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willarrington · Apr 8, 2009, 08:29 PM

I have a 1550 gallon holding tank 4 feet from my jet pump by craftsman. The pump is 3 feet from the house. It is used as a cabin in which we use about 300 gallons one weekend out of the month. I was wondering if I have to use a pressure tank. I don't mind the pump kicking on each time we use the water. We will not be using it very often so I don't think we should have a problem with it burning up. ALso, I don't mind the pressure coming and going from 40psi down to 20psi and back up. Will this work since there is only 3 feet from the cabin to the pump. There is only 2 sinks, 1 shower, and 1 toilet. Thanks for your help.

21boat · Apr 8, 2009, 09:15 PM

I'm amazed the pump doesn't quick cycle. Hers how I would set it up to be a good standard system and no problems later.A bladder can adjust to the quick pressure drops and there fore stop the flowtrol pressure switch popping on and off when it gets a "false" drop on pressure won't happen.
How It Works: Water Well Pump - Popular Mechanics

How is the holding tank filled?

speedball1 · Apr 9, 2009, 05:50 AM

I have a 1550 gallon holding tank 4 feet from my jet pump by craftsman. The pump is 3 feet from the house. It is used as a cabin in which we use about 300 gallons one weekend out of the month. I was wondering if I have to use a pressure tank

Whoa You have a 1550 gal. holding tank. (This is a holding tank and not a pressure tank, correct?) and this tank supplies your cabin through gravity feed? If that's the case then no pressure/bladder tank or pump control box should ever be installed. The pump shut of should be a float valve in the holding tank. It works like this. The jet pump operates until the holding tank if filled and then the float switch shuts the pump down. As you draw water into your cabin out of the tank the level falls and the float switch kicks the pump in again and the process starts all over again.
Isn't that what you have? Let me know, Tom

willarrington · Apr 9, 2009, 11:34 AM

No, it is just a holding tank. The pump is between the tank and the house. We have a service that will be filling the tank up. Just wondering if you can have this set up and it work (Tank - pump - house)

speedball1 · Apr 9, 2009, 12:15 PM

My bad! I assumed the pump was supplying the holdinjg tank. Since the pump's onn the other side you would set this up just as if the holding tank was the well.
A bladder tank will save on the life of the pump but along with the bladder tank you'll have to install a check valve downstream from the pump to hold pressure. Otherwise if you don't mind the pump kicking on every time you flush or draw a glass of water your tank/ pump-/ house will work just fine. Good luck, Tom

21boat · Apr 9, 2009, 12:23 PM

That's why I thought a bladder would be good here being on the pressure side and not stressing the pump. If you already had water access to fill a 1550 gallon tank form on site source why not pump direct and skip tank. Also the gravity set up requires significant height for it to work well.

2 weeks ago I installed the gravity feed setup because I lose city water twice a week. Also there needs to be a vent on that tank.

Will if you lose power there to pump water for any reason you can gravity feed out of thank also.

jlisenbe · Apr 9, 2009, 02:25 PM

Sounds like water is being delivered to the site. At only 300 gallons a month, I don't think you need to worry too much about it. I'm betting you are using a booster pump such as is shown here:

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images...11073-2903.jpg

Adding a small tank won't hurt anything, and will help your pump's service life some. But you will have to drain it during freezing weather, along with, of course, the pump and lines.