Well diaphragm pressure tank

[Valveman]

That double elbow high spot on the well head is a bad place for an air lock. You only need one pressure switch, and it needs to be on the line going into the pressure tank, not on the pump or main line. A pressure switch with the lever on the side is a safety low pressure kill. If you have a weak well or big breaks in the main line it will help. If not it will be a nuisance needing re-setting after a power outage.

Since wells are new to you, learning that cycling is the cause of failure for the bladder in the tank and almost every other problem associated with well and booster pumps is key. Learning how to prevent cycling is easy and was shown in the drawings I posted earlier.

 

[Reach4]

Regarding your suggestion about the installation of a submersible pump into the shroud/flow induced at the bottom of the cistern. Please excuse my inexperience. What you refer to as the cistern is what I have been calling the 2500 gallon storage tank ... I believe

Yes.

There is no electrical at the tank which is set up on a hill at high point of property. Running a power line up there is likely more of an adventure than I wish to tackle, but I appreciate the advice.

Ahh... yes. Could the other pressure switch be for the pump filling the tank/cistern?

If I were to replace this all on pvc, would you recommend installing the new pressure switch and gauge off the 1/4” pipes that currently connect to the old pressure switch and gauge that are connected directly to the impeller casing

Any 1/4 galvanized, I would replace with brass. I think you have some brass in that job already. A magnet can identify galvanized.

I suggest you search for "tank tee". That is probably part of the thing you refer to as prefabricated. That is a manifold made for connecting pressure tanks, pressure switches, gauge, drain valve (which you should have) and pressure relief. A pressure switch should ideally have a low-resistance path to the pressure tank, and the tank tee makes that pretty much automatic.

Lastly, you think that both of those electrical boxes in the original picture appear to be pressure switches that are wired in line and are likely both functional? When you throw the small lever on the black box it shuts off the pump entirely. Likewise, when the tank first failed, I had to hold that switch on manually for a while until the pump started cycling again ...

The pressure switch with the lever has a low-pressure cutoff. That would serve to cut off the pressure pump if the water coming from the hill failed. They are not always effective as a dry well thing, but for a pressure pump it seems to me that it would be pretty reliable.

I am not a pro, but I find this stuff interesting.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Aaron Shrogman]

Thank you both for the input. The high point of the loop you refer to is likely there to adjust the elevation and get the pipe at the right height to attach to the impeller. A rather lazy way to accomplish this task. I appreciate that input and when I redo, I will change that. Reach4, you refer to the ‘dry well thing’, do you mean that this is a booster pump and doesn’t attach to the actual well head where the submersible pump is but rather is just in line with gravity flow of water down from the actual cistern? If this is what you mean, can I just delete the second black switch when I rework the system, and just depend on the new pressure switch I will install. Or do you both recommend reinstalling a new ‘low pressure cut off’, I think that’s what you called it, as part of the new installation. You are correct, that the pre fab unit I was referring to is a what you call a ‘tank tee’. That was what I was planning on purchasing with the pressure relief valve, new pressure switch, new pressure gauge and the water tap, now that the new tank is onsite. If I use a new tank tee ... should I just run the new pvc supply piping right into pump impeller casing directly, cap the two 1/4” lines that currently service the old pressure guage and switches. Then run the pump out going supply line with a tee on it that will then go to the new ‘tank tee’ and connect to the new pressure tank? I really appreciate both of your time in answering my questions. I’m sure you are both busy ... appreciated.

 

[Reach4]

Reach4, you refer to the ‘dry well thing’,

I was referring to electronic devices that detect the change in a pump supply current when the pump runs out of water. https://cyclestopvalves.com/collections/cycle-sensor-pump-monitors is an example.

The low pressure cutoff switches are cheaper, but don't always detect the out-of water condition. I think with your system, the low pressure cutoff on the pressure pump could be a good idea in case the deep pump failed to keep the high tank with enough water. You could use one on your deep pump if that well may run dry at times.

Speaking of your deep pump, what turns that on and off?

Two pressure switches in series may be a good idea. I have mixed thoughts on that.

I am not busy. Valveman has actually hooked up pumps before. I have not.

 

[Aaron Shrogman]

Both you and Valveman have been very helpful ... thank you. We chatted a bit back in October/November when I joined this blog to find people, just like you two, who could answer questions. The plumbing supply guys were useless and the well repair men out here charge port to port and have to travel about an hour just to get to my place. So it was an expensive proposition to even have them out to answer questions. I’m only a general contractor, who spent the last 25 years before retiring, in education, but I assumed I could figure this out with some experienced advice and you two have been great.

The actual well head which is about 90 feet deep and produces about 50 psi at max (I haven’t been able to determine the gpm of the system at the well head yet) has a submersible pump which has its own pressure switch, gauge and pressure tank, is at the front of my 2 acres. There is electrical service to there. From there, that pump pumps water up about 45 feet to the cistern (about 200 feet away) which then gravity feeds the booster pump set up that I need to rebuild, which charges the main house and carriage house with enough pressure to run things. Luckily, the gravity flow from tank which is about 15 psi keeps the house serviced with water. I just manually turn on the short cycling pump when needed. We haven’t taken up residence in that house yet and have another house about 5 miles away. I asked if there was a pump alarm on the system when I was researching the purchase as I wondered how I’d ever know if one of the components shut down, alerting me to a problem before we were completely out of water. Your explanation of the low pressure switch in series with the pressure switch explains how the system would protect the pump if it had no water coming from the tank. At your advice from November, I purchased a new Well-X-Trol 119 gallon pressure tank, which was back ordered but finally delivered two days ago. You recommended the premium brand and I agreed. I chose to upgrade to a larger new tank to minimize pump use. I’m hoping the rebuild of this pump set up will provide years of continued water service. I wish I had a plan or schematic of the water lines and irrigation of the property but there is nothing like that, so it’s trial and error trying to understand the system. I think the main irrigation in the front acre which has about 50 mature fruit trees, lavender, herb and rose beds pulls off of the main well head before it sends water to the cistern and structures. When I shut down the cistern and booster pump for the rebuild, I’ll at least be able to check the front irrigation lines. If I have water in the front acre with that all shut down, I’ll know it pulls off before the cistern. Thanks again .... Aaron