We are looking for a new home and in our search, we came across a curious setup that requires questions.

In a utility room in the basement is a 500 gallon water cistern that is connected to a water treatment system and on to the cold water supply and hot water heater. The sellers disclosures says that it is there to increase the water pressure in the house. The system look completely new and therefore in great shape. Neither us or our agent had never seen this type of system.

The Cistern is cylinder about 6 ft tall and about 4 ft wide, made of a heavy duty white plastic and clearly marked 500 gallons.

Is this something we should be concerned with as a possible new owner of this house.

Sounds like a typical whole house water treatment set up. I wouldn't be to aweful concerned about it, BUT, I would suggest contacting the installer of the system and have them come on site to explain how the system works, and maintenance procedures and cost. Many people would consider this option a bonus when on well water. I wouldn't think it was for added pressure, but merely for water treatment, but it may be for both treatment and extra capicity for volume of water usage. If you are really interested in the property, I would look further into the system, get educated on it, and you may find that it is good thing. Most likely someone spent some good money for quality water. Take care, and please let us know what you find out.

I wonder why the water had to be treated in the first place and unless a booster pump's included in the system I doubt very much if the treatment system would increase the house pressure. Would this be a aeration system to remove stinky out of well water? Learn more before you make a offer. Good luck, bTom

The Seller Disclosure statement specifically says it was due to low water pressure. I didn't examine the system closely as it was just a showing. I just wanted to get answers so we could use that information when making our final decision about the home. It is on our short list, so my husband and I had questions and wanted an unbiased opinion.

I've never had a home that had a well system, so I had no idea about this system. I wish I had pictures to post here so you could see it. Other than this system, this house has no other issues that we could see. Thanks for answering my questions.

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The Seller Disclosure statement specifically says it was due to low water pressure.

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I can't buy that! Water treatment systems are there to treat water and not to boost pressure. Booster pumps do that. I would have questions for the seller
Your seller sounds like he's hiding something and before I made a offer I would get a home inspection before things went any farther. Sure sounds like a aeration system and not a filter system and aeration systems are there for one reason. To remove the sulfur out of well water. Want to check? Draw a glass of water BEFORE it gets into the treatment system and smell it. Sulfur water smells like rotten eggs only worse. If you're really interested I would get a inspector and see if he can uncover any other defects. Good luck, Tom

Is there a pump attached to it ? If positive, does it go off when water is on ? Back to you. Milo

Hey Milo,
We have lots of sulfur water in our area and I'm farmiular with those systems. Yes! The owner was incorrect when he said the treatment system was there to increase the house pressure. By design aeration system have two pumps. One to pull the water from the well to the aeration tank and the other to supply the house from the tank. This is the house pump and doesn't boost anything except a few pounds of head pressure in the tank.
What I'm ragging on Mr Shaw about is the fact that the seller attempted to gloss over the fact that his water was so bad it has to be treated before you can use it. He claims

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The sellers disclosures says that it is there to increase the water pressure in the house

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Kind of makes you wonder if he would make a false claim and sign it what else might he be holding back. Hope you had a great thanksgiving way out there in Cal. Tom

You have water in a cistern. It would be at zero pressure. There would have to be a pump and pressure tank along with that. How does the water get into the cistern? Is it connected to a municipal water supply which meters water into it?

Sounds a little strange to me. I'm thinking there is more to it than you have described so far.

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You have water in a cistern. It would be at zero pressure.

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Not quite so. If the tank were 5' tall you would have a little over 2 PSI head pressure.

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There would have to be a pump and pressure tank along with that.

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and there is, The second pump is set up exactly like a regular house pump with a check valve and bladder tank. This pump treats the tank exactly as if it were a well.

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Is it connected to a municipal water supply which meters water into it?

