Windmill

[R Leo]

...anybody here have one?

I'm thinking of drilling a well in one of our remote pastures for cow water. I've always wanted a windmill and this would be perfect application.

Comments, suggestions?

[pawoSD]

Is cow water more valuable than regular water?

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Is cow water more valuable than regular water?

I guess it depends on how thirsty you are. Har.

Out here, there are three aquifers within reach of us mere mortals. One at something like 60', another around 250' and another at 500'. Water from the two shallow zones carries a lot of iron in the water and really aren't any good for household use. However, they are OK for livestock. I call that stuff cow water.

[t walgamuth]

I always wanted one of those.

Cool!

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I always wanted one of those.

Cool!

Me too...it's even better if it has something more to do than add to my list of repairable items.

[Medmech]

Originally Posted by R Leo

Me too...it's even better if it has something more to do than add to my list of repairable items.

and at least in my experience they need a lot of it, my friends use them in Montana and during a storm they wonder what stupid cow is going be be hangin around the windmill.

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by Medmech

and at least in my experience they need a lot of it, my friends use them in Montana and during a storm they wonder what stupid cow is going be be hangin around the windmill.

Cow? Here, it's the damn*d bulls that get under the only tree in a pasture during a thunderstorm. I know two people that have lost bulls to lightning.

[WVOtoGO]

There are only two reasons to get into a windmill water system in today’s world.

You’re either 1. Very far from any plumbed water source, or 2. You just like the esthetic looks of the things on your property.

We have three. All are all Aermotors on four post towers. A B and two Ds. They were here before we were. Two of them are operable at this time, one (D) is not but will be when I get some time and it’s not 105 outside. They do require quite a bit of preventive maintenance. You’ll be up them once a week just to check things out and check lubes. Don’t forget to maintain the well seal. It’s critical.
If you don’t get them locked over before a storm, you’ll be buying a new one, or at least a new blade set/ring. Even then, there are no guarantees. If you think you can fix a broken blade set/ring with a big hammer, well maybe so. But you’d better have one hell of a reach on your tractor bucket to bring the (very heavy) set down. You may find that a backhoe works best, but is still a big PITA on a shorter one. The taller units require the block and tackle setup on the high bar. (If you own a helicopter, you can cheat and just sling load them down/up.) But they still require you to go up and precariously situate yourself while unbolting what’s left of them, and hoping they don’t move/slip and cut your leg/arm/head off.

That’s just the unit itself. You still have to put a hole in the ground and hope it hits a good solid source (saturated) of water for your cylinder and strainer to sit in. I think unless you have a friend in the drilling business, you may find that you can buy a hell of a lot of water from the city before you have a windmill/drill paid for. A hell of a lot.
You’ll need to look into your local and state laws and restrictions before you go forth with it as well. You’re damn near, if not on, an aquifer recharge zone. That may bring up a surprise or two. Not sure.

Bottom line. They do look cool (I think). They do not come with a monthly bill (unless you count the maintenance) based on use. But they can require some attention and precautions.
We love ours (when working). But… it’s a whole lot cheaper to rent a Ditch-Witch and lay out a mile or more of PVC and iron pipe to concrete troughs with float valves than to install a windmill and storage tank(s) from step one. You’ll still need to plumb and either pump or gravity feed your troughs from the tank(s) too. So, keep that (cost) in mind. If you go with a stand-over unit, then fine. But you’ll need a shutdown valve so you don’t pump water out all over the ground. That’s a bad thing, and I don’t think I need to tell you why.

If you do go with one. Aermotor is the only one. Call San Angelo for the best dealer around you.
And for down in your area, step up a size even if pumping from 250’. Not sure of your placement, but a B or a D should do fine. AN A from shallower, or if you just don’t need the water flow volume.
Also depends on how much water you need. A D has about a 11 to 12” stroke. Pretty good water flow. Call Aermotor for details, etc.
They do pop up used on CraigsList now and then too.

[TX76513]

^^^Agree with Aeromotor. They are not that prices probably about $2500 for a 6' then accordingly from there. You can buy rebuilt windmills from Aeromotor also for a song - but you have to get on a waiting list. And they are still mfg in the good ole USA!

[pawoSD]

It does sound neat, I'd want one if I had a farm.

[Mistress]

You can have a GTG, we'll bring our shovels if you provide the adult beverages.

[pawoSD]

Originally Posted by Mistress

You can have a GTG, we'll bring our shovels if you provide the adult beverages.

Yes, but at what point do the adult beverages interfere with the digging?

[mgburg]

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Yes, but at what point do the adult beverages interfere with the digging?

Almost immediately!

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by WVOtoGO

There are only two reasons to get into a windmill water system in today’s world.

You’re either 1. Very far from any plumbed water source, or 2. You just like the esthetic looks of the things on your property.

