xt7hhm52h83z https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7hhm52h83z/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1938 journals kaes_circulars_003_319 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 319 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 319 1938 2014 true xt7hhm52h83z section xt7hhm52h83z COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Extension Division
THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean and Director
CIRCULAR NO. 319
ELECTRICALLY OPERATED WATER SYSTEMS
FOR FARMS
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Lexington, Ky.
September, 1938
_ Published in connection with the agricultural extension work carried on by cooper-
ation of the College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, with the U. S. Department
Of Agriculture and distributed in furtherance of the work provided for in the Act oi
Clmgrcss of May 8, 1914. \

 "i
CONTENTS
-7 Page
(Jost ol` pumping equipment ....,........................4 3
Cost ol operation ......................,.,............... 4
Selecting a water-supply system ......................,..... E;
\Vater requirements ..................................  
Source ol` water ...........,.......................... 5
Types ol` water-supply systems .......,...........,........, 7 I
Gravity system ..A.....................,.....,....... 7 lglfil
cnu
Hydro-pneumatic or pressure—tank system .............. 8 and
Pneumatic or air-lift system .............. . ..........,. 9 {
Factors to consider in selecting a pump ..................... l0 SVSU
- Friction in pipes .................. , .....,............ I0 I .
Lift by suction ...................................... ll ·
Capacity ol pump .................................... l4 ‘
Discharge head ,.................,..............l.... 15
Type ol pump ................................,.,........ Iii
Centrifugal ...........,....,......................... li} dri`
Reciprocating, plunger type .......................,... I8
Typical pump installations ......,...................,.... 20 T
l·`or shallow wells ....,........,....................,.. 20
l·`or deep wells ...............,................,,..... 23
Pump jacks for hand pumps already in place ............. 24
Storage tanks ........................................,... 24
For the gravity system ...............,................ 24
For the hydro-pneumatic system ...........i........... 25
Electric motors lor water systems ........................... 27 léli
Protecting the water supply system ........................ 250  
Sewage disposal ...............,........,...._.,,,..,..... 30 hn
Data blank ....,,........................................ 3l of
wt

 Circular N0. 319
cs 1;
3 ‘
Al ELECTRICALLY OPERATED WATER SYSTEMS .
G FOR FARMS
  By J. B. maooxs , `
5 ___ .
7 Extension ol rural electric lines in Kentucky has increased in-
, terest in the use of electricity [or pumping water on the [arm. This
1 circular presents information which will be helpful in the selection
h and application of electrically operated water systems [or farm use.
9 Conveniences that may be provided thru the use of a water
U system are: ,
0 A convenient water supply in the kitchen and bathroom.
I A plentiful water supply for livestock. y
4 Better sanitary arrangements for the dwelling. l
5 A limited degree of hre protection.
`_ Irrigation of vegetables and crops.
(1
6 Advantages of electrically operated water systems over those
8 driven by other forms of power are:
Automatic control. `
il) Adaptability.
TU Safety.
iii Cleanliness.
H Moderate initial cost.
H Economy of operation.
24 THE COST OF PUMPING EQUIPMENT
Z5 The cost of an electric water system should be considered in
27 terms of the conveniences provided thruout the li[e ol the system.
$0 Thru proper care and operation, a pump and electric motor may
$0 he expected to last l5 to 20 years. Plumbing Hxtures and piping
° have been known to last 40 to 50 years, depending upon the quality
gl of materials [rom which they are made.
. Pumps of 250 gallons per hour capacity, Hgure 2, for shallow
wells, cisterns or springs where the water level at the source is not \

