Any plumbers around?

A

animal-inside

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I have a cistern for drinking water. The cistern itself is burried outside of my house.

There is a ABS pipe that comes up through my basement floor conected to the cistern. On this ABS pipe is a water pump. The pump sits inside my basement utility room. The pump has a pressure control switch attached to it. This feeds the entire house water. There is no pressure tank. It's direct pressure from the pump. Some people don't like this because when you turn the shower on, the shower fires up right away and then the pressure tapers off a touch before the pump falls below a certain PSI then kickds on for full pressure until you turn the tap on.

Either way, my water pump has a small leak. It's old. It's time to replace it.

To my understanding this set up is considered a shallow well and I need a jet pump for drinkable water.

Something like this



My concern is the PSI. I don't know my current PSI and I have some of the poly b pipes in my house. Not able to replace them right now, but in the summer I can. Should I be concerned with getting a new pump and its PSI rating with having poly b?
 
I am considering a jet pump with a pressure tank addded as well. Any idea how big of a pressure tank I'd need for a 3 bedroom bungalow?
 
Ok it’s been years since I’ve seen a well with a jet pump, so I’m gojng to say 40 psi?Start low then increase. I think you would be fine to 60? Quick google search should answer that.
I would for sure use a pressure tank. I believe the one we had on the farm was 5 gallons.
Cant see how being too large would hurt anything except your pocket book.

I looked at the reviews on this particular unit and they are not good, but it gives you an idea to start with.
Myself id go with a larger tank, maybe 3/4hp pump but I always overkill
 
Sorbate said:
Ok it’s been years since I’ve seen a well with a jet pump, so I’m gojng to say 40 psi?Start low then increase. I think you would be fine to 60? Quick google search should answer that.
I would for sure use a pressure tank. I believe the one we had on the farm was 5 gallons.
Cant see how being too large would hurt anything except your pocket book.

I looked at the reviews on this particular unit and they are not good, but it gives you an idea to start with.
Myself id go with a larger tank, maybe 3/4hp pump but I always overkill
Click to expand...

I am looking at adding a pressure tank. I think space might be my issue, but maybe not.

I've been looking and I see 1hp pumps with pressure tanks. I think that would be the way I will go if it will fit and if there's no conflicrs with the poly B.

I think I Will end up buying a unit locally. I keep reading reviews of them and it seems no matter the brand or model, lots get a bad one out of the box. I can't wait to send it back in the mail for an exchange when its my water for the house lol.

The way I see my set up, I will have to modify it for any unit I pick up. So that means if it shits the bed out of the box, I can't just put the original back in until the new one shows up.
 
Yep, and the polyb is designed for household drinking water pipes.
most run a shut off of 60 psi, turn back on at 40. That is only 60% of its rating.
Unless the water just trickled out of your shower, the old pump was likely doing the same.

Why a 1 hp unit?

I should have copy and pasted the site that had the calculator I used to figure out 1/2 hp and 5 gallon.
I figured 3/4 hp and a 15 gallon tank would be more than enough. You can get vertical tanks where the pump mounts on the top. Or you can have the pump and tank separate.
you can make it work. Too bad I’m not closer. Shit I have left over pex , the tool, fittings and so on. Left overs from the 3 houses I rebuilt.
Plus I’m a dive into it without fear and fake it as I go along type, lol.
 
Sorbate said:
Yep, and the polyb is designed for household drinking water pipes.
most run a shut off of 60 psi, turn back on at 40. That is only 60% of its rating.
Unless the water just trickled out of your shower, the old pump was likely doing the same.

Why a 1 hp unit?

I should have copy and pasted the site that had the calculator I used to figure out 1/2 hp and 5 gallon.
I figured 3/4 hp and a 15 gallon tank would be more than enough. You can get vertical tanks where the pump mounts on the top. Or you can have the pump and tank separate.
you can make it work. Too bad I’m not closer. Shit I have left over pex , the tool, fittings and so on. Left overs from the 3 houses I rebuilt.
Plus I’m a dive into it without fear and fake it as I go along type, lol.
Click to expand...
LOL... I'll manage the install. I don;t have the tool, but I've rented it locally for like 20$ a day.

Not overly worried about the install part. I have been meaning to pull out the poly b for a few years now and replace it, but always higher priority stuff comes up.

No reason for the 1hp other than the couple models of tank/pump packages with good reviews had 1hp. Bigger is better in this case I think? Less wear and tear due to less work asked of the pump???

I'll have to look up the verticle units. The ones I have been looking at are horizontal type with either tank under or on the end. Verical would deffinitely be better for me.
 
animal-inside said:
LOL... I'll manage the install. I don;t have the tool, but I've rented it locally for like 20$ a day.

Not overly worried about the install part. I have been meaning to pull out the poly b for a few years now and replace it, but always higher priority stuff comes up.

No reason for the 1hp other than the couple models of tank/pump packages with good reviews had 1hp. Bigger is better in this case I think? Less wear and tear due to less work asked of the pump???

I'll have to look up the verticle units. The ones I have been looking at are horizontal type with either tank under or on the end. Verical would deffinitely be better for me.
Click to expand...
You could also buy a vertical tank and the pump separate then just hook them together. And the pump would likely run less with 1 hp. You will need a 20 amp breaker and 12 gauge wire for that though if you are running 110, because I think it would pull around 12 amp. I am almost sure my 1 hp 220 volt pool pump is 6.2 amp a leg, so like 12.4 amps @ 110. I also believe you are not allowed to run over 75% of the breakers capacity. If the fuse box is in the same room as the pump, no issues, just use bx wire (metal protected) and you don't have to hide it in a wall or anything. Likely could also use cab tire. Damn I have 20' of 12 gauge cab tire at home also, lol
One of the electricians on here would likely know better than me.
 
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