Water Sorage....Will this Work?

[Silver_Knight]

I am trying to figure out the best way to get water to our new house and barn. The well (200' deep) was drilled 900' from the barn and has a meter there for power. I have ran 1" PVC to where the barn is going to be but am having to wait to put the storage tank until it is finished.

My plans are to have a pressure switch at the well pump. The 2000 gallon storage tank would have a float valve that would open when the water gets to a certain level. When the valve opens this would make the pressure switch turn the pump on, therefore filling the storage tank.

From the storage tank to the apartment in the barn and to the house I would have another pump and a pressure tank. Is this the correct way to accomplish this task?

Lee

 

[woodlot]

Ahh, hydralics, what a mind twisting and difficult subject. Whats the static H2o level in the well? How far does it drawdawn when the pump kicks on? What is the recovery rate of the well? How much of an elevation change over that 900'? How many GPM's are you planning on pushing through the pipe? Whats the HP rating of the pump? Me thinks you potentially have some high pressure losses here.

Watch out for water hammer, there's going to be a lot of energy to stop when that float valve slams shut.

 

[heehaw]

2000 gal water storage? thats a lot of water to store? i have a submersible pump in my well, it was there when i bought the place, so i don't know how deep the well is, but i have 1 inch pvc run all over the place, some of it at least 1000 ft from the well, and i have plenty of flow/pressure at that point. had a grass fire this last spring, so i stuck on at least another 150ft of garden hose, to put the fire out, with no problem at all..
heehaw

 

[Jimbrown]

You can do it that way but it is not the best way as if you try to have a mechanical float shut the water off to the storage tank the pressure from the well pump may hold the float open. The correct way to do it is to use an electric float switch. They are about $40 you can buy them at home depot or any pump supply place. The rest of your swstem will work just fine. That is exactly how I have mine set up except for the electric switch. Mine pumps into an 1800 gallon tank and then into two 50 gallon pressure tanks with a 1200ft run of 1 1/4 pvc. works just fine. For clarification the electric float switch connects to your pump controller. Everyone I ever saw had a provision for a float switch.

 

[Silver_Knight]

For clarification the electric float switch connects to your pump controller. Everyone I ever saw had a provision for a float switch.

Hi Jim,

The electric float switch will be at my storage tank which is 900 feet from my well head. I assume the pump controller is at the well head. That seams like a long way to connect the two. Am I misunderstanding you?

 

[Silver_Knight]

2000 gal water storage? thats a lot of water to store? i have a submersible pump in my well, it was there when i bought the place, so i don't know how deep the well is, but i have 1 inch pvc run all over the place, some of it at least 1000 ft from the well, and i have plenty of flow/pressure at that point. had a grass fire this last spring, so i stuck on at least another 150ft of garden hose, to put the fire out, with no problem at all..
heehaw

Not for a family of five with a small office and two employees. If the pump at the well goes out there is no telling how long it would take to get it replaced. I think 2000 gallons could comfortably give us a week possibly two. There was a two month wait to get it drilled.

 

[Silver_Knight]

Ahh, hydralics, what a mind twisting and difficult subject. Whats the static H2o level in the well? How far does it drawdawn when the pump kicks on? What is the recovery rate of the well? How much of an elevation change over that 900'? How many GPM's are you planning on pushing through the pipe? Whats the HP rating of the pump? Me thinks you potentially have some high pressure losses here.

Watch out for water hammer, there's going to be a lot of energy to stop when that float valve slams shut.

Hi Woodlot,

I really do not have an answer to most of your questions. I am still designing the system. The well is drilled but does not have a pump in it. The pipe is run from the well head to where the storage tank is going to be and there is about 20 of elevation change. I do not think that a high pressure loss from the well to the storage tank is really an issue since it will be just pumping into a storage tank. Please correct me if I am wrong. This is why I am asking these questions now instead of after putting in the pump and storage tank.

 

[heehaw]

wouldn't it be cheaper to keep a spare pump and 200ft of line, ready just in case the pump went out?
heehaw

 

[GaryQWA]

Rather than a fitting every 10-20', I would have used a 1000' roll (or two 500' rolls) of 160 or 200 psi rated 1.25" PE pipe with SS insert fittings and double opposed SS clamps on the two (or 3) fittings. And no storage tank but a Cycle Stop Valve with a small 20 gal pressure tank. The CSV gives you constant pressure and could reduce the power use and electric bill.

The only advantage of a large tank is that it may allow firefighting if the power is off and a portable pump suction line can be readily fitted to it. A disadvantage is water quality suffers when 2000 gallons of water sits out in the sun getting warm....

At 200' deep, two guys can pull up to a 1.5 hp pump with minimal effort and a few tools like a pipe vice that costs from $60-150 depending on the type of drop pipe used and a tee handle for the pitless adapter. The tee handle can be any 3/4 or 1" black iron or galvanized pipe, a tee and two ends to make the tee into a handle. Or any other means to hold the pump so you can rest a bit if needed.

For the drop pipe to the pump, I'd use the same PE pipe as above.

As to controlling the pump... look into remote (radio) controlled from a float switch in the tank to a receiver at the power pole at the well. Roam around here a bit:
http://www.isaacstech.com/radio_products/index.htm
http://www.isaacstech.com/radio_products/applications/tnkpmpap.pdf

Gary
Quality Water Associates

 

[woodlot]

Nice post; good info. I'd like to learn more about CSV, got a link?