 "i
el lxenlucky Exten.rio·n Circtz/ur No. 319
more than 22 feet below the pump, cost $60 to $70, complete with to be
motor, 42-gallon tank and switches. Pumps of similar capacity, WMQ1
(figure 12), for wells where the lift exceeds 22 feet, cost from $140 to iyangg
$190, motor, well cylinder, drop pipe and #12-gallon tank included, W0111<
These prices differ in different localities and with different manu. R ma
facturers. The cost of installation is not included.
The cost of piping can be determined after it is known where 1
the water is to be pumped and the sizes of pipe that are to be used, 1110 1
The sizes of pipe may be calculated or this information may be 111 W
obtained from pump manufacturers. Plumbing fixtures for the 101111
bathroom, kitchen and laundry differ in cost. Seryiceable fixtures 1110 `
may be obtained at moderate prices. 1)-
lf circumstances do not permit the installation of a water supply 1111%
system for the entire farm, the system may be developed in units as 1111)
` finances permit. For instance, the hrst improvement may be zi 111111
pump with water piped to the kitchen; later a bathroom may be me
added; and then water provided for livestock at other buildings.
Future water requirements should be kept in mind when buying H
the pumping equipment.
lf w
COST OF OPERATION P11111
Faux
The cost of pumping water varies according to the amount re- Run
quired, depth of well, pumping pressure, and the efficiency of the  
pumping equipment. Shallow-well outfits generally require 1 to One
1% kilowatt hours of electricity to pump 1000 gallons of water. gg]
Dee >-well >um as use 11%, to 2 kilowatt hours in mm >in<»· the same Law
1 1 1 .- 1 1 s I __
amount.  
. W s
By referring to table 1, the amount of water to be used on the farm can i
be determined; then the cost of pumping by electricity is found as in the ‘
following example:
5 persons at 35 gallons per day ................................................ 175 gallons
4 horses at 12 gallons per day ......................................,.,........... 48 gallons 11*0
30 sheep at 1 gallon per day .......................................................... 30 gallons M.,
10 cows at 12 gallons per day ........................................................ 120 gallons 1
15 hogs at 2 gallons per day ..............................................,........... 30 gallons ·1 S1
200 chickens at 5 gallons per day per 100 .........................,...,...... 10 gallons (iu
Total daily requirement .....................................,.,...,...,...,.. 413 gallons 1118
That is, 413 gallons of water are required on this farm each day; thorq- 111
fore 12,390 gallons will be required per month. If a shallow-well pump 15 gill

 Electrically ()[2cratcd l/Valor Systems for 1·`arms 5
I to be used which requires 1% kw. hrs. of electricity to pump 1000 gallons of
·_ water, then 18% kw. hrs. will be required to pump a month’s supply. As-
' suming a charge of 6 cents per kw. hr. for electricity, the cost of pumping
»’ water for this farm would be $1.11 per month. With a good hand pump. it
l_ would take 31.hou.rs to pump a month’s supply for this farm. On this basis,
a man’s time is worth about 3% cents an hour for pumping water.
 
SELECTING A WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM V
C Wa/cr Iiequircnimzls. The quantity ol water needed daily 011
l_ the [arm is an llll1)()l`l21llL [actor to consider i11 determining the kind
C ol water supply system that should be used. The 2llll()lll1L ol water
C required per day depends upon the number illltl kind of livestock, `
iS the number ol persons. and sanitary arrangements provided (table
l). ll the source is adequate, the use ol water for livestock, sprink-
\. ling the lawn, and as a protection against {ire should be considered
lis i11 planning the system. The [ollowing table may be used in deter» .
H mining the average water requirement per day on Z1 [arm and the
W size ol pump Zlll(l storage tank that should be used. ¤
s.
Q Table 1. Average amount of water required for certain uses, per day.
Use Gallons
lf water is carried ...................................................................... per person 4 to 6
Pump at kitchen sink ........................,............,.......................... do 6 to 8
Faucet at kitchen sink ............................................................ do 10 to 15
e- Running hot and cold water in kitchen .......................... do 15 to 20 ·
IC Co1nplete system in kitchen, bathroom, and laundry ...... do 30 to 40
One horse, mule or cow (drinking water) ................................................ 10 to 12
.o One sheep o1· hog .................................,............................................................ 1 to 2
1, 100 chickens ..............................................................................................,......, 3 to 5
` Soaking the lawn, per 100 square feet ........................................................ 20
1e Lawn sprinkler .............................................................................. per hour 120
15-inch hose with nozzle, 20-40 pounds pressure ............ per hour 200
”i-ll1Cl1 hose with nozzle, 20-40 pounds pressure ................ per hour 300
m Washing dairy barn and milk room floors and utensils .... per cow 15
ae ‘ i ”_‘!_jii{i4 KKVK
ns Srntrcc of l*l’rt/cr. Electrically operated water svstems may be
ns used in pumping water from wells. springs. cisterns. larm reservoirs.
  or streams. Having determined lllC water requirement on the larm.
ns it Satisfactory and reliable source of water should be selected. ln
Us >rts   T   2
[1 5UCTION :27;     , _€&g, ·   §
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(i Frcumz 2. A typical hydropneumatic or pressure-tank system.
H is expensive,   the cost of electrical energy for operation is slightly
is more than for the gravity system because of frequent starting and
,y stopping of the motor.
he I’neunmIir· or Air-l[f/ Systzrvzt. Compressed air is used in this
qt: system to raise water directly from the well to the outlets. Com-
ie pressed air is led thru a pipe down into the well into a submerged
foot piece. The air lifts water by way of a vertical delivery pipe
a lo the surface and to the outlets. The main advantages are dur-
JC ilbility, large capacity, fresh water supply, freedom from danger of
ui freezing, and adaptability to drawing from a crooked well or from \

