Solar Water Pumps

Friday, February 19, 2016

Submersible Water Pumps Vs. Surface Mounted

Advanced Power Inc.'s submersible vs surface mounted water pumps.

API's solar system, K170 pumping water into a pond.

When in the market for a good, quality water pump, there are two different types: submersible and surface mounted. Knowing which one to choose is crucial, and will vary depending on your situation.

Surface mounted pumps allow easy access to the pump itself, but because of the environment, they may require access more often.

You will face environmental conditions, weather, theft or vandalism, install complications:

Winter storms can really affect the productivity and results of a surface pump because it is not below the freezing line, which can cause trapped water to expand inside the pump which could lead to several problems like freezing.

Flash floods, wildlife, and thunderstorms can also be a great risk because surface mounted pumps are not as shielded from their surroundings, unlike submersible pumps.

Another disadvantage is the amount of energy surface pumps use; the water must first be moved up out of a water source by a suction force before it can actually reach the pump, this process requires a lot more power than an apparatus that already has the water readily available.

Our in-house CNC machined aluminum solar water pumps

Submersible pumps as their name portrays, are completely submerged in a clean water source. This gives them a number of advantages over their unprotected counterparts.

One huge thing is their efficiency; water pressure will naturally force water into a submerged pump rather than utilizing energy to do so.
Being submerged all the time, submersible pumps do not require manual priming, which can easily become a very time consuming chore.
Surface mounted pumps are also known to be much louder, and since it is on the surface, it just looks out of place. If you plan on using a water pump near a home or just want to keep nature looking natural, opting for the submersible may be the option for you.

Customer Photo of API's largest system pumping almost 13GPM!

A chief complaint with both types of pumps is their impact on electric bills, but here at Advanced Power Inc., we utilize the power of the sun to run our top of the line submersible water pumps, and have been recognized as a leader in the industry for nearly 30 years. Our certified engineers have used the latest in CNC design programs, along with the process of trial and error to craft one of the most efficient and dependable solar pumps on the market.

API's glass-less "Flex" solar panels are now available!

Our solar pumps can deliver up to 5460 gallons of water per day at a flow rate of 13 gallons per minute under ideal conditions, all without raising your electric bill; instead we use quality grade “A” solar cell panels that guarantee dependable performance for over 25 years.

Throughout our 30 years of experience, we have learned that no situation is completely alike, so we have developed various systems at Advanced Power Inc. to ensure we can meet any water pumping need.

Visit our website for more information on our products

www.solarpumps.com

If you are interested in living off of the clean and renewable energy of the sun, feel free to call us at

866.519.7892

or send us an email at sales@solarpumps.com

and let one of our qualified specialists help you find your solution to fit your specific solar needs.

Author: Robert Rhynes

Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, let's chat below in the comments section or feel free to share it with your friends!

Monday, February 8, 2016

Homestead Living

Are you ready to go “off the grid”

and be independent of utilities? Are you ready to rely on nothing but the Earth’s natural and renewable energy?

My family has been “off the grid” for almost a decade and nothing is sweeter! The air I breathe feels cleaner and the water I drink tastes crisper. I am truly living independently and only using natural resources from the Earth; however I still indulge in the comforts that most do today. I even have running water and electricity, but how?

“Off grid” living doesn’t mean you have to sleep in a dirt hole and carry your water to your home in a bucket, it just means to be off of any utility grid. It’s not too common to live off of renewable energy, but for those who do; it can be liberating, cheap, and it can relieve unwanted stress. People create renewable energy homes for a number of reasons:

Cost- to eliminate the monthly cost of a utility bill or just to access utilities such as running water for homes that cannot be supplied by other means, perhaps a home that is in the mountains, miles from a city.
Above is a solar pump from Advanced Power Inc. using renewable energy in Montana.

Environment- to use less energy extracted from environmentally harmful methods and use more safe and renewable energy.
Independence- Off-grid living will relieve you of dependency on the electrical utility and will allow you to live off the beaten path.

Renewable energy can be a solution for many things, and the first step to crafting this safe haven is to find a way to provide fresh water. If you have a well, a spring, or stream or river, then you can have running water. Solar powered water pumps make this possible, and Advanced Power Inc. is one of the most trusted names in the solar pumping industry. Our systems harness the enormous power of the sun and convert it into DC power, which can then be used to run our top of the line solar powered water pumps. We offer many system sizes, some which can pump up to 5,460 gallons per day to ensure you can find the most efficient solar pumping system to meet your water pumping needs.

