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well system water towers
I've been slowly arranging my life so that I can move into a mountain property (4000') which I inherited about a year ago. I,m currently there vacationing (after taking another load of belongings with me) for two weeks. I soent the first week working on the plumbing here as it's atrocious. The well/pump system is a hodge podge of fixes and upgrades with nothing labeled or installed properly. The trailer is old (1974), partly plumbed in copper, partly in gal pipe. The whole well/pump system is in PVC, and as a result is constantly leaking. It also only has a single water filter designed for use as an undercounter water filtration system. This means I have to rteplace it constantly to keep flow rates up.
I plan to get rid of the trailer and build something else (currently looking into dome homes) so I want to work on getting the infrastructure of the property in order before I start on the home. The first order of business will be the pump/well.
I've been thinking of possible approaches to set it all up, but not having any experience with wells, I coule use some advice as to what is possible and prudent.
Since power goes out up here sometimes during the winter (and for other reasons), I was thinking it would be nice to have a gravity fed system. There is a 1000 gallon storage tank in the system now, but I was thinking it might make sense to raise it up so that gravity itself creates the neccessary pressure for the entire system, instead of using the well pump to create pressure in a bladder tank as it currently is set up.
My question is, how high do I have to rasie it to achieve desireable pressures (60psi or greater would be awesome)? Is there a formula somewhere someone can point me to? Or would the hieghts neccessary to raise this to achieve usable pressure be prohipitive?
In my mind, I'm envisioning a tower that houses the tank and above that is an observation deck and then antennas for emergency radio, TV, etc..
Obvious things I have to deal with are structural concerns (It's in northern Ca, so earthquakes are possible), protecting the plumbing risers from freezing, and lightning/wind/etc.. I'm thinking that using a pool filter as a prefilter for water going into the tank would allow me to continue using the small water micron filter without sacrificing flow rates as it would increase the useful life of the small filters.
If anyone can point me to any (affordable) publications or other sources of info on building water towers I'd appreciate it. I'd really like to hear from people who have done this or considered it. I'd also be interested in what it cost those who have been down this path before me.
Thanks,
Mark S.
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well system water towers
Hi Bliz,
>>One foot head of water is 0.43 PSI, so to get 60 PSI the tank would have to be 139 feet higher than your faucet.>>
Yikes!!. Well the water tower idea is out. Although that would make a heck of a nice observation deck.. 
>>Perhaps a reasonable solution would be a battery powered pump like those used in RV's from the supply tank for use when power goes out. You could charge the batteries from the grid, install a small generator for backup, or go with a small solar (expensive) unit.>>
I've actually been considering, setting up a battery backup/converter system for essential systems (fridge, well, phone, etc.) that would initially be powered from the grid and then slowly add solar panels as I can afford them. The idea of reducing dependence on the government is very attractive to me. The only thing I don't know how to get around is property tax. That one is patently unfair, removing any hopes of true security in land ownership.
>> Large (500+) gallon approved for drinking water tanks are available, as are good filters for potable water. I'd hesitate to use a pool filter for drinking water. I'd also get the water tested, for bacteria and metals and organics, to be sure it is safe. >>
The existing 1000 gallon tank is less than five years old and I feel good about it. It's one of those black accordian style polyvinyl things (or whatever it's made out of). I was more considering the pool filter as a 'prefilter' to remode sedimant, etc. allowing the existing micron filter system (designed for undercounter drinking water systems) to last a while longer than the current two or three weeks they now do.
Thanks for the link info.
So I guess, I'm going to redo the existing setup. It has a pressure pump (still not sure what it's purpose is besides making a lot of noise), a well pump, a bladder tank, the big holding tank, several time relays and what not all wired in a very haphazard fashion, nothing labeled, and a maze of PVC piping with gate valves an hose bibs everywhere (I hate those things!). I've worked as an electrician for over 20 years prior to becoming a general contractor, doing all kinds of industrial motor controls, and I cannot make heads or tails of what is going on in that pump house. It would help if I understood what each peice was trying to accomplish.
So, now I need to get info on what the ideal system should look like in as far as plumbinmg and wiring, and then rip it all apart and redo it all (in copper with ball valves)
Any ideas where to get that info? Off to check out your link in the meantime.
Thanks,
Mark S.
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well system water towers
I've given up on the well rower idea (at least for now ) as it appears to be impractical for what I was wanting to do.
However, I'm having a hard time finding info on exactly how a well, well pump, pressure pump, storage tank, and bladder tank ahould be preoperly pumbed and wired.
Next time I go up there, I want to take all the materials I need with me to rip out all the PVC, and redo it properly in copper, with ball valves instead of gaste valves, and everything properly wired so that it all works properly and provides consistent pressure (at least long enough to get through a shower without it ending in noithing but air coming out of the nozzel ! ). There must be some diagrams/flow charts out there on the web somewhere descriubing some ideal setups.
I'm tired of trying to deal with all the hodge podge of band aids/emergency fixes, temporary upgrades/add ons, and leaking PVC joints that my dad had let the system turn into.
I can't believe he was satisfied with the way it is now.
Can anyone point me in the right direction to set things up so that I can redo the thing right once and for all and put this issue behind me?
I do have some pictures of how it is now if that becomes important to the discussion.
Thanks,
Mark
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