 `i
10 Kentucky EXli€7Z1.S`l-071 Circular No. 319
several widely separated wells, with one power unit. The disad- shar1
vanta es are hi h cost, low efliciencr unless ro erl desi ned and l [
S S l P P Y S
installed, and the tendency of air to slip over the water where porti
the horizontal discharge is great. This system should be installed eter
by very competent workmen. the 1
The essential parts of this system are (1) a motor, (2) an air T1
compressor, (3) a compressed-air tank. (1) an automatic, air- due
operated pump submerged in the well, and (5) pipes, gages and Hive]
_ C1
Httrngs. mm.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN SELECTING A PUMP degl
The following [actors which differ with each installation should sam:
be considered, as they bear upon the type and size of pump to use, For
the pressure against which the pump must operate, and the location thrr
of the pump with respect to the source and storage tank. tion
` Friction in Pipes. Friction, or the resistance of the interior it?11
surface of a pipe to the flow of water, depends upon Hve factors: 1)l1)(
(1) rate of flow, (2) length of the pipe,   diameter ol the pipe, [Om
(4) roughness of the inside walls, and (5) the number of bends or
pipi
Table 3. Loss of head, due to friction, expressed as feet and as pounds
pressure per 100 feet of ordinary straight pipe, and length of pipe which 10 0
would have the same friction as an elbow. pipe
1 s1zE OF PIPE A
Flow, 1  --;-11-—;—{ equi
gallons 1 '/2 inch 1 % inch 1 linch 1 1% inch 1 1% inch 1 Zinch in 1
BT  
nijinute 1 Ft. Lbs. 1 Ft. Lbs. | Ft. Lbs. 1 Ft. Lbs. 1 Ft. Lbs. 1 Ft, Lbs, PDU
2 7.4 3.2 1.9 .82 1 21/S;
3 15.8 6.85 4.1 1.78 1.26 .55 218
4 27.0 11.7 7.0 3.04 2.14 .93 .57 .25 .26 .11 -
5 41.0 ,17.8 10.5 4.56 3.25 1.41 .84 .36 .40 .17
6 1 14.7 6.36 4.55 1.97 1.20 .52 .56 .24 .20 .086
8 1 25.0 10.8 7.8 1 3.38 2.03 .88 .951 .41 .33 .143 _
10 1 1 138.0 16.4111.7 1 5.07 3.05 1.32 1.431 .62 .50 .216 nor
12 1 1 1 16.4 7.101 4.3 1.86 2.011 .871 .70 .303 (Ct
14 1 1 1 ` 22.0 9.521 5.7 2.46 2.681 1.161 .94 .406   1
16 1 1 1 1 28.0 112.101 7.3 1 3.16 3.411 1.471 1.20 .520 l·o1
18 1 1 1 1 1 1 9.1 1 3.941 4.241 1.831 1.49 .645 Sid
Feet of 1H VT   TTT TTWTTTTTT W T T TW T11
pipe equi- . A
vrnenr to 6 1 6 1 6 6 6 8 PII
a90-de- 1 1 1 1 att
greeelbow 1 1 1 1 .
---.--... .-i L --- ,...-_ _. __,,- no

