Water Pumping

The image of a rural water pump and wind mill is iconic, though perhaps few in the cities even know that’s what they’re for. Water pumping is a major part of producing plants or animals. As the cost of energy has gone up, many farmers and ranchers in North America are giving wind-powered water pumping another chance.

Areas with enough wind to operate a water pump are relatively common in rural areas west of the Mississippi. It is always a good idea to check with the national weather service to see what sort of winds you should expect in your area. However, it is always a good idea to check the wind speeds at your intended location with an anemometer over the course of several days or weeks before you even consider making a wind powered water pump purchase. Pumps are not very efficient outside the middle of their range of rotational motion.

When designing a water pumping system, wind turbines must be matched to the type of pump you’re using as well as your pumping requirements and local conditions. Figure out how much water you need to supply under normal and extreme conditions.

You’ll also need to know how far the water has to travel up, the diameter of the hole and what pressure is required for the above ground delivery system. The type of wind mill powered water pump you intend to use will determine what type and how big of a wind generator you need.

In many rural areas, the cost of wind mill water pump systems is completely offset in the first few years of operation even if commercially generated power is available. However, a great many farms and ranches don’t even have the option, so the technology is well suited to agricultural needs.

Wind powered water pumps made in recent years are designed to run even more smoothly than their predecessors of just 20 years ago, even if they do look the same as wind mill water pumps of 100 years ago. Specifically, they don’t wear out the bearings at nearly the same rate and vibration levels are cut way down for very quiet operation.

Areas that receive very regular winds, even if they aren’t that all that strong, are very good places to consider using wind to power water pumps. It is imperative that water levels be monitored periodically to ensure they’re functioning at peak performance. Old or worn pump gaskets can cause an otherwise well-functioning wind powered pump system to deliver less water than you’d calculated.