We have three. All are all Aermotors on four post towers. A B and two Ds. They were here before we were. Two of them are operable at this time, one (D) is not but will be when I get some time and it’s not 105 outside. They do require quite a bit of preventive maintenance. You’ll be up them once a week just to check things out and check lubes. Don’t forget to maintain the well seal. It’s critical.
If you don’t get them locked over before a storm, you’ll be buying a new one, or at least a new blade set/ring. Even then, there are no guarantees. If you think you can fix a broken blade set/ring with a big hammer, well maybe so. But you’d better have one hell of a reach on your tractor bucket to bring the (very heavy) set down. You may find that a backhoe works best, but is still a big PITA on a shorter one. The taller units require the block and tackle setup on the high bar. (If you own a helicopter, you can cheat and just sling load them down/up.) But they still require you to go up and precariously situate yourself while unbolting what’s left of them, and hoping they don’t move/slip and cut your leg/arm/head off.

That’s just the unit itself. You still have to put a hole in the ground and hope it hits a good solid source (saturated) of water for your cylinder and strainer to sit in. I think unless you have a friend in the drilling business, you may find that you can buy a hell of a lot of water from the city before you have a windmill/drill paid for. A hell of a lot.
You’ll need to look into your local and state laws and restrictions before you go forth with it as well. You’re damn near, if not on, an aquifer recharge zone. That may bring up a surprise or two. Not sure.

Bottom line. They do look cool (I think). They do not come with a monthly bill (unless you count the maintenance) based on use. But they can require some attention and precautions.
We love ours (when working). But… it’s a whole lot cheaper to rent a Ditch-Witch and lay out a mile or more of PVC and iron pipe to concrete troughs with float valves than to install a windmill and storage tank(s) from step one. You’ll still need to plumb and either pump or gravity feed your troughs from the tank(s) too. So, keep that (cost) in mind. If you go with a stand-over unit, then fine. But you’ll need a shutdown valve so you don’t pump water out all over the ground. That’s a bad thing, and I don’t think I need to tell you why.

If you do go with one. Aermotor is the only one. Call San Angelo for the best dealer around you.
And for down in your area, step up a size even if pumping from 250’. Not sure of your placement, but a B or a D should do fine. AN A from shallower, or if you just don’t need the water flow volume.
Also depends on how much water you need. A D has about a 11 to 12” stroke. Pretty good water flow. Call Aermotor for details, etc.
They do pop up used on CraigsList now and then too.

You gotta love this forum. Ask for advice on an arcane piece of trailing-edge technology and someone steps up to the plate with bags of practical experience and insight.

I appreciate your write-up and info!!! A solar powered pump would be the most practical but, I guess what it boils down to is, I want a windmill and I want it doing something. Plus, I like the way they look and that pasture is a helluva long way from any water.

The deal is that, where I want this water in the Hay Meadow is at least 1/3 of a mile from my domestic well and maybe 3/4 mile from the rural water at the front of the property. To run pipe to where I want the water requires crossing one wet weather creek bottom...not sure how to best accomplish that with a ditcher, I did it in the front when I extended the rural lines but that crossing was relatively benign. The one in question can get a good snort worked up in less than an 1" of rain...it seems like keeping a pipe buried in that ditch would be a challenge.

Last spring, I expanded the water lines from both my well and rural supplies, adding about 1300' of line in the entire operation but, the Hay Meadow is still w/o water. We don't hay it anymore but do plan to subdivide into smaller paddocks for management intensive grazing. It must have water out there for that part of the plan to work.

To move enough water out of the ground, the mill will probably need to be a 10' unit and, it will have to be on a 30' tower to get any of the prevailing breeze because there are tall trees to the east and southeast of the desired location.

And, I wouldn't attempt to drill a well on my own. I'll get the local drilling outfit to run it in. We're in the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District and a permit for an exempt (domestic/livestock) well is only $100.

Since Colleen and I are currently making the POSGCD's life a living hell, working to make sure historic users aren't screwed, glued and tattooed when the district permits out billions of gallons to speculators, you can bet your a** I'm getting all the "t's" crossed and "i's" dotted when I do something involving the aquifer.

[Crazy_Nate]

What about a Bergey with an electric pump. You'd probably need a small battery array and some sort of crude control system. I'm not sure if they still make an all in one package. I think they were in the $8,000 - $25,000 range, depending on size (whether or not you use the 1kW or 10kW turbine). Install might be another $5-10k.

If you're seriously considering wind, check the wind maps first, and then maybe even go as far as installing an anemometer / vane on a small pole or tower (5-10m), just to get an idea of how the economics play out. Most turbines produce voltages that are either common DC (12 / 24) or common AC (120VAC / 240VAC).

But, first things first...make sure it makes economic sense