 Eleclrzcally (),/Jeruletl l4’ater Systems fm Farms ll
sharp turns. From many experiments it has been found that:
(1) friction increases as the 1`E1tC of flow increases, (2) friction is pro-
portional to the length of pipe,   friction decreases as the diam- »
eter of the pipe increases, (4) friction increases with roughness of
the pipe, and (5) with the number of bends.
` Table 3 shows, in feet and in pounds pressure, the loss of head `
‘ due to friction, per 100 feet of ordinary pipe, when discharging
f given quantities of water. At the bottom of the table is given the
number of feet of straight pipe which is equal in friction to a 90-
degree elbow. Friction in other pipe httings is considered the f
1 same as in elbows, except that it is 50 percent more in valves.
. For example, if water is flowing at the rate of 5 gallons a minute,
1 thru a 1 inch pipe, 100 feet long, table 3 shows that loss from fric-
tion is 1.41 pounds pressure. But if there is an elbow in the pipe, l
r it amounts to the same thing as adding 6 feet to the length of the
; pipe, making it 106 feet. Then 106 times the friction loss for 1 1
l’_ foot, from the table,  gives 1.49 pounds, the friction loss in the
pipe with one elbow. f
S Example 1. What pressure in pounds or feet of head will be required
h to overcome pipe friction if the flow is 5 gallons per minute thru a 1 inch ~
pipe 200 feet long, having three 90-degree elbows? .
T From table 3, note that the friction loss in three 90—degree elbows is
- equivalent to that in 18 feet of 1 inch pipe (3 x G') and that the friction loss
_ in 100 feet of 1" pipe (5 gallons per minute flow> is 3.25 feet of head or 1.41
pounds pressure. Therefore the feet of head or pounds pressure required to
r overcome the friction loss in 200 feet of straight pipe and three 90-degree
elbows would be
218 x 3.25’ 218 X 1.41 lbs.
-ibT—: 7.08 feet of head, or4~-{00 —--—~-- : 3.07 pounds pressure.
Lift by Suction. In hgures 4, 5 and 6, it is shown that the suc-
tion lift of a pump is dependent upon atmospheric pressure which
actually forces water into the pump cylinder as the piston is raised.
For each pound of pressure exerted by the atmosphere on the out-
side of the pipe in hgures 5 and 6, WZlLCl` can be raised 2.31 feet.
Therefore, if a perfect vacuum could be obtained inside a suction
pipe, water could be raised about 34 feet at sea level where the
atmospheric pressure is 14.7 pounds per square inch. X\’ith eleva-
4., tion above sea level there is a reduction in atmospheric pressure \

 I2 Kmiluc/cy Extension Circular N0. 319
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 E/c·clr1`ca.lZy Ojzcmtcd l»l’uIer Systems for Farms l3
and in the effective height to which water can be raised by suction.
Under actual working conditions, it is found that the total suction
lift of a pump is about 22 feet. f
KTMGPILRIC PRIASURI V
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Q $Uc·nc>n~4 Lirv ov A PUMP `
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E . .
Q \\’here the water level at the source is not more than 22 feet be-
$ low the pump cylinder. pumps designed for shallow wells, as shown `
  in figures 2 and 8. may be used. The total suction lift of 22 feet
~ . . . . . t
$2 as used for shallow-well pumps includes the vertical height in feet
§ of the pump above the water and the loss of head in feet due to
3 pipe friction, figure 3. ~
E . . . . .
3 \\’here the water level is below the Jractical suction lift 22 ‘
g l
a feet) of a pump, it is necessary to place the cylinder in the well as
*3 shown in figure ll. Usually the cylinder is submerged. increasing
Fi . . . . . . . . . .
E the efficiency of the pump and eliminating the necessity of pruning.
at . . .... .
lhe correct sizes of suction pipe for shallow—welf pumps. where
the horizontal and vertical distances from the water source to the
pump. and the capacity of the pump are known, are given in table -1.
Example 2. Refer to figure 3. A shallow-well pump, capacity 300 gal-
lons per hour, is to be used where the vertical distance (A) of the pump
above the source is 16 feet, the pump is 100 feet from the source, and the
suction pipe has three 90-degree elbows; what should be the size of the
suction pipe so that the total suction lift will not be mo1·e than 22 feet. or
within the limit of a shallow-well pump?
If a °Erf" pipe were used, the total suction lift would be:
Vertical distance