Off-grid water
Water is the other half of living off the grid, and for most homesteads it starts with a well. This section covers pumping it with the sun, pumping it by hand, and the measurements that decide both.
Two numbers matter before any product does: how far down the water stands, and how wide the well casing is. Both are usually on the well log.
Solar Well Pumps: How They Work and How to Size One
How a solar well pump system works, the three things to find out before you buy, and how to size the pump and its solar array.
What Size Generator for a Well Pump: The Start Decides It
How big a generator a well pump needs: why the start sets the size, Franklin Electric's minimum generator for each submersible motor, and how to read a jet pump's code letter.
Hand Pump for a Well: Deep Well Kits by Depth and Casing
How to choose a hand pump for a well by the two measurements that decide it: the casing diameter that sets what fits, and the static water level each deep well kit is rated to reach.
Solar Well Pump Sizing Calculator
Total dynamic head and daily energy for a water pump, sized on the depth to standing water rather than the depth of the well.