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spillenger
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# Posted: 19 Jul 2014 07:23
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I am building a pumping system to bring water from my creek to a holding tank next to my cabin. I am using a Shurflo 9300 submersible pump powered by direct solar.
Creeks being what they are, the water level is higher or lower, depending on rainfall. I have been told that the best idea, therefore, is to install a "crock," which will be constantly filled by the creek, and into which I should place the submersible pump. I've never done this before, so I have questions.
Where is the crock placed? If in the creek, how does it fill? If next to the creek at a lower elevation than the creek itself (by digging a hole or just finding a spot that's lower), how do you keep it from constantly overflowing?
Do you simply put one end of a garden hose in the creek (and weigh it down somehow) and the other end in the crock so that it fills because of gravity?
Does it matter whether you fill the crock from the bottom or the top?
How big should the crock be and does it matter what it's made of?
What's a good way of filtering debris out of the water before it gets into the crock?
And finally, are there any online primers on how to do this or maybe some pictures of completed systems?
Many thanks.
Paul
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2014 00:23 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Never done this, but here's what I'd want- the crock should be located and set up so that it is constantly filled by the creek, and constantly overflows back into the creek. So ideally it is located in the creek bed below or at the level of the creek bed. This may be hard or impossible to do because of rocks. So, you could have a hose or 2" pvc pipe feeding the crock, located adjacent to the creek in as low a spot as possible. But this creates the problem- where does the hose or pipe feed from, which I suppose ideally is a small dammed pool upstream of the crock.
Flow into the crock, ideally, is greater than the flow rate of the pump so the crock is not drained and the pump runs dry. 1/2" wire mesh can keep most leaves out but you'll have to maintain it.
Crock material could be a 5 gallon plastic bucket, or a ceramic pot from the local nursery, with no drain hole or you can plug the drain hole with a rock and epoxy.
Remember that in many places even thinking about digging in a creek bed can get you pinned up by your toes and lashed 50 times with a bludgeon made of bureaucratic paper and red tape.
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spillenger
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2014 08:49
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Many thanks, bldginsp. Very helpful. I have a culvert and on the downstream side of the culvert a large pool collects. In this case, what would be advantage of a crock? Why couldn't I put the pump directly in the pool?
Thanks.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2014 10:48
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I think you are right, if the pool is deep enough and clean enough. The crock just lets you control conditions, but if the conditions already exist, there you are.
You want to keep sand out of the pump, so some how keeping it a few inches off the bottom would help
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2014 16:35
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you could lay a sand point in the bottom of the creek bed and cover it with some gravel , always fresh and filtered !!!
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