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You don't need to treat city water.
Aeration systems are used to treat well water so it's usable when it enters the house. Regards, Tom

Speedball, a question. As I understand these areation systems, air is injected into the water which causes iron (or whatever) to come out of solution. It is then pumped through a filter to remove the solids. I would think the tank would have to be cleaned from time to time. Is that correct? If so, how is it done? Drain the tank and wash it out? By "tank", I'm referring to the holding tank, not the pressure tank.

All of the systems I've seen were open tanks spraying water out of sprinkler head type nozzles. This removes sulfur from the water. From time to time the tank is drained and cleaned. Regards, Tom

Ive seen these types of things a couple different ways. Ive seen them for whole house reverse osmosis (spendy) and Ive seen them as storage tanks due to lack of incoming water for whatever reason. I think we would need more info from the OP to really know what we are dealing with. Take care guys.

Hey Lee,

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Mygirlsdad77
Plumbing Expert





Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,045
Reputation score: 1157 Ive seen these types of things a couple different ways. Ive seen them for whole house reverse osmosis (spendy) and Ive seen them as storage tanks due to lack of incoming water for whatever reason

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Are we talking about the same thread. The OP described a aeration tank, pure and simple. There's no lack of water volume it just smells bad. This isn't simply a storage tank, as you believe but a aeration tank. We have lots of them in my area. Eve got one in the next block. This house has this set up and the seller's attempting to hide the fact that before the water can be used it has to be treated. Have you read this thread from the beginning? Regards, bTom

Hi Tom. Yep, Ive read the complete thing. And you are the only one that has mentioned a smell. A bit presumptious at the least? And the way I see it, the OP only described a 500 gal clear plastic tank. No way to truly determine that this is stictly for aeration. I realize you have much, much more experience than I. However, I have seen a few things that Im am most possitive that you have not. There are many options of opinion with the limited facts we have been given from the OP.

Final thought. I have no doubt in my mind that you have dealt more with the type of system mentioned than I have. So I will leave this thread to you and the other pros. On to the next. Take care guys.

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you are the only one that has mentioned a smell. A bit presumptious at the least?

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Not when the OP describes a described a aeration tank installation it isn't. There's only one reason to install a aeration tank system and that's not to increase pressure, as the seller insists or as a storage tank due to a lack of incoming water as you seem to think.
A aeration tank treatment system is there for only one reason and that's to remove the sulfur content from the well water before it enters the house.

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the OP only described a 500 gal clear plastic tank. No way to truly determine that this is stictly for aeration.

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And the seller describes a pump that he mistakenly called a "booster" to increase pressure.
Think about it Lee!
If the seller wished to increase pressure he could have simply increased tot cut out point at the pump control box and if there was a volume problem he would have installed a 80 gallon galvanized pressure tank to insure a constant flow.
Nah! A treatment system is there for only one reason. To treat the well water so it's fit to be used in the house. So now that I've addressed your augments and I think I covered them all do you still think I'm "presumptious at the least"? Cheers Tom

I not here to argue with you Tom. Really, Im not trying to be difficult, but please re-read all of the actuall OPs post in this forrum. Never does he/she mention a pump of any kind. Am I missing something? Were there posts deleted that I didn't see? Honestly Im very confused at this point. I can only see two post from the OP on this forrum. Not trying to nit pick here. Pretty sure something was lost in translation:)

Anybody else see where Im coming from, or am I just way off base?

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Am I missing something?

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Did you miss the part where the seller makes a declaration, and signed it, where he claims the treatment system was there to increase the house pressure? Ridiculous! You will agree that there are only two ways to increase house pressure from a well don't you?
1. Increase the cut off point on the control box, **OR**
2. Add a booster pump to the system.
Lee, You've been around here long enough to read between the lines in a OP's statement. How come you're so literal on this thread. Everything the seller and the OP says just screams "aeration tank" and if I haven't convinced you b y now I don't know what else I can say. I've shot down your contention that is was a storage tank. The seller himself says it was a water ent system to boost the house pressure. Do you realize how dumb that sounds? I'm through attempting to convince you with logic. In fact, I'm just done. Regards, Tom