Borehole Water Tank - Remote Level Monitoring

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
ball valve in tank, pressure vessel on pump control system, sorted. Or you could do away with the tank, and just pressurise the whole system, relying on the pressure vessel, that's what we did, run at 6bar pressure, because pipes are 32 mil, with a long uphill push, for some tanks.
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
Clear plastic pipe, end cap, ball valve and ping pong ball.

Method
T into house feed and attach ball valve. Attach 2mtr of clear plastic pipe vertically. Insert ping pong ball and fit end cap. Open ball valve and air in clear plastic pipe should pressurize lifting ping pong ball. Mark height of ping pong ball on plastic pipe when tank is full and when empty. Simple gravity gauge just make sure the plastic pipe can stand the pressure and is rigid enough not to expand under pressure.
 

Fordson1

Member
Location
Wexford, Ireland
We've a somewhat similar situation but on a smaller scale. 1000L tank about 70m up the field. Up hill enough to give pressure in 2 story hse. The difference is we've 2 pipes. Feed to ball valve in top of tank from submersible with pressure vessel with pressure switch. Gravity feed down hill from tank via 3/4" pipe from bottom of tank. You've just one pipe so that's tying your hands. And adding a 2nd pipe for 600m is a big job. But would give you the low-tech solution.
 

fermerboy

Member
Location
Banffshire
If you just want to monitor the top tank then a simple system to send your phone a text when the level drops to a set point is easy to rig up.

I have one bought off ebay that has two inputs which will send you a message when triggered, wire a level switch in and that's it. If no electric a battery and small solar panel will work no bother for power. Basic cheap as chips sim card and you are sorted.

We have a system using a pressure vessel, 100l capacity with a rubber bladder inside under pressure which your pump fills up with water till the pressure switch trips off, the air pressure inside pushes water back into the system till its empty and the pump restarts again.

But the rubber membrane inside doesn't last for ever and you will need a new vessel periodically.
The membrane can be changed but nobody wants to stock or sell you one.
Our system seems to need a new vessel every 2-3 years at £200 a pop!🙁🙁
 

scotston

Member
I use a jp5 pump with a pressure switch and a check valve at the farm to pump up to my tank in my house, 40m up and 200m across the hill. Ball valve in tank. Pressure switch set about 2.5bar. Then another jp5 to pressurise the house. Both have 24l accumulator but no reason for you to have a bigger one. Either solution will do you although a bigger pump might be suitable. Pumps are around £400. I'd buy a 3 phase if you have the option.
 

scotston

Member
If you just want to monitor the top tank then a simple system to send your phone a text when the level drops to a set point is easy to rig up.

I have one bought off ebay that has two inputs which will send you a message when triggered, wire a level switch in and that's it. If no electric a battery and small solar panel will work no bother for power. Basic cheap as chips sim card and you are sorted.

We have a system using a pressure vessel, 100l capacity with a rubber bladder inside under pressure which your pump fills up with water till the pressure switch trips off, the air pressure inside pushes water back into the system till its empty and the pump restarts again.

But the rubber membrane inside doesn't last for ever and you will need a new vessel periodically.
The membrane can be changed but nobody wants to stock or sell you one.
Our system seems to need a new vessel every 2-3 years at £200 a pop!🙁🙁
My little accumulators (and pumps) have been working for 13 years all day, every day. No problems.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
If you just want to monitor the top tank then a simple system to send your phone a text when the level drops to a set point is easy to rig up.

I have one bought off ebay that has two inputs which will send you a message when triggered, wire a level switch in and that's it. If no electric a battery and small solar panel will work no bother for power. Basic cheap as chips sim card and you are sorted.

We have a system using a pressure vessel, 100l capacity with a rubber bladder inside under pressure which your pump fills up with water till the pressure switch trips off, the air pressure inside pushes water back into the system till its empty and the pump restarts again.

But the rubber membrane inside doesn't last for ever and you will need a new vessel periodically.
The membrane can be changed but nobody wants to stock or sell you one.
Our system seems to need a new vessel every 2-3 years at £200 a pop!🙁🙁
ours has been in for 6 yrs ! so hope it lasts, periodically have to check the pressure in the tank, tyre pressure gauge, and compressor. However, ours probably saves us £10,000 a year, if not a lot more, we have never been 'fully' on the mains. So, as long as upgrades, repairs and renewals, don't exceed that figure (y) :) l have no complaints.
Having said that, prior to the pressure vessel, we had a spring, and reservoir, gravity flow, that covered the bottom half of the farm, water level has dropped, and with a dairy, 'the mains' seemed to be used 5/6 months a year, very illegally, we had a mains supply to the res, on a ballcock. So, took the plunge, borehole and pump, to res, on a time switch, worked great, all gravity flow from res. Then pressure vessel, so we had a water supply on top half of farm, and then whole system pressurised.
But, having buggered about with water supply, on the origional system for 40+ years, really thought l had sorted the water out, no way, pressured up, some joints blew, finding pipes, for new w/troughs, laying new lines out etc, we still bugger about the same, if not more, now. We spend about £1500 a year, on pipe and fittings. Each new trough, or upgrade, shows up, in the bulk tank, pretty quickly !
On the height, we need to lift water, approx 100 meters, depth of bore, to top tanks, and about a 700m distance, on 32mm and some 25mm pipe, big mistake, should have used 50mm, but times were tight............etc, we need to run at 6bar, to get the water up there !
 

