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Well Pressure Tank Question
10/05/06 10:42 PM
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I have a 119gal pressure tank mounted near the well head. I am entertaining the idea of adding another pressure tank to maintain pressure longer between pump cycles. The reason for this is that I have 3 teenage boys and an active house which uses a lot of water.
Before I spend the money and sweat, are there any downsides to this idea? Am I way off in my thinking? I understand the pressure will not change. Any suggestions or wisdom is very much appreciated.
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GaryQWA
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That will give you more drawdown gallons between pump runs but... when the pump comes on, it will take more water out of the well than before and all at once. In some cases that can cause water quality and other problems like fewer gpm to the tanks and/or house while the pump is running. It depends on the pump's ability to pump water from a lower depth.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
Gary Slusser
Quality Water Associates
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Pat
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: GaryQWA]
10/06/06 11:59 AM
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Gary, Do you think that if he tried the bigger tank and there was a problem that a flow restricter (mild not super restrictive) would solve it?
I have limited experience and the only water quality issues I have ever had with ouir well was taking too much water too fast which causes sand to get pumped up into the plumbing in our situation. Apparently we have lots of water availale but not at a high rate. You can pump our well forever and not run out of water if you don't exceed its capacity. Something abot porosity I think.
If I were to add another or larger bladder tank, I think the only thing that would change is that we'd have fewer start-stop cycles on the pump but longer run times when it did run. That shouldn't hurt anything (probably help pump life a bit) and the short to medium time frame water supply situation would be inproved. Of course no change of tank size will improve the long term max water availability for me given the max supply rate of the well.
If we didn't run the water at high flow rates for extended periods of time we'd probably be better off without the flow restrictor but it is decent insurance against doing anything dumb and sucking a lot of sand. I have a large whole house sediment filter with a 200 mesh prefilter ahead of it so we don't get grit in the appliances to foul up the solenoid valves.
Pat 
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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egon
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: Pat]
10/06/06 03:48 PM
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In reply to:
porosity I think
It's the permuability of the formation that determines flow rate. Porosity will be the size of pore spaces.
Egon 
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GaryQWA
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: Pat]
10/06/06 09:23 PM
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A flow control isn't going to help when the pump has to refill the tanks, it takes the same volume of water just longer to complete the process.
He would be better off using a CSV (Cycle Stop Valve) and small pressure tank rather than adding another tank.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
Gary Slusser
Quality Water Associates
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Pat
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: egon]
10/06/06 10:25 PM
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Egon, Did you mean "permeability?" I probably know too many terms and get confused but at least I know it isn't permitivity.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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Pat
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: GaryQWA]
10/06/06 11:06 PM
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Right, Gary, We don't know how well his well produces, I'm not suggesting he add a flow restrictor unless he has problems with outrunning the wells production.
Not everyone has the problem I have.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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egon
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: Pat]
10/07/06 04:46 AM
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Yes, that is the correct spelling Pat!
This recent onset of spellitize I am going thru must be due to failing eyesight or some form of declining mental facilities! 
Egon
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Pat
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: egon]
10/07/06 09:02 PM
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Egon, There has been a lot of that going around lately. I may not be a carrier but I think I was infected. All that plus fingers the size of ballpark wieners that can easily and often do hit too many keys.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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Re: Well Pressure Tank Question
[re: Pat]
10/07/06 11:29 PM
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Thank you all for the informative discussion. To fill in the information gaps....My well is exactly 500 ft deep, produces 7 gpm, and has a static level of about 20 ft below ground level. It is my understanding that at this depth I've got quite a reservoir (column) of water. I'm in solid rock, no loose sand or other material. My pump is about 15 feet off the bottom of the hole. I believe that my pump is only moves 5gpm.
I read with interest about adding a smaller pressure tank. I think I understand the reasoning behind that vs adding a larger tank.
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Pat
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kerosene, I for one am envious. Sounds like you have plenty of water available. I have never gotten into the cycle stop valve issue. Never heard of it before the guys in the trade brought it up here before. As an informatioin junky (MORE INPUT!!!) I'll have to try to read up on those. I have no doubt that when Gary or the other pros suggest something that it is a likely candidate but I'll have to get smart on them first before I can grasp why it is better to have a smaller bladder tank.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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