Question for the Electricity Smarties

[iheartmaytag]

When I bought my house three years ago, I was thrilled that it had a well/pump for irrigation. The first year it wasn't used because it was so late in the season. Last year I didn't use it because it was such a wet Spring/Summer/Fall it wasn't needed. So this year is the first time I hooked up the pump and was very happily surprised it worked.

So I was watering my garden with "free" water when the neighbor says. "You know it cost more to run that pump than to just use city water didn't you?"

Well I hadn't thought of that, but still felt the well water without chlorine was better for the plants. He said that running the 1/2 horse water pump was the same as running the central A/C unit.

Do any of you know if this is true, or is he just full of old pooty? Even if I were better off using city water, I still like the idea that if water restrictions were implimented I wouldn't have to comply with non watering outside.

Opinions?
Now discuss.

 

[joelippard]

I'm no electricity expert

but common sense tells me the "free" well water is cheaper than paying for the chlorine brew.

 

[toggleswitch]

~He said that running the 1/2 horse water pump was the same as running the central A/C unit.

The only way to know for sure it to check the WATTAGE draw. (NOT THE AMPS).

BTW the A/C unit is probably on a 220v 30a to 50a circuit. I GUARANTEE you the wiring to the pump is less substantial. So it CAN'T be drawing the same wattage.

besides I sincerely doubt your well-pump will be on for more than a few hours at a time.

He's just envious that your hose and spigot floweth over!

 

[foraloysius]

1/2 HP equals 373 Watts. That means you can run this pump for three hours on 1KWh. So, what do you pay the electricity company for just one KWh? 20 cents? A lot less? Seems to me your neighbour doesn't know a thing about this.

 

[toggleswitch]

The only way city water is possibly less expensive is if it is unmetered and/or you pay by frontage.

Still, I have to agree, your private water source is probably less expensive.

City water company is paying to run a pump and rent, and salaries, and heat and benefits and ...... get the point?

 

[iheartmaytag]

Thanks you put my mind at ease.

Toggles,
Yes, the pump is a standard 110 three prong plug so you are correct.
Our city water is metered and they just got another increase up 15% from last year where they had another 15% increase for guess what? We hadn't used enough water to pay overhead.

Our standard water bill with no usage what-so-ever is $23. then they charge by the 1,000 gallons, plus sewer is added to that and an equal amount which never made sense to me because if you are irrigating the lawn/garden/flowers you aren't sending tht used water back to the sewer.

We have a very high water table in my area so you can hit good clean water at about 10 feet. My well is 25ft to insure it is cleaner with less ground level infiltrates.

Anyway what he said mades some sense to me because the compressor on the A/C probably isn't more than 1/2 horse. I knew you guys would put my mind at ease.

I planted a large garden this year: Tomatoes, Potatos, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Carrots, Cucumbers, Beats Peppers, Radishes, Of course Sunflowers are manditory as it's the state flower, and Marigolds thus far. Will add Dill, Basil, Thyme, Lavender and as things warm up Okra, and Pumpkins for later.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Oh Foraloysius

I forgot to thank you too.
Good to know the watt usage. Thats what I was needing. According to the electric company website a 3 ton A/C units cost about 57cents an hour to run. So Water pump is much less and you are correct. It wouldn't run more than a couple of hours at that.

 

[toggleswitch]

.
~1/2 HP equals 373 Watts.
That is 0.373 KWH per hour.

~According to the electric company website a 3 ton (that is 36,000 BTU/h) A/C unit costs about 57 cents an hour to run.
At $0.20 per HWH that's about 3,000 watts draw or 3 KWH per hour.

The horsepower is the same? I DON'T THINK SO!

 

[panthera]

There are two other factors involved

I agree that, all else being equal, the pumped water from your own well is going to be considerably cheaper and most likely healthier.
There are, however, two things you should check. One, is the city billing you for the water which falls on your land through rain/snow? If you are "recycling" that water, in some places at least, they have to reduce the bill by that amount. It makes up over 50% of the water bill in much of the Rocky Mountain West as water is billed both as fresh water and drainage.
Two, if the well wasn't used for a while you ought to see what the nitrates, heavy metals, etc. levels are. Probably fine, but well worth checking.
Good luck with your garden!

Oh, and, just out of curiosity, how many gallons can your pump provide per 60 seconds? With that information, we can figure your real cost per 1000 gallons for well water versus city.

 

[iheartmaytag]

as water is billed both as fresh water and drainage

Well hush, I don't think the goobers at city hall have thought of that one yet.

The town about 20 miles away where my Uncle lived started taxing water wells to encourage city well usage. He finally had to cap his well because it was costing too much.

"Oh, and, just out of curiosity, how many gallons can your pump provide per 60 seconds"

I have no freaking idea. It will run two 3/4 water hoses with sprinklers on them.

