Dedicated solar pumping for rural fire defense and water storage
When wildfires strike, utility power lines are often cut first. Dankoff solar surface pumps keep remote emergency water tanks full year-round, ensuring thousands of gallons of dedicated water storage are ready when you need them most.
Request Fire Defense System Sizing
Tell us your storage tank capacity and water source — ensure reliable emergency water reserves year-round.
100%grid-independent operation — keeping emergency fire storage tanks full even during blackout events
- Made in the USA since 1983 — the world's first solar pump manufacturer
- 15-20 year life expectancy with regular maintenance and user-replaceable wear parts
- Free system design: our engineers confirm every sizing before you buy
Why Growers & Ranchers Choose Dankoff Solar
Manufactured in the USA since 1983 — built for remote off-grid independence.
Zero Fuel & Power Bills
Operates 100% on direct sunshine with no batteries required for standard stock and irrigation setups.
Water When Needed Most
Sun-synchronous delivery ensures peak water volume during the hottest, driest months of the year.
Field Serviceable in Minutes
Solid cast iron and brass bodies with user-replaceable wear parts. No disposable plastic throwaways.
Certified Factory Sizing
Our engineers calculate pipe friction, total dynamic head, and exact PV array size free of charge.
Calculate Your System Requirements in 10 Seconds
Select your state and estimated daily gallons to see local peak sun hours and recommended pump model.
Size it in ten seconds
The fire defense water storage setup
High-lift solar pumps transfer water continuously from creeks, ponds, or low-yield wells to elevated ridge-top storage tanks fitted with fire department connections.
SolaRam Surface Pump
Pushes water up steep mountain elevations to hilltop gravity tanks with up to 960 ft total head.
SolarForce Piston Pump
Reliable positive-displacement pump for continuous filling of dedicated 5,000–10,000 gallon fire tanks.
Find Your Pump
Calculate pipe friction loss and vertical head to ensure adequate filling rates for your fire reserve.
Solar fire storage filling vs. relying on grid electricity
| Evaluation Factor | Dankoff Solar Fire Storage | Grid-Powered Utility Well |
|---|---|---|
| Power outage resilience | Functions 100% independently of electrical grid | Shuts down completely when wildfire downs power poles |
| Maintenance status | Maintains full 5,000–10,000 gallon reserve automatically | Vulnerable to breaker trips and unattended failure |
| Elevation capability | High-head piston pumps push to high ridge-top tanks | Standard pumps struggle with steep mountain head |
| Working life | 15-20 years with regular maintenance | Frequent repair cycles on commercial booster pumps |
Guidelines aligned with NFPA 1142 rural water supplies for wildfire protection.
“Having our 10,000-gallon hill tank kept full by our SolaRam pump gave our entire mountain community emergency fire water when the grid went down.”
— Volunteer Fire Chief, Northern California
Common Questions & Technical Answers
Direct engineering answers to the sizing, installation, and field reliability questions we receive daily from ranchers and solar installers.
Have an unlisted question or complex site?
Our engineers in Santa Fe, NM and Frederick, OK calculate total dynamic head and friction loss for your exact setup.
+1 505-471-346901How fast will the solar pump fill a 5,000-gallon fire storage tank?
Depending on the model and solar array, Dankoff pumps deliver between 1,500 and 15,000+ gallons per sunny day, keeping large reserve tanks topped off automatically.
02Will the pump shut off automatically when the fire tank is full?
Yes. Dankoff heavy-duty float switches automatically shut down the pump when the storage tank reaches capacity and restart it as water is used.