Moving a pressure tank?


  #1  
Old 08-29-07, 07:27 AM
R
RMX
RMX is offline
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 54
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Moving a pressure tank?

We are on a well and have a pressure tank about 80 feet away inside our basement. We just finished 1300sqft in this downstairs. My big concern is a leak from the pressure tank or water heater would be a disaster. Can I move the pressure tank out to my pump house (80 feet away) and still have the same water pressure? I intend on installing a "Water Cop" whole house shut off system, however if I put the shut off BEFORE the pressure tank, and we spring a leak, the pressure switch would tell the well pump to run constantly. If I put the shut off AFTER the pressure tank, it does no good if that tank were to leak. Only solution I can see is to move the pressure tank out of the basement.
 
  #2  
Old 08-29-07, 02:30 PM
chandler's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 36,607
Upvotes: 0
Received 9 Upvotes on 8 Posts
You can, but remember it is summer. How do you think it will fare in the winter? If you have a way of insulating it well, and providing a method of keeping the water from freezing inside like a light bulb or heat tape, it would be fine. Pressure is pressure, no matter where it comes from. I have my water cop, by some other name I am sure, as the water enters the residence. Unless the pipe broke just behind it, although the pump will not get the message to turn off, all the water would be outside, not inside. So any water on the floor in the basement will cut off the water entering the house, and sound an alarm. I like mine in the basement.
 
  #3  
Old 08-30-07, 04:33 PM
logcabincook's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Rocky Mountain Foothills
Posts: 517
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Does your basement have a drain, maybe near the water heater? If so I would leave the pressure tank indoors and enclose the water heater, furnace, and pressure tank all in a single utility room. Any leaks that spring should go out that drain in the floor. If you are worried about noise, insulate the room from sound.That way if you have problems in the dead of winter, you don't have to head for the pump house.
 
  #4  
Old 09-04-07, 11:00 AM
R
RMX
RMX is offline
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 54
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the advice guys. I would much rather keep the tank inside. My only concern was with a whole house shut off system, the pump wouldn't get the message to stop and couldn't this ruin the pump or cause the incoming pipe outside to burst under increasing pressure of the constainly running pump ?
 
  #5  
Old 09-04-07, 11:55 AM
chandler's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 36,607
Upvotes: 0
Received 9 Upvotes on 8 Posts
For practicality, put the switch after the pressure tank. You are considering worst case scenario, and pressure tanks usually only drip or leak small amounts. Your larger culprits are the washing machine, water heater, etc. that have a far higher incident rate for leaking or bursting pipes than does a pressure tank. You could, for that matter install a second electronic switch with water sensor ahead of the tank, so it will tell the pump to stop pumping by opening the contacts. In tandem you will have double protection, but IMO the latter is overkill. If you leave the residence for an extended period of time, it is always best to shut down the pump anyway.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: