Water Well 101......A few questions from a water well newbie

[Richard]

Though I don't have one, I like the idea of a larger tank.

We lose our power (it sometimes seems 2-4 times/week but that might be exaggerated)

Anyway, when we lose power, we have to be very careful about simple things like flushes..... I've got 4 toilets in the house so I figure I've got 4 flushes and those will probably drain most or all of my tank.

If we see a really nasty storm on the horizon, I'll go ahead and fill a couple of pitchers of water so we'll have something saved up.

Larger tank would fix a lot of that for us.

 

[aczlan]

None. Probably meant a 220 volt pump. No residence is 3 phase

Nope, they make inverter VFD controllers that make 3 phase out of 220V single phase.

This is true... had to do it in Pittsburgh last year, something to do with back feeding a neutral I think???

With a rotary phase converter you feed it from both sides of a single phase 240V line and play with capacitors to get the voltage right.

Aaron Z

 

[PILOON]

As a local 'go to' handyman type I've maintained many pump systems.
A 16-20 gal bladder type tank is all U need to have constant pressure.
Naturally the control switch must be properly set.

Mine is a 40/60 control on a 16(?) gal bladder tank and believe U me I have all the pressure I ever want, heck when taking a shower if my wife does a wash load I don't even know it.

 

[fried1765]

As a local 'go to' handyman type I've maintained many pump systems.
A 16-20 gal bladder type tank is all U need to have constant pressure.
Naturally the control switch must be properly set.

Mine is a 40/60 control on a 16(?) gal bladder tank and believe U me I have all the pressure I ever want, heck when taking a shower if my wife does a wash load I don't even know it.

I am quite certain that you do have plenty of pressure if you have your pressure switch set correctly.
The problem with a small (16 gal.?) tank though, is pump cycling.
Your pump may be cycling on, when you draw only a gallon or two of water.
Pump cycling = pump wear.
A larger tank requires fewer pump cycles between water draws.

 

[MF RED in MT]

If you have a frost free yard hydrant or 2 or 3 that are located in between the well pump and your pressure tank piping,

"do not install a check valve just before the pressure tank"

because your yard hydrant will only work when the well is turned on.

KC

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Also have water in containers for emergency use for when the well goes out and the pump guys can't get there for a few days. Also for when the power goes out unless you have a way for the generator to run the well pump.

This is very important for maintaining ANY household.

Though I don't have one, I like the idea of a larger tank.

We lose our power (it sometimes seems 2-4 times/week but that might be exaggerated)

Anyway, when we lose power, we have to be very careful about simple things like flushes..... I've got 4 toilets in the house so I figure I've got 4 flushes and those will probably drain most or all of my tank.

If we see a really nasty storm on the horizon, I'll go ahead and fill a couple of pitchers of water so we'll have something saved up.

Larger tank would fix a lot of that for us.

I'd strongly recommend either a few "rain barrels" or a "tote". This provides a buffer for when the water fails and getting it fixed.
I've a 275 gallon tote strategically placed under roof runoff. Set it up to provide water for rinsing stuff around the yard. A few times the municipal water has stopped. We found it easy to use bottled water for CONSUMPTION but the tote made a big difference in flushing.

 

[MF RED in MT]

Though I don't have one, I like the idea of a larger tank.

We lose our power (it sometimes seems 2-4 times/week but that might be exaggerated)

Anyway, when we lose power, we have to be very careful about simple things like flushes..... I've got 4 toilets in the house so I figure I've got 4 flushes and those will probably drain most or all of my tank.

If we see a really nasty storm on the horizon, I'll go ahead and fill a couple of pitchers of water so we'll have something saved up.

Larger tank would fix a lot of that for us.

We have a 8000+ wattage portable electric start generator specifically to run the well pump, refrigerator, and freezer, when ever the power goes out.

All I have to do is roll it to the back deck, plug it in, start it, and go inside to flip the switch in the transfer switch panel box.

And also the plus is, having some lights, TV, internet, and microwave...

KC

 

[xrjohndeere]

"3 phase pumps"?
How many private residences have 3 phase power?

I think what he is referring to is a variable frequency drive pump. Not three phase. It cycles up and down according to demand.

 

[fishheadbob]

As a local 'go to' handyman type I've maintained many pump systems.
A 16-20 gal bladder type tank is all U need to have constant pressure.
Naturally the control switch must be properly set.

Mine is a 40/60 control on a 16(?) gal bladder tank and believe U me I have all the pressure I ever want, heck when taking a shower if my wife does a wash load I don't even know it.

Same here. Repairs after 40 years are next to nothing. 300 feet of plastic piping, and 300 feet of underground cable continue to work without issue; same for the bladder tank and pressure switch. At 40/60 there is no issue with water pressure; We can shower, wash clothes, and run the dishwasher simultaneously without issue.
If a water pump is going to go, like they do every 15 or so years, be assured it will happen at the worst possible time like Friday the 3rd of July guaranteeing you can't buy a quality replacement for a few days. After that happened to me I now keep a fully plumbed backup on hand. What was nice about that was I could really shop hard to find another Goulds at a great internet price; and that "insurance" has thankfully not been needed.

 

[aczlan]

I think what he is referring to is a variable frequency drive pump. Not three phase. It cycles up and down according to demand.

No, they are 3 phase VFD capable pumps. The controller makes 3 phase out of single phase and uses the VFD to vary the pump RPM to keep a constant pressure on the output of the pump.

Here is the Grundfoss site for their single to 3 phase controller line: Grundfos CU331SP Variable Frequency Drive | Grundfos

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

I think what he is referring to is a variable frequency drive pump. Not three phase. It cycles up and down according to demand.

No, they are 3 phase VFD capable pumps. The controller makes 3 phase out of single phase and uses the VFD to vary the pump RPM to keep a constant pressure on the output of the pump.

Here is the Grundfoss site for their single to 3 phase controller line: Grundfos CU331SP Variable Frequency Drive | Grundfos

Aaron Z

 

[LouNY]

I believe in the largest pressure tank you can reasonably install.
My well is a 150' deep the static water level varies from overflowing to 20' down in the casing.
The pump is a 1 1/2 hp, 15 gpm with a 100' lift, feeding a 60 gallon bladder tank, pressure switch is set at 40-60#.
The larger the tank the less the pump will cycle, which is easier on the pump.
I wouldn't be adverse to using a pair of pressure tanks to increase the run times, it would also increase the drawdown
volume available with power outages.
One feature of my pressure switch which can be aggravating is that it has a low pressure cutout,
if the system pressure drops to below 15 psi the switch drops out and will not restart the pump untill you manually over ride the
low pressure cut out. The idea is to shut the pump down in the event the main line breaks or the well gets emptied to protect the pump
and house. The problem is when you use enough water with a power outage you have to go down to the tank and over ride it to have water.

 

[PILOON]

I am quite certain that you do have plenty of pressure if you have your pressure switch set correctly.
The problem with a small (16 gal.?) tank though, is pump cycling.
Your pump may be cycling on, when you draw only a gallon or two of water.
Pump cycling = pump wear.
A larger tank requires fewer pump cycles between water draws.

My system is going on 24 years on the same pump and so far so good.

I did however need to change the steel/bladder tank as humidity/water caused the bladder to leak due to rust abrasion.
A fiberglass (bladder) tank cured that.

Pressure switch contacts do need polishing from time to time as the tend to get pitted, that or change it.
(I keep a spare on hand)

One point I can't emphasise enough is to have all the plumbing steel and iron free, use brass or plastics if U want to avoid troubles.

 

[PILOON]

We have a 8000+ wattage portable electric start generator specifically to run the well pump, refrigerator, and freezer, when ever the power goes out.

All I have to do is roll it to the back deck, plug it in, start it, and go inside to flip the switch in the transfer switch panel box.

And also the plus is, having some lights, TV, internet, and microwave...

KC

LOL, we think alike!
I just upgraded to 9000 unit so that I can also use a few ceramic heaters. (hate hauling wood).
My setup is permanently wired via a switch box and I keep the genny battery on an intelligent charger.
I hate pulling that cord to start the genny, besides I suffer from COPD.

Power outages are not a problem but merely an inconvenience for us.

 

[thatguy]

as mentioned go with the largest tank you can get in your crawlspace and save your pump from working so hard..

here is a link to the wel-trol website, near the bottom is a PDF what shows all the tanks they have and their sizes..

Well-X-Trol(R) | Amtrol

We currently have a 20 gal tank and im going with a 34 or 44 gallong tank when ours goes out.. Both would fit in my crawlspace

brian

 

[3Ts]

You also do not want to go over 80 psi in your house. Most residential plumbing fixtures are only designed to handle 80 psi. Most municipal water districts require pressure regulators if the supply is over 80. Municipal water lines can be over 100 psi.

 

[goeduck]

We notice the occasional surge when the pump kicks in, but not enough to be a bother. I am not sure how many gallons my pressure tank is but it is about 5 feet tall and a good 2.5 feet diameter.

I have a well pump and a cistern with a pump in it in addition to the pressure tank. The cistern pump is what feeds the pressure tank. The well feeds the cistern. If I ever have a problem with either of the cistern or well pump and I have a well guy out, I will look into getting rid of the cistern unless I have a low flow output well. No one else around me has a cistern.

 

[turnkey4099]

It allows the pressure tank to work normally until the pressure drops enough to turn pump on, then pump runs until water flow stops and the pressure tank is filled.

Basic Operation of a Cycle Stop Valve Cycle Stop Valves, Inc

Thanks. I saved the link for later

 

[fried1765]

My system is going on 24 years on the same pump and so far so good.

I did however need to change the steel/bladder tank as humidity/water caused the bladder to leak due to rust abrasion.
A fiberglass (bladder) tank cured that.

Pressure switch contacts do need polishing from time to time as the tend to get pitted, that or change it.
(I keep a spare on hand)

One point I can't emphasise enough is to have all the plumbing steel and iron free, use brass or plastics if U want to avoid troubles.

A single person with a very small cold water tank certainly can have a pump last for many (24+) years.
Not very likely though,...... for a family of 4 or 5.

 

[LouNY]

A single person with a very small cold water tank certainly can have a pump last for many (24+) years.
Not very likely though,...... for a family of 4 or 5.

My pump and large tank is over 25 years old and for many years it was a family of 7, including filling a 24 ft above ground pool
a couple of times a year.
Sure hope I haven't jinxed myself now.