| Show Pump tests save dollars for irrigators Hy Griffin Extension Water Resource Specialist Utah State University Whether pumping from wells or from surface water many Utah irrigators have been paying more than necessary for the energy A Utah pump testing project disclosed that 75 percent of the pumps were operating below 66 percent which is considered In in over tests made in the average efficiency was In tests made during the average efficiency was 55 Some 40 percent of those tested in 1978 were operating below 55 Since effort was made to test a cross section of the irrigation pumps in we feel that this indicates a lot of room for improvement in pumping efficiency over the Personnel of the Utah State University Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering Depart- ment conducted the Data collected indicates that a potential savings of 20 percent could be achieved if all the pump-ing plants in Utah were brought up to 66 percent plant Taking into consideration total irrigation pumping energy used in the we see that this improvement in efficiency could bring a potential savings of over one million dollars annually in pumping costs for Utah The pump testing project was conducted through the Utah i Agricultural Experiment Station in cooperation with Utah Power and Light This test of pump plant efficiencies was considered the first step in energy conservation and reduced operating Owners are advised to balance the energy savings against the cost of repairs or replacements needed to improve the pump In the the rule of thumb has said that you can afford to spend for pump repairs or replacement three times the expected annual amount of energy Under the current situation of escalating costs of you may well multiply by a value of four or If you have a pump test that Indicates your unit needs repairs or you may- find it to your advantage to consider more than the costs related to potential energy You also may consider the interest rate and the income tax bracket you are in if the investment can be claimed on your income Savings in power constitutes the biggest value of a pump It often pinpoints the cause of an unusually high power It also provides a management tool for many irrigators and helps keep tab on the groundwater Buyers of property and mortgage companies are beginning to require a recent pump test report to confirm the efficiency of any pumping unit on the property before buying or before issuing a |
