My house has public water and well water in the basement that's only available for garden purposes. Does any one know what is the cost of using well + electric pump vs public water? Let's assume that the water quality is not an issue here. I live in NJ (northern Jersey) and so far I only got 1 water bill for $0. We have recently moved into the house so I don't know the bills look like. I know I'm getting high electric bill mainly because of the AC but not sure it the well pump is part of it.
Too many unknowns and variables to be able to say, so just buy a "Kill-a-Watt" meter and insert it into the pump wiring. That way you'll know exactly how much your pump is part of your electric bill.
Determine the power consumption of your pump to deliver 1 gallon of water. You could hook up a VOM to measure current flow. From that you can get kilowatt hours used. There is also a maintenance/repair estimate cost to add. Also, the deeper the well, the higher the cost.
I've had it both ways, and usually come out ahead using the well water
pump electricity. One variable to check, though, is whether your city bills for water with a minimum usage assumption. If you would be under the minimum usage, even with watering, you'd be further ahead to go with the city. I know it sounds insane to think you could water and remain under the minimum, but I do it; don't know if my city has a high minimum usage assumption or I'm just exceptionally thrifty with water.
Generally well water is much less expensive per gallon than municipal water... the electric usage is negligible for typical residential use. BUT, private wells eventually require maintenance, usually costly... and usually some water treatment equipment is needed too. If you have the option for both a private well and municipal water I would from personal experience strongly suggest you use both, the municipal water for drinking, washing and the usual indoor stuff, and use your well for large volume outdoor use like watering lawns, plants, gardens, washing cars. boats, etc.
But bottom line, it's really not possible for anyone to know your particular water usage but you.
You are probably exceptionally thrifty in all regards, very few households ever get a water bill with usage below the minimum... you must have been a navy submariner.
If the well water is a hard line (not soften with a softener). I personally would not use the well water to wash my car, home or any thing you may value,. The heavy mineral content will damage your nice paint job. Grass and plants sure, food stuff may depend on your TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) levels. Use the soft line for washing things. Electric use on my well pump system is cheap, my guess less than $10 per month. My softener does not use electric power it runs on the water pressure from the well tank. My softener cost about $10 / month (salt/filter), Purification $150 / 400 gallons (filters). My entire electric bill has never been over $50/month here in the country. I have central air but rarely use it. When I lived in the city, my water bill was more than $30/month.
If your softener uses power, that is another story, bypass it, shut it off, it loves electric power, each night running and causing your well pump to run more often. Use the city water for bathing, drinking and be merry :)
How many refrigerators you have, they are real electric lovers :)
When I make a post, I find the thread quickly ends :) Enjoy Life ..... Dan
yea, out of context but worth the mention. do NOT ever put well water or city water in a radiator. the mineral content in both will clog the radiator. use only store bought distilled water.
I talking car, truck, tractor ... ect type radiators.
Nope, not naval, just lived in the Southwest in an area that didn't have a water supply. Learned to be really miserly with it. Have been to the sub races a time or two, though...:-)
Can only tell you about my case. Live near a small town with a municipal water supply run by a corporation. I do not have access to that water due to the distance from that town. The corporation uses a community billing method. That is, every resident receives that same identical bill each month. The typical water bill is around $68.00 per month. Have seen it climb as high as $230.00.
Live in an all-electric home, including the water pump for the water well. My highest electric bill this year was $110.00 last month for this year. Last year, was $148.00. I have no other source of water. I live in central TX. Am single, 2 year old 3 bedroom home 1260 sq ft., thermostat 80F summer/65F winter. Ceiling fans in a 3 bedrooms/living area/dining area. AC compressor is SEER 12. House doesn't receive direct sun until after 9:00 a.m. due to tree stand in the east. The pump is a 220VAC version, that's all I know about that part of it. The water source is 550 feet deep in the earth. In the last year of the drought (last year), the water was exceptionally high in anaerobic matter. This year, been relatively low.
Water quality is always an issue. The well water here is high in hydrogen sulfide, use an aeration/flush system for that. Requires zero maintenance. If it wasn't there my pipes would be corroding as a result, the toilet bowl would be black, and the house would stink of rotten egg smell. The water also contains matter that is similar to moss. I use a sediment filter followed by a carbon filter for that. Sediment filter changed once a month is cheap, carbon filter changed every 3 months is not cheap. All filter systems are housed in an outbuilding I constructed on a slab. My water filtration house, if you will. Further, for drinking water, use a carbon filter pitcher that I fill daily and put in the refrigerator. The water is high in minerals, so I need to install a water softener system as well. It stains the glasses/pots/pans/tableware with a white substance after drying normally or in dishwasher. More so in dishwasher, am not using drying cycle. Its probably affecting the hot water heater as well. Washing the car or truck has same problem.
Water usage is probably not in par with most people. I have a small yard that I irrigate if the weather doesn't cooperate. I do draw a bathe once a week, shower on other days. Fill a 12" deep X 4' diameter kiddy solid plastic wading pool for the dogs once a month. A small 12"X12' garden plot. Other water usage is typical washer usage for one person, dishwasher, bath and kitchen sink, toilet. The water used on the outside water faucets is not filtered.
I stopped performing irrigation last year around end of August 2006 on yard. Was unsure of water reserves on my well source. A few people in the area did run out of water in their wells. Typical water wells in area run from
200 to 1100 feet deep. Believe the dry wells were shallow.
For purposes of your specific question I believe you're asking if there is a definite difference between cost of municipal water supply and electricity for our water well pump to provide same amount of water. Look at your water bill, see the billing period. Open the breaker on the pump, use municipal water one period. The following billing period, use the well water. Be consistent in garden water usage as you can during both periods. Not real accurate, but guessing will show a difference. Another way, kill all breakers except the water well pump. Record the electric meter reading. Go water the garden normally. Record the electric meter reading. Subtract the last reading from the first, this is KW usage. Multiply that by your KW charge by your electric supplier. That is the actual cost in terms of electrical usage. Dave
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