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Fit a manual way to lift water

If the pump, inverter or battery fails, you still need water every day. A hand pump or manual draw method is the fallback for the water module's powered pump.

How

  1. Measure the static water level in your well or tank (water module, water-14).
  2. Shallow water: a suction pitcher pump or surface pump can work, but only within about 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) of lift at sea level (Colorado State).
  3. NDSU Extension gives about 10 m (33 ft) as the theoretical suction limit, and says practical pumps need to be within about 6 m (20 ft) of the water surface. Colorado State gives 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) for solar surface pumps.
  4. Suction lift falls with altitude because air pressure is lower. Pumps and Systems shows the air-pressure head falling from about 10.4 m (34 ft) at sea level to about 7 m (23 ft) at 3,000 m (10,000 ft).
  5. Deeper water: you need a deep-well hand pump with the pump cylinder down the well; some engineered models are described as reaching about 300 feet (about 91 m), with more effort and lower flow at depth.
  6. Many deep-well hand pumps can share the borehole with a submersible pump. Example: one maker's manual covers fitting its hand pump alongside an existing submersible, keeping the pump wiring clear and needing about 1.6 to 1.8 in (41 to 46 mm) of clearance past the pitless adaptor depending on cylinder size. Check your maker's requirements and have a driller fit it.
  7. Keep a hand siphon or transfer pump for moving water between tanks, and a bucket and rope as a last resort.
  8. Stock pump seals and leathers for your model, and treat hand-pumped water as untreated until filtered and disinfected (water-25).

Safety: Never leave a well or tank opening uncovered; children and animals can fall in.

Do these first

Sources

  1. Solar-powered groundwater pumping systems. Colorado State University Extension, accessed 2026-11
  2. Irrigation Water Pumps (AE1057). North Dakota State University Extension, accessed 2026-11
  3. Effects of elevation on pump systems. Pumps and Systems (trade magazine), accessed 2026-11
  4. Simple Pump hand pump installation manual (manufacturer document, hosted by InspectAPedia). Simple Pump Company (manufacturer), accessed 2026-11

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