Redirecting excess water back into the well

[Mike]

I have an 8 ft. Aermotor A702 mill filling a 700 gallon water trough. I have the pitman arms set on the low flow setting and a 2 in. well cylinder and it sill pumps more water than needed. I don't have a good place for overflow water to go, and I don't want to keep turning the windmill on and off. Does anyone have experience with a valve of sorts to direct un-needed water back into the well - before it ever hits the trough? For obvious reasons, I don't want "dirty" water going back into the well or this would be easy. I have a few ideas in my head but wondered if anyone has experience with this.

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Can you put a T in the line that runs to the basin with a pipe running off the bottom of the T back into the well and a shut off valve after the T and one on the return line to the well?

[Mike]

Yea, that would work but I'm thinking of designing something that would be automatic. For example maybe a float valve in the trough that at a certain level closes the end of the pipe to the trough, and the water builds up in the pipe just enough to then flow a different direction and back to the well.
Does that make sense? Or maybe it's as simple as a ball check valve at the end of the discharge pipe with an alternate route back to the well...

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Years ago most your windmill companies made regulators i don't know if aermoter still sells them. There's guys on this forum that are experts on installing wells and water systems one is windy Bob maybe he'll chime in. I'm just a restorer of antique mills

[windybob]

You can always pull the tail over to around 45 degrees to slow the mill down. As long as the brake doesn't rub, the more the tail comes over, the less it will pump. No need to run it wide open all the time if you have too much production.

That's my 'chime' LOL

[mtblah]

Mike , the attached photo's show a Aermotor regurlator .
Windy 's "sage " advice to pull tail partially is perfect .

[mtblah]

Wouldn't that be a wonderful problem in TX & OK to have too much water !!!

[Mike]

Wow, that old regulator looks interesting. Never seen one. How does it work?

[mtblah]

lever on the left has the water tank float , ratchet in the center , the right pulls in the tail to slow , stop pumping water .
Windy's simple way is just turn the tail to about 45 degrees and slow pumping to the amount really needed .

[Wayne]

Simple is always better I've found.