Our variety of small variety of small panel charger kits pictured here.

This kind of output means our solar pumps have to be reliable, durable and versatile to maintain the tough workload placed on them. Each of our products are also tested and inspected after being hand crafted right here in the USA to guarantee your products are free of defects and running at maximum efficiency.

One of our small panel charger kits charging an ATV.

Our products have been used around the globe to aid people in their “off the grid” efforts, but we also have products that give you the comfort that I mentioned earlier. At Advanced Power Inc., we offer products such as solar lighting, portable batteries and solar charge controller kits that vary from 5 watts to 20 watts, and they can come in either 12 or 6 volts to meet your individual needs.

This is the ideal way to charge or maintain your batteries for tractors, mowers, ATVs, fencers, or any equipment that may require batteries. Our systems are easy to install and move from well to well!

Visit our website for more information on our products

www.solarpumps.com

If you are interested in living off of the clean and renewable energy of the sun, feel free to call us at 866.519.7892 or send us an email at sales@solarpumps.com and let one of our qualified specialists help you find your solution to fit your specific solar needs.

Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, let's chat below in the comments section or feel free to share it with your friends!

Author: Robert Rhynes

Friday, January 15, 2016

Quality Customer Care & Products

Advanced Power Inc. began its journey in the quiet town of Canton, Oklahoma with Butch Robison. Butch opened shop in 1988 when he crafted the company’s first solar powered water pump to put an end to the constant work and maintenance that windmills are notorious for. In his first few years, Butch crafted these then PVC housed solar pumps for himself and a few of his neighbors to save them the time and labor of working on windmills.

These early models were non-submersible, had brushed motors and simply floated on top of a water source; even then the people he had supplied them to were very happy with the services and products he had constructed. He soon realized that he could turn this small idea into a business that had the potential to benefit numerous people who had similar water needs that were not being met, or were being met by older, less efficient technologies.

In the nearly 30 years since then, Advanced Power Inc. has matured into one of the most trusted companies in the solar water pumping industry. It has taken years of innovation and dedication to get where we are today. Modern technology has allowed for better resources and better-finished products than that of the past, but one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is how we view our customers, who have aided us in becoming the successful company that we are. We greatly appreciate every customer who purchases a pump from us and we realize that they are the lifeblood of our company.

The Process:

It all begins in our engineering department where our engineers spend countless hours to ensure that the products we provide to you are dependable and reliable. We use top of the line tools and state of the art machines such as CNC machines and the latest CAD software designs, to guarantee that every solar pump from Advanced Power Inc. is skillfully and precisely crafted. Every Advanced Power solar pump is assembled by hand in our factory.

PVC is also a thing of the past, our solar pumps are now encased in aircraft grade aluminum housings, making them lighter, stronger, and most importantly giving them the ability to dissipate large amounts of heat, extending the life of the solar pumps motors. Our engineers are constantly improving and working on our pumps to give you the pinnacle of the industry, because if you’re not happy with your investment, we’re not happy.

After we craft what we believe to be one of the best solar pumps on the market, our next goal is to get our solar powered water pumps into the hands of people that can benefit from them. We have a highly qualified sales team, who are guaranteed never to hassle you, but instead provide friendly service and quality information. They will listen to your water pumping needs and use their expertise from years of experience and intuition to advise what they believe the best fitting solar pumping system for you would be. Our team has successfully provided solar powered water pumps to thousands of customers worldwide who have used them to utilize a water source such as a river or a water-well to: water livestock, start a vineyard, maintain an orchard, irrigation, fill ponds, and supply water to a home, cabin, or even small villages.

While they always want to sell you an adequately sized system to meet your water pumping needs, the owners have instructed our sales team to never try and sell too much pump and panel. We have seen many of our competition do this, we are constantly talking to potential customers who were quoted water pumping systems between eight to ten thousand dollars from competitors, when a two thousand or twenty five hundred dollar system will pump all the water their situation requires. Besides being manufactured in the United States unlike most solar pumps, another one of the main things that make Advanced Power pumps great is that they are some of the most efficient pumps on the market and can do the job with a fraction of the solar power of many larger pumps manufactured by the competition.

