Pressure Tank Installation-Need some Expertise on a Pressure Tank Delema Please

[BSVLY]

I have a well and my well tech installed a custom system for us. Works pretty darn good. However: There is a glitch!!

Note : Our system is contained within a dedicated 140 sq. ft pump house, which is located 150 feet from our home.This system feeds the entire property for domestic & irrigation etc.

Simplified system overview:

1) Down well pump feeds an indoor 1000 gallon storage tank. This prevents down-well pump from cycling all of the time-plus gives us back-up water if needed for emergencies.

2) Booster Pump draws from the full storage tank and then feeds two 84 Gallon pressure tanks in tandem. We get around 60-75 gallons at 35-50 PSI per charge into the system.

3) *When the 1000 gallon storage tank is depleted-the boost pump is automatically powered off until the storage take is replenished from the down well pump. This system design defeats the booster pump during the storage tank refill cycle to ensure that the booster does not operate dry and burn it up. *

* This is the issue: It takes approx 20 minutes to refill the storage tank (cycles 3-5 times a day in irrigation season); and during each refill cycle the house is without water for 20 minutes. Having no water for 20 minutes at random times drives the wife nuts! Since we irrigate throughout the evening too, this can mean interrupted showers and cloths washing etc. I see her point.

Need help with this idea please:

What I propose to do for a remedy is build a small tank box close to the home and install another 84 gallon pressure tank in-line. The box would have a slab, insulation, a check valve and the additional 84 gallon P-tank. I would place this tank on the incoming water main to home and trust that it would give us 25-40 gallons of water during the 20 minute outage intervals. Will this work?

Main questions about this extra tank:
1) will it fill and discharge from the boost pump located 150 away?
2) Anything to add to P-tank beside a check valve and a water main cut-off valve?
3) Can it be passive and not have pump and pump switch and only utilize the system components upstream??

Note: I do not want to reconfigure the system in place in the Pump House if I can help it. Too much invested in it and it works fine minus the 20 minute downtime cycles.

Thanks for any help/suggestions/Comments.

Rich

 

[SPIKER]

I would turn ON the well pump SOONER so there is no "Down Time" which can be done using a 2nd "medium water level ON switch/level switch." It would probably be cheaper than the additional tank & valves to add the 2nd pressure tank.

Now the BOOST pump probably can out pump the (Assuming Submersible pump) in the well but having it come ON prior to the low water alarm level is simple to do and maybe 100 bucks to do.

Mark

 

[Xfaxman]

I agree with Spiker

I would turn ON the well pump SOONER so there is no "Down Time".....

Mark

What turns on the well pump, pressure switch or water level switch?

You could eliminate the two 84 gallon P tanks, with a cycle stop constant pressure valve,on the output of the Booster Pump.

Cycle Stop Valves, Inc.

That is what I have in my well, the pressure tank is also in the well casing.
In-Well Technologies - Who We Are

 

[idaho2]

What is the gpm from your well and the hp of the well pump.

 

[BSVLY]

What is the gpm from your well and the hp of the well pump.

The well is around 28 GPM and the downwell pump is 2 HP. Far as I can tell. It was put in 15 years ago by origfinal owbner.

Thanks

 

[BSVLY]

There is a float in the tank and it is set to trigger the down-well submersible pump when the storage tank gets nearly drained. At the same time the submersible comes on, through a control box of some sort-the booster is defeated until the submersible is off again-when the storage tank has been refilled.

Thanks

I agree with Spiker



What turns on the well pump, pressure switch or water level switch?

You could eliminate the two 84 gallon P tanks, with a cycle stop constant pressure valve,on the output of the Booster Pump.

Cycle Stop Valves, Inc.

That is what I have in my well, the pressure tank is also in the well casing.
In-Well Technologies - Who We Are

 

[BSVLY]

Sounds simple mark. Can youy further explain? Maybe I can learn enough to suggest this to my well technician.

Thanks

I would turn ON the well pump SOONER so there is no "Down Time" which can be done using a 2nd "medium water level ON switch/level switch." It would probably be cheaper than the additional tank & valves to add the 2nd pressure tank.

Now the BOOST pump probably can out pump the (Assuming Submersible pump) in the well but having it come ON prior to the low water alarm level is simple to do and maybe 100 bucks to do.

Mark

 

[Xfaxman]

There is a float in the tank and it is set to trigger the down-well submersible pump when the storage tank gets nearly drained. At the same time the submersible comes on, through a control box of some sort-the booster is defeated until the submersible is off again-when the storage tank has been refilled.

Thanks

I know you don't want the booster running dry, but there are better ways to do that, than waiting for the big tank to fill completely up.

One way would be to raise the "pump on" level so the tank always has enough water for the booster and change the defeat circuit to monitor the "too low" level.

 

[idaho2]

Spiker,

Can you raise the float in the tank to trigger the submersible pump to keep a higher level of water in the tank? Also is your submersible still pumping out at the 28gpm after all these years?

idaho2

 

[BSVLY]

Good question. The well output was measured 1 1/2 years ago at around 25-ish GPM.

I hope there is simple fix. My well tech is pretty darned experienced and he has not come up with a fix--other than agreeing that the "third" pressure tank should work. Still listening-all!

Thanks

Spiker,

Can you raise the float in the tank to trigger the submersible pump to keep a higher level of water in the tank? Also is your submersible still pumping out at the 28gpm after all these years?

idaho2