New here and have done some searching (before registering) and can't find quite the right answer.

My wife and I are building a home next to her families property. Her parents are on a well with a pressure tank and pressure switch. The well was approved to be a shared well and water was previously run to our property. The line comes from the well towards her parents house and tees off to our property with approximately 350' 1.25" schedule 40 (before their pressure tank). There is currently only a yard hydrant on our property that has strong pressure. Also, the line will be necking down to 1" going into the house.

We got some confusing information from some well companies about whether or not we need/want a pressure tank. The construction is underway so we need to resolve this issue asap. We have been told that yes we need a tank but would not hook up the pressure switch. We've been told the tank is not necessary. We've been told that a pressure tank will not benefit us. We don't want to have the pump running all the time when we are running water because that will obviously burn it out. What are our options?

1. Do we need a pressure tank?
2. If so, how do we hook two pressure switches to the same pump?
3.Would we be better only having a holding tank and booster?
4.Are we completely wrong and lost?

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Welcome to the forums.

We have instances of this application pop up from time to time.
You're talking about a lot of water pipe.
I would try to maintain the same pipe size throughout the system to keep pressures equal.

There are several ways of looking at this. If it was me..... I'd try the water source just as it is and add nothing. You can always add a booster pump and tank later.

Give us a little more info on the shared well. Is this just for your parents and you or will more houses be connected ? Typically in a water system there is only one pressure switch.

Depending on the size of the pump you may need to increase the system water pressure and drop it at the house if need be.

 

It will be just the two houses on the well. The pipe was already run at 1.25" and the home builder apparently uses 1" main, so that isn't really negotiable at this point.

The builder will be installing a "loop" in the garage for us to add a pressure tank. So would you say to just straight line that for now and see how the pressure is? Then if needed add a pressure tank, or are you referring to a storage tank?

If we added the pressure tank we just wouldn't hook up the pressure switch? If this is the case, can you explain how the system would work as far as maintaining pressure and not running the pump constantly? I'm new to all of this.

Also, can you elaborate on your last comment about changing the pressure at the system and the house? How would we control the pressure at the house without a pressure tank?

 

One pressure switch in the system controls the pressure. If you have two switches and one side calls for water and the other ones doesn't.... the entire system will still pressurize or possibly over pressurize.

Technically the pump should run until both sides are equalized.

A pressure tank at your house could give you a little cushion but actually that cushion may keep the pump from coming on.

Let Dane respond. He's knowledgeable in systems like this.

 

And that would be the case even though our line comes off before his pressure tank?

Hopefully Dane will have some more information as well!

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You definitely do not need a pressure switch. The water pressure will be equal over the entire system at all times and when the pressure drops due to usage the switch will see that and turn the pump on and off as needed.

Adding a pressure tank at your location would not be a bad thing to help balance the water pressure and add a buffer to the system. I would especially say this if the existing pressure tank on the system is only sized for one house. The larger the demand on a system the larger the pressure tank should be. Adding another pressure tank would do the same thing. Also, a pressure tank is only $150-$250 depending on size.

 

Tolyn, thank you. So to clarify (and sorry for being repetitive), his tank pressurizes our system even though we split off before his tank?

So, when we install our pressure tank, would we still install the same fittings kit and just not wire the pressure switch?

 

Most pressure tanks comes as just a tank and nothing more. You wouldn't need the pressure switch. A gauge would be nice so you can monitor the system pressure visibly.

His tank doesn't pressurize your tank. The common well pump pressurizes both tanks thru a common supply.

The pressure tank is a buffer. It allows you to use water without the pump always running. I'm just not sure how fast the pump response will be. Common sense says that a tank would be ideal but when you consider how much piping is involved... there may be too much of a pump start delay.

 

As PJmax posted, the pressure tank is only a buffer so that the system pressure doesn't drop to zero as soon as you open a faucet. Think of it as your own personal water tower.

When installing your tank, which should be sized to your family/house, it will be installed as normal. The tank, a tee, and a gauge)

I would think since the system is really just a larger system I see no reason that there will be any delay in the pump starting. The only thing that I could see is changing the pressure switch to a higher one. Example: there is a 30/50 switch in now and you change it to a 40/60 switch. But you said there is good pressure now so that might not be an issue.

 

Questions.
1) size of pump down hole? 1/2 horse, 3/4 or 1 horse?
2) recovery rate of the well? 5gpm? more?
The pressure tank is a good idea, but it needs to have the same pressure as the master tank. Higher the pressure switch the lower the amount of draw down for the pressure tank.
Exp... WX 302 26x47 is listed as 86 gallon tank,, 30/50 switch has a 29gallon draw down but the 40/60 has only 25gallon draw down.

 

The size of the pump is unknown at this time, my father-in-law replaced it several years back but doesn't remember the size. We also have paperwork for the well that I believe lists the recovery rate but I can't find it right now.

So if we installed a pressure tank, don't wire the pressure switch, and set the pressure to match his? And possibly consider upping the pressure switch on his if needed?

We've also been told that a booster may be an option?

 

That is a master pressure switch. It will control the overall system pressure.
With the system pressure higher there is less of a chance of running into low water pressure if both houses are using water at the same time. Depending on the delivery output of the pump there is a chance of running out of water if both homes are drawing heavily and a booster pump probably wouldn't help.
A booster is a possible addition at a later date.

Like I originally mentioned.... I'd try it as it is and see how the system reacts. The pressure tank is an easy upgrade at any time. There is just one connection to it.