fermerboy

Member
Location
Banffshire
ours has been in for 6 yrs ! so hope it lasts, periodically have to check the pressure in the tank, tyre pressure gauge, and compressor. However, ours probably saves us £10,000 a year, if not a lot more, we have never been 'fully' on the mains. So, as long as upgrades, repairs and renewals, don't exceed that figure (y) :) l have no complaints.
Having said that, prior to the pressure vessel, we had a spring, and reservoir, gravity flow, that covered the bottom half of the farm, water level has dropped, and with a dairy, 'the mains' seemed to be used 5/6 months a year, very illegally, we had a mains supply to the res, on a ballcock. So, took the plunge, borehole and pump, to res, on a time switch, worked great, all gravity flow from res. Then pressure vessel, so we had a water supply on top half of farm, and then whole system pressurised.
But, having buggered about with water supply, on the origional system for 40+ years, really thought l had sorted the water out, no way, pressured up, some joints blew, finding pipes, for new w/troughs, laying new lines out etc, we still bugger about the same, if not more, now. We spend about £1500 a year, on pipe and fittings. Each new trough, or upgrade, shows up, in the bulk tank, pretty quickly !
On the height, we need to lift water, approx 100 meters, depth of bore, to top tanks, and about a 700m distance, on 32mm and some 25mm pipe, big mistake, should have used 50mm, but times were tight............etc, we need to run at 6bar, to get the water up there !

This farm was a tennanted farm before we manged to buy it, and I have been sorting out the water supplies since.
We have water which eats copper so the brass and copper fittings used on black alkathene regularly "blow" once the copper eats away, the 700m section of 1" black which was shoved inside a drain using any old length of roll up has been a particular joy to find the sprung fittings! :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
I keep enough fittings of 20,25,32mm to fix any burst now. Cant be many old ones left now.
The old system before we changed it used a lister pump to fill a big header tank at the top, but pumped back up the feed pipe into the bottom of the tank with a hell of a pressure, water pushed to house and buildings first then to tank, opening a tap in a house sink would guarantee a soaking with the ridiculous pressure.

As to pressure vessels, I have a couple of old ones now, I have managed to find a source of membranes at reasonable cost to repair them, so I'm going to plumb up a second one to see if that helps the lifespan of them a bit.
Will mean less starts on the pump if nothing else.
 
Last edited:

Alchad

Member
If you just want to monitor the top tank then a simple system to send your phone a text when the level drops to a set point is easy to rig up.

I have one bought off ebay that has two inputs which will send you a message when triggered, wire a level switch in and that's it. If no electric a battery and small solar panel will work no bother for power. Basic cheap as chips sim card and you are sorted.

That sounds like a good option, could you possibly give me a clue as to what I need to start searching for on Ebay?

Thanks
 

Half Pipe

Member
:)Retirement has mixed blessing, learning stopped many years back, I still think in psi and moving with the times to modern new fangled ways takes me out of my comfort zone (apart from IT type of things, hence my original quest for a level signal transmitted back from the tank - that would be fun, a pressure vessel not so.

Regards

Alchad
If IT interests you I would look at a lorawan network with an ultrasonic tank sensor.
I stumbled across this technology during winter lockdown, but haven't had time to fully investigate/experiment with it once I got busy with spring work, calving, silage etc. etc
But I do plan to look into it more when I get some spare time.
I think lorawan could have alot of uses in ag.
 

fermerboy

Member
Location
Banffshire
That sounds like a good option, could you possibly give me a clue as to what I need to start searching for on Ebay?

Thanks

Its a while since I bought mine but its something like this, could even be same company.
https://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/e...9&pm=1&ds=0&t=1623330810000&ver=0&cspheader=1

Or search GSM auto dialler, they can be configured lots of ways. Think I had a float switch wired across the contacts, circuit made or maybe the other way round when the water level dropped so far, text sent.
Some will call, and if no answer call another number. Also two inputs could be useful to tell you the tank is full.
Quite possible to wire in a GSM controller at pump so low level at tank texts and switches on pump. Lots of options!!
 
Last edited:

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
This farm was a tennanted farm before we manged to buy it, and I have been sorting out the water supplies since.
We have water which eats copper so the brass and copper fittings used on black alkathene regularly "blow" once the copper eats away, the 700m section of 1" black which was shoved inside a drain using any old length of roll up has been a particular joy to find the sprung fittings! :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
I keep enough fittings of 20,25,32mm to fix any burst now. Cant be many old ones left now.
The old system before we changed it used a lister pump to fill a big header tank at the top, but pumped back up the feed pipe into the bottom of the tank with a hell of a pressure, water pushed to house and buildings first then to tank, opening a tap in a house sink would guarantee a soaking with the ridiculous pressure.

As to pressure vessels, I have a couple of old ones now, I have managed to find a source of membranes at reasonable cost to repair them, so I'm going to plumb up a second one to see if that helps the lifespan of them a bit.
Will mean less starts on the pump if nothing else.
upgrading our parlour, came across some old black plastic pipe, threaded, new one on me, that would have dated back to the mid 60's, it was underground.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
Never heard of that type of pipe, must be rare.
asked around, nobody had come across it, it was a thick walled pipe, so looked as if it would be ok, it was dead when we came across it, probably one of those fantastic new ideas, that quietly disappeared. We put a new water supply to the dairy, 75'ish, so disconnected then ? The other big find, was the fact that there was 10/12ins, of concrete, base of the h/bone pit, which had to be dug out, and loaded, and moved by w/barrow.
 

WPTglobal

Member
Trade
Do you have any other water sources on your property? Springs, streams etc. if so maybe have a look at pumping from there 24/7 365 and just overflow the tank?
 

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