PDA

View Full Version : How miuch pressure do I need to plan for


JeffJordan
Oct 18, 2005, 01:06 PM
We are builing a house in a rural location that has a well literally 3/4 of a mile away. There is a small pressure tank at the well with a 1 1/2 inch water line running the distance to the house. I believe the pressur eis set at 60 or 70 on the pressure tank. It actually feeds another farm house that is used very little - we t'ed into the line and took the water to the new house.

New house has 4 1/2 baths (3 - 48" shouwers and one 60" tub/Shower)

Will be times when 6 or 8 people will want to shower in a row. I plan to run 2 50 gallon hot water heaters in series so you can turn on just on one if a few peopleare there and both if everyone is going to be there. It is a weekend getaway.

So how much water pressure should I need at the inlet to the house (or outlet at the house :) ) to run this stuff?

Should I use a pressure tank or a holding tank with a booster or just a booster to suck water out of the line?

I need to determine the flow rate I know -What else do I need to figure out or know to decide what to put in at the hosue. I plan to try to get a flow rate from the water this weekend when we get it hooked in and turned on. As you can tell I am way over my head. Plumber just said put in a booster at the house.

speedball1
Oct 18, 2005, 01:36 PM
"Will be times when 6 or 8 people will want to shower in a row. I plan to run 2 50 gallon hot water heaters in series so you can turn on just on one if a few peopleare there and both if everyone is going to be there. It is a weekend getaway.
So how much water pressure should I need at the inlet to the house (or outlet at the house :) ) to run this stuff?"

It's not the pressure that should be your concern but the volume to supply all the water that you will need . All the pressure in the world won't help if you don't have the volume to back it up. Run 1" to your house and 3/4" mains inside the house. Branch off the 3/4" mains with 1/2" branches and install no more then three fixtures off a 1/2" branch.

"I believe the pressure is set at 60 or 70 on the pressure tank."

That's plenty of pressure to satisfy your needs. To see what your pressure's set at look at the pump control box. It should tell you the cut in and the cut out pressure. As for the bladder tank better check the setting on that also. You do this by shutting off the pump at the breaker box, opening a hose bib and bleeding all the pressure out of the system. The pressure in the bladder tank should be 2 pounds under the cut in pressure on the control box. If your control box reads 30 cut in and 50 cut out the bladder tank pressure should be set at 28 PSI. Good luck, Tom

JeffJordan
Oct 18, 2005, 01:50 PM
The system already has the 1 1/2 pVC water supply line stubbed into the house. From there it goes to a manblock system with PEX plumbing and basically each item has its own line run from the block.

My concern about pressure is that the pressure tank is 3/4 of a mile away. I assume there will be some loss of pressure over that distance (it is also probably 75-100 feet up hill over that 3/4 mile) that will be significant.

Once I find out the flow rate, what flow rate should I need to supply this house. I sort of figured a shower uses 2.5 gpm x 4 showers = 10 gpm. But I will also have 100 gallons in the Hot Water heaters = 4 - 10 minute showers with no cold water :) So the supply line needs to feed me at least that amount doesn't it - 10 gpm. And no one better flush. I believe//hope the well has the water/recovery to supply it but doubt seriously I will have that flow at the house over that distance. So will a booster pump suck it out of the line 3/4 of a mile as long as it has enough water coming in at the other end ?