After a purchase, we continue to stay in contact with our customers because of our strong belief in customer relationships. We have qualified and experienced technical experts who are waiting to speak with customers who may have a malfunction with the product. This can be due to manufacturing workmanship or anything from lightning to an improper installation. If it sounds like a possible mechanical problem we urge our customers to send in their solar pump and our very knowledgeable and intensely trained technicians will find out where the problem is.Whether the issue is determined to be a manufacturing defect or customer related we have by far one of the quickest turnaround times in the industry as far as examining your pump, repairing it and getting it returned to the customer as soon as possible. We realize the importance of water in your daily lives and how disruptive it can be if your water source is not producing. We place a minimum two-year warranty on every new solar pump sold. If we made an error in your system, we want to be sure to fix the problem and withhold you from any more inconvenience.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Is Your Solar Powered Water Pumping System Prepared for Winter?

Not very many things are predictable in this world, from movies to football scores, but one thing that is certain is that winter is coming, and so is the frosty cold. If you have a solar pumping system then you might be acquainted with the possible pains of the piercing ice and its relationship with your water pumping system. Preparation for the weather to come can make a huge difference in your solar pumping system operating at maximum efficiency. Here are some tips to help prepare for the winter season before the temperature drops and some things you can do after to help maintain performance.

Changing the angles on your solar panels can increase the amount of sunlight a solar panel can capture, and therefore changing the amount of energy it can provide. An appropriate angle for a solar panel is your location’s latitude plus 15 degrees. For example Oklahoma is at 35.5 degrees North, so the ideal solar panel angle for Oklahoma is 50.5 degrees. There are many longitude and latitude maps which can be found for free online. Here's one example http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/usa-lat-long.html.

Be sure your pipes have a weep hole. A weep hole is a small opening below the frost level that allows water to drain freely from the pipes when the solar pump shuts off at night or in very low light conditions. Without the weep hole the pipe can contain trapped water when the solar pump is not running, which can then freeze as the temperature drops. At that point the pipe either has to be thawed or replaced because it has busted due to the water inside expanding as it freezes or worse yet when your pump comes on in the morning and pumps against the restriction it can damage or ruin your pump entirely. In addition to a weep hole, also have the pipes at an angle from the well head to the tank that allows the water to completely drain. There should be no low areas or loops in the piping, this will prevent water from becoming trapped and creating an ice plug. Also the delivery pipe can not be in the water in the tank.

Above is a solar pumping system operating securely throughout the winter while the panels are covered with ice.

Depending on your situation and needs there could be many more possibilities to prevent busted pipes due to freezing, keeping the pipes deep underground, insulating your well or tank, or even winterizing your solar pumping system until the weather warms up. We encourage you to take the precautions that fit your situation. It's also best if your delivery pipe to your tank is not facing due north into the bitter winter wind. This can cause the water to freeze in the delivery pipe at a much faster rate and you may want to consider placing an elbow on the delivery pipe and turning it down to the tank to prevent the wind from blowing up the pipe.

Clear off fresh snow. Seems simple enough, right? Sunlight can be scarce and blotted out by the clouds during the winter months, but nothing is worse than premium sunshine finally showing itself and you realize your solar panels are stuck under eight inches of snow. It only takes a few seconds to grab a push broom and keep the snow cleared, but this simple routine maintenance can do a lot of good.

It is important to us at Advanced Power Inc. that our customers are happy and that their solar powered water-pumping systems are free of any trouble and inconveniences. Please take the necessary measures to protect your solar pump system from this winter season by following the tips above, so that when you need water, you’ll have it.

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKhYf8989oM

https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedPowerInc

www.solarpumps.com

www.apiok.com

If you enjoyed our article won't you please consider sharing it on facebook and twitter and help spread the word about our quality solar water pumps. www.solarpumps.com or call us for a hassle free quote at 866.519.7892.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Solar Powered Water Pumping: The Possibilities Are Endless

Utilizing solar energy to power water pumping systems has been our business for nearly thirty years, and we have discovered various uses for solar pumps along with the fact that they can benefit anyone who has a water well, and needs it. Solar powered pumping systems have been used for agriculture, home improvement, environmental regulation, off the grid living, and have even appeared in zoos and oil industries. A quality solar pump, such as the ones we manufacture here at Advanced Power Inc., can improve your situation and save you countless dollars, while keeping the environment green for you and your family for years to come.

