What started as a frustrating water problem may be turning into something much bigger…hopefully!
Some of you wanted to know more about the whole well and pump thing that I was talking about along with the whole patent pending thing. So here you go…
For the past several months, I’ve spent more time working on our well and water system than I ever imagined possible. And believe me, that wasn’t the plan! What started with a troublesome wireless float switch, an under-performing pump, and a control system that wasn’t doing much of what I needed eventually led me down a road I certainly hadn’t expected.
I started asking a simple question…
Why does keeping a reliable supply of water have to be so complicated?
Now, anybody who has operated a private well, especially one powered by solar energy, probably understands that question. Pumps, controllers, power supplies, switches, sensors, wiring…all of it has to work together. And when something goes wrong, figuring out exactly what went wrong can be half the battle. Sometimes the problem isn’t even the pump. It’s everything surrounding it.
So I started working on a better way…and one idea led to another…and another. Before long, I wasn’t simply repairing our existing system anymore. I was developing something entirely different.
Meet V3…that’s what I’m calling the latest version of a new well pump control system I’ve been developing. And while I’m not quite ready to pull back the curtain and show you everything, I can tell you what I’m trying to accomplish…
Reliability, simplicity…and most of all…the ability to keep water flowing when circumstances aren’t ideal.
I kept thinking about a well pump control system designed with real-world problems in mind…my real-life problems. A system intended to accommodate different power arrangements, offer practical operating options, and make troubleshooting and servicing considerably less frustrating. One that recognizes what I’ve learned the hard way over the years:
A perfectly good pump doesn’t do you much good if the equipment controlling it won’t cooperate.
And here’s another consideration. Not everybody has utility electricity available at their well. Some of us depend on solar power. Others have generators available. And some installations have more than one possible source of power. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a control system designed with those realities in mind? That’s part of what we’re working toward.
Once I started working toward a solution, one of my goals was to make the system understandable and serviceable by ordinary people with some basic electrical and mechanical knowledge. Not everybody lives twenty minutes from a qualified pump technician that is available 24/7. Some of us live off-grid…as in the boondocks.
And when the water stops flowing, waiting several days for help isn’t particularly appealing. And a multi-thousand dollar bill is really unwelcome!
I also want the system to provide useful operating information, rather than leave the owner guessing about what’s happening. Because when something quits working, knowing where to start looking can be almost as valuable as knowing how to fix it.
There’s quite a bit more involved, but those details will have to wait. This isn’t just an idea scribbled on a napkin.
An earlier controller prototype is already installed and operating on our own well. The latest design is already moving toward its own prototype and testing.
HERE IS THE REALLY COOL PART…There’s also been some patent activity going on. One provisional patent application has already been filed, and additional patent development is underway.
Now, before anybody starts imagining that I’ve invented the next greatest thing since sliced bread, let me offer a little perspective. There’s still engineering work, testing, refinement, and a whole lot of practical business decisions ahead.
And there’s no guarantee this will ever become a commercial product. But I believe the idea has potential. Enough potential that I’m investing considerable time and effort into finding out.
Keep checking back…I’m not ready to publish photographs of the complete design or explain exactly how everything works. Seriously, not yet. But as development progresses, I’ll share what I can.
This entire project began because I wanted something very simple. I wanted to be able to irrigate without running the storage tanks dry. And…I wanted to turn on the faucet and have water come out every single time.
Funny how such a simple expectation can lead to something so complicated. And possibly something pretty exciting.
Stay tuned…there’s more coming from my well house! And maybe the US Patent Office.
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