 

[petek]

We have an irrigation system on a well as well. They call them sand-point wells around here, not sure if that's the all over term or not. It's great and certainly cheaper than using city water at the rates we're charged. Besides our well water has quite a bit of iron in it which is actually good for the lawn and many plants. You don't want it spraying on the house or anything because it will create rust stains. Our water table is much like yours,, about 15 or so feet to hit water and it's all sand above it. Fab for gardening . no clay at all, just topsoil over sand. When we were first moving here I told my partner about the whole neighborhood being built on sand and he didn't believe me till he went to plant his first rose bush.

 

[mattl]

I've often thought of putting in some sort of well for watering the lawn. I put in an underground system for the lawn a few years back, costs $400-500 a season, bit much. We live on sand and gravel, high water table. All the neighbors have sump pumps, we are the highest so we do not. But.... that brings me to my next idea.

Everyone pumps their sump into the storm sewer and it's always full of water, I've been thinking about just running a pump from there. Might have some water tested before I do anything, but it's tempting.

 

[toggleswitch]

Too much chance for contamination, I'd say.........

 

[mixfinder]

Not so Much

I have had my own well and my parents have had one for 45 years. They water lawn, some pasture and water 150 animals with their well. In addition they have an irrigation pump which runs all summer. They use electricity to heat water, dry clothes and cook and their bills average $80.00 a month. I wouldn't worry.

 

[sudsmaster]

This house has a well with a 3/4 HP pump (220 volt). I've never done the calculation but I'm pretty sure that what with surcharges for extra water use, the well is cheaper than city water.

I had the well water tested when I first got the place, and the nitrates are too high for it to be potable. Since then a neighboring condo complex has had a sewer leak fixed and the well water smells much better, but I only use it for watering the front lawn and the garden in back, as well as a number of containerized dwarf citrus trees in the courtyard. The electric bill goes up slightly in the summer when the well is required to irrigate the property. I use city water in the house for everything, and also for topping off the fish pond.

 

[tolivac]

No question run the pump instead of using the utility-public water supplyesp in my area-the water is cheap-but the cost to use the pump is cheaper.A half hpinduction motor running from 120V draws 6-7A at 120V.No question that is far less than your AC compressor motor-in my unit-15A at 240V.most household HVAC fan motors would be half hp too-and run from 240V-draw about 3-4A.The well water for lawn and garden watering may not be potable-but its good enough for watering.and I would agree chlorine treated water may not be good for plants.My Moms house in florida had a pump and well watering system-and a timer for the sprinklers.The amount of time the pump was running is not enough to cry about for power cost.The AC will run longer than the watering pump.

 

[alr2903]

Use the well, I finished my teenage years with the parents in a house with a drilled well. Dad was always fearful during very dry periods. Mom always made sure we showered and used the most water while he was at work. Mom's are very clever. To cut to the chase, the house has had rural water supply for about 20 years now. yes, we took long showers, and that same submersible pump has been in the well since 1968, watering gardens, and livestock. My parents are now gone, my brother lives in the house. My mom used to say, using it is what made it last so long. The electricity is negligible, but try not to let your pump set idle for long periods wash cars or something. I think ole putty does not have another source for water, that works. alr2903

 

[toggleswitch]

The amperage on anything will be 1/2 using 220v than what it will be using 110v. WATTAGE is what to compare.

Dads fear: Wouldn't it have been wiser to TELL him:

We have never had a problem and use water like crazy during the day. You fears are unfounded... get over them.

Asking people to adjsut their (twisted) thinking to reality is not a crime or a sin, anywhere!

*WINK*

 

[sudsmaster]

Apples and oranges.

I don't quite understand the value in comparing the power draw of a well pump vs. an air conditioner when trying to figure out if using pumped well water is cheaper than using city water.

Apples and oranges.

The proper way to analyze this would be to calculate the amount of flow the well pump produces per hour at full flow, what the KWh would be for that flow, and compare it to the incremental cost of drawing that water from the city supply.

All the rest is just worthless speculation.

 

[volsboy1]

LOL the person who told you that is a total idiot.Depending on A/c size like for instance ours draws close to 40 Amps after you add up the blower/compressor/and the condensor fan outside.Our system is kinda old here at the farm the Heat pump/A/c and that is 220 Volts.Don't even pay any attention to your neighbor's comments.Hell the condensor fan on the part that sits outside is a 1/3 H.p. A.o. Smith motor.Its the compressor that is the power hog on A/c systems.Your getting free water at that it sounds like he might have a well he has not told you about and is worrying about himself..This sounds to odd and out here in the country everbody is on a well and it sounds like how folks think around here.This family hates that one cause now his well is dried up cauz he drilled his to close to mine.