Log in

View Full Version : Water pumps


underseaman64
Jun 8, 2008, 06:46 PM
I have a well with a submersible pump. It works fine but I also have another home hooked on the same well and the run is 400 feet not including the 150 feet depth of the well. Is it possible to hook up a jet pump at the 2nd home to improve water pressure? If so how would it be done? Do I just hook the water line into the jet pump and then go through the pressure tank? What I'm thinking is this will boost the pressure and take some load off the submersible.
Thanks for any help,
Underseaman64

Credendovidis
Jun 8, 2008, 07:20 PM
You have to realize that the demand on the submersible pump is increasing, as it has to pump more water than before.
A submersible pump has a certain "waterhead", the height of the column it can raise water.
It is not really a pressure pump to fill long/remote water pipes.
When living in Africa we had a similar situation, which was solved as follows, without ever causing a problem :
We used the existing system and connected it also to a small reservoir with a floation switch (as in a water closet). So that tank was filled when needed. The output of that tank system was piped into the second home by means of a pump that pressurized it into a second small tank system in the roof. Also with WC floatation switch , which closed the water input if full, and switch on/off the second pump when needed. From there it went into the house piping by gravitational pressure.

Hope this helps

jlisenbe
Jun 8, 2008, 07:55 PM
I don't think the 400 feet of pipe is a problem in and of itself. It sounds like the pipe is gaining elevation as it runs. You lose 0.4# of pressure for every foot gained in elevation, so if you are gaining forty feet of elevation, that is costing you about 16# of pressure. That would be noticeable.

If that is not the case (or even if it is the case), then putting a booster pump at the end of the run is an option. Let the booster pump pump into a pressure tank, say 30 gallon.

By the way, how large is the pipe going to the second home?