread.
There is nothing quite like a strictly limited power supply to focus the thoughts on how best to use the least energy. Sun for heat if possible and gravity for water return are just 2 clear needs for my system. Maximum use of these forces will naturally reduce total costs of running an AQ setup.