Short answerA surface pump on a pond or a shallow submersible in a cistern is a reasonable DIY job. Setting a pump deep in a drilled well usually needs a pump hoist, some states require a licensed pump installer, and the electrical work must meet NEC Article 690.
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Key takeaways
- Surface and shallow pumps are reasonable DIY jobs; deep drilled wells usually are not.
- Many states license well and pump installers: check before you start.
- Pump-only listings leave out panels, controller, pipe, rope, check valve and tank.
Safety. Panels and batteries can deliver dangerous current. Follow NEC Article 690 and local code, and use a licensed electrician or well contractor where your state requires one.
Usually fine to do yourself
- Surface pumps from ponds, creeks, springs and cisterns.
- Tank-to-tank transfer and gravity drip.
- Shallow wells where the pump and pipe can be lifted by hand.
- Mounting and wiring a small array to the manufacturer's instructions.
Usually worth paying for
- Pulling or setting a pump in a deep drilled well: the weight of pipe full of water is more than people expect.
- Any work your state requires a licensed well or pump installer to do. Check before you start.
- Projects you intend to submit for cost share: NRCS practices must meet the practice standard, and paperwork is simpler with a contractor who has done it before.
- Arrays large enough to need engineered mounts or wiring that must meet code.
What kits leave out
Read the box contents. All three VEVOR well pumps we list ship as the pump only: no panels, no controller and no pipe. Eco-Worthy's 400 W kit includes four panels, a 40A MPPT charge controller, brackets and cables, but no battery in its base configuration and no pump. A complete system also needs drop pipe, safety rope, a check valve, a well cap, submersible cable and splice kit, a float switch, a tank and fittings.
VEVOR 12V DC 120W submersible deep well pump
Low-volume wells: a cabin, a garden or a few head of stock. The deepest submersion rating of the three.
- Voltage
- 12V DC (12 to 14.8V)
- Rated power
- 120 W
- Max flow (zero head)
- 3.2 gpm
- Max head (zero flow)
- 230 ft
- Max submersion
- 98.4 ft
- Outlet
- 1/2 in
- In the box
- Pump only: no panel, controller or pipe
VEVOR 24V DC 277W submersible deep well pump
Stock water and small irrigation where the water level is within about 100 ft.
- Voltage
- 24 to 42V DC (36V rated)
- Rated power
- 277 W
- Max flow (zero head)
- 9.25 gpm
- Rated point
- 5.28 gpm at 84 ft
- Max head (zero flow)
- 272 ft
- Max submersion
- 65.6 ft
- Outlet / cable
- 1 in / 33 ft
- In the box
- Pump only
VEVOR 48V DC 369W submersible deep well pump
Deeper lifts at modest flow. Wants two 36V-class panels in series to reach its voltage.
- Voltage
- 48 to 82V DC (72V rated)
- Rated power
- 369 W
- Max flow (zero head)
- 8.4 gpm
- Rated point
- 1.77 gpm at 167 ft
- Max head (zero flow)
- 273 ft
- Max submersion
- 65.6 ft
- Outlet / cable
- 1 in / 33 ft
- In the box
- Pump only
We have not tested these products; specifications are the merchant's own. Affiliate disclosure.
Three DC well pumps side by side on the merchant's own figures, plus panels, controllers and batteries.