help on getting started

[earl3447]

I would love to go solar but have no idea where to start, also living on a fixed income and need a real low cost way to get started. ??? My husband and I did all the wirering and plumbing on the old order Amish home we bought so we know a little, but very little. We have an out side wood burner (our only heat source) so we need a way to have electric at all times to keep the pump running.

[kawalekm]

Here is a starter kit you can get at Harbor Freight for 200$.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90599
Add a deep-cell battery and you are ready to go. *I understand though that the controler that comes with the kit is crap and you should think about replacing it as soon as you have things hooked up.

[earl3447]

Thanks for getting back to me so soon. This should help a lot.

[Indie-Green]

Living in an old order Amish home sounds fascinating.

Do I understand correctly that 1) you have an outside wood stove that you pump water through? 2) the hot water heats your house? and 3) the pump uses regular house current? If that's not what you meant, this answer won't be right.

Be careful about the solar panel kit from Harbor Freight. It's basically just a panel. Like the ad says, "Requires 12 volt storage battery and 300 watt power inverter (not included)." Those "little extras" can easily cost more than the solar panel kit.

Worse, the 300 watt inverter recommended in the ad is probably not big enough to start your pump. Most pumps take a lot more power to start than it takes to run. That extra power is just for a couple of seconds, but your electrical system still needs to handle the bigger load for those seconds. If you get too small an inverter the pump won't start, and sometimes you can ruin the motor of your pump in seconds.

The pump should have a label that says how much power it needs to run. Many motors, especially pumps, take 3 to 10 times as much power to start up as they take when they're running. Look at the label or plate on the pump to see if it gives the "max watts" or "max amps". If it does, then this is the minimum size inverter that you can use to handle the pump. If the plate only includes the watts or the amps, but no max, then see if the manufacturer can tell you how much the pump needs to start. If not, then post the information you have here and we can make a guess as to how big an inverter and panel you need.

You mentioned that you need your heater pump to run all the time, Since the sun doesn't shine all the time, you need a panel big enough to run the pump, plus save extra energy in the battery for nights and cloudy days. It all comes back to what your pump requires.

It may be cheaper to get a new 12 volt pump, if it will do the job. Using a 12V pump saves you the cost of an high end inverter. 12V pumps are also often designed not to need the extra starting power, which will reduce the size of solar panel and battery you need.

Let us know what the manufacturer, or the pump label, says.

Ana
http://www.indie-green.com