Solar powered water pumps have been known to aide in environmental regulation. They save natural resources such as oil and gas because they are powered by clean solar energy rather than using other sources, such as a gas powered generators, which emit pollutants into the air. Sonoma County, California’s water treatment facility made the decision to do their part in keeping the environment green. They recently installed two solar powered systems and estimate that the panels will reduce global warming by displacing over 37.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually. NASA funded an experiment about carbon dioxide emissions and found evidence that it can actually disrupt the Earth’s natural water cycle. That could lead to droughts, famine, acid rain, and pollution to you drinking water!

On the topic of drinking water, have you ever looked at what’s in the water that cities provide to their citizens? It’s just water, right? Actually no, there is fluorine, chlorine, and before all of that, some cities actually have their water demineralized! One of Advanced Power Inc.’s solar pumps could be one of the best and most beneficial home improvement projects you have ever done. You can provide your family good clean mineral rich water to drink and you can save money by cutting out your monthly water bill. By using one of our double panel systems, you can pump as much as 1,775 gallons of fresh natural water directly to your home! When the sun is down, our systems can also use batteries to ensure you always have clean water, rain or shine, when you need it. All you need in addition to our solar powered water pumping system is your own water well. If you own your own property and have a water well, one of our solar pumps can benefit you tremendously.

When you need it may not always be the easiest or most relaxing day either. The stresses of day-to-day life can be physically and emotionally taxing, and a solar powered water pump could be very useful in creating the perfect weekend escape from your daily routine; or maybe you just want a romantic getaway for you and your significant other. Perhaps you want to feel secure and prepared for a time when you would be forced to survive off the grid. What is going to happen to when a catastrophic event occurs and cuts you and your family off from electricity and running water? How is your family going to survive? Locating water isn’t the only thing to consider in that situation, sometimes it is finding a way to obtain it and use it. The solar powered pumping systems at Advanced Power Inc. are manufactured and assembled right here in the USA before being individually inspected and tested to ensure that our products will not fail you when you most need them. In this aspect our products can provide something that has no price, peace of mind. Many of our competitors cannot make this claim and will choose to bring in lesser quality products from China and will bait customers by using phrases such as “Assembled in America”.

Fresh water is undeniably a major factor when it comes to agricultural needs, and solar powered water pumps are the ideal solution to meet those needs! For instance, a mature lactating cow can drink up to 50 gallons of water per day, and if you have just nine more alike cows, that is easily 500 gallons of water per day. That’s about the size of a small swimming pool. Just one of our single panel solar pump systems can deliver up to 915 gallons per day and could be the solution to your water needs. Our team here at Advanced Power Inc. can assist you in filling your ponds, watering your livestock, and advising you in which systems would best suit your needs. We have provided solar powered water pumping solutions to numerous, happy and satisfied customers who have had a wide range of needs that were met with one of our top of the line solar pumps.

A solar pump could also be very beneficial for an upcoming viticulturist or a gardener as well! Anyone who is thinking about starting a vineyard, orchard or just a garden, also needs to think about how they are going to provide water to it. A single grape vine can require 10-12 gallons of water per day in the summer; with an entire vineyard someone would be forced to have a hose in their hand all day to supply the water required. You could save time, money, and avoid overly monotonous work with just one of Advanced Power Inc.’s single panel solar pumping systems! Under the right conditions this could supply enough water for almost 100 vines, solely from clean solar energy. All for around $1700.00, you can attain economical peace of mind and labor savings.

Whatever project you may be working on, if it has a need for water and you have a water well available, a solar pump from Advanced Power Inc. can help, and that’s all we want. Please email us at sales@solarpumps.com or give us a call at 866.519.7892 for a free quote, and let us help you tackle on whatever ideas you may have by supplying you with clean and natural water.

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKhYf8989oM

https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedPowerInc

www.solarpumps.com

www.apiok.com

Monday, December 7, 2015

Introduction Video

A brief description video of what Advanced Power Inc. solar powered water pumping systems can be used for and why we have been doing it for nearly 30 years.

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKhYf8989oM

https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedPowerInc

www.solarpumps.com

www.apiok.com