Cycle stop valve instead of second tank?

I have a 1/2 Horse surface pump on a shallow well that pumps up to the house that is about 150 ft away and 30 HIGHER. It was set up with a 1 gal bladder tank on the pump and another larger bladder tank (about 42 gal eq. I guess) in the house. Switch is at the pump. Our needs are not great. We would never exceed 2-4 GPH since we would only use one water outlet at a time. Just 2 of us in the summer cottage.

Do you think I can get away with just the small tank at the pump and use a cycle stop valve to smooth out the flow? Or is our flow too low for a CSV? We would like to be able to get rid of the tank in the house because it is in the way and it is rusting and needs to be replaced if used.

thanks,

rick.a said:

Our needs are not great. We would never exceed 2-4 GPH since we would only use one water outlet at a time.

Click to expand...

Is that GPH, or GPM? This doesn't sound like an application for a CSV, the pump and 1 Gal pressure tank sounds like a pressure booster setup, if it really is 2 GPH, and you don't plan on taking a shower or flushing a lot, you probably don't need the second tank.

Rancher

Yes, the use is 2-4 GPM, NOT GPH. My mistake.

So if I do use the CSV in this setup, will the order of parts be:

Pump, CSV, 1gal tank, run of 1" tubing to house (150'). Where will the switch be put...between CSV and tank? And is there ANY advantage to just having the tank up at the house and not at the well? And what size CSV will work?

Sorry for so many questions.

thanks, Rick

You can leave the switch on the pump and change the plastic tubing so it's on the tank side of the CSV instead on on the Pump side. That might save rewiring the switch. The tank needs to be at the switch though to prevent water hammer.

I would go with the CSV1/40. Since you only have a 1/2hp pump, I think 50 might be your top pressure.

bob...

Rancher was extending the test on the CSV - Is there any result from this retry yet?

I can't test this till I put the system back together when the freeze is over. This is a summer only place. But I need to have this figured out soon since the kitch/bath remodel going on now requires that I know if we are going to use the larger tank in the house or just the small tank on the pump and a CSV.

I fear that even with our low typical use of 2-4 GPM (we don't EVER do irrigation), we will still be stuck with using the larger tank in the house.

Raucina said:

Rancher was extending the test on the CSV - Is there any result from this retry yet?

Click to expand...

About 5 more days left on the 2nd test. The good news is that this one does seem to operate as advertized.

Rancher

Rancher,
Is this test to see how effective a CSV1 will reduce pump cycling on a low useage (2-5 GPM) system? If so, what size is the tank?

No this is not a test on a low useage GPM home, water usage ranges from 0-15 GPM, tank size is 82 Gallon Bladder. This is a test to determine if it reduces cycles, and by how much and does it increase power usage, and by how much.

Rancher

rick.a said:

I have a 1/2 Horse surface pump on a shallow well that pumps up to the house that is about 150 ft away and 30 HIGHER. It was set up with a 1 gal bladder tank on the pump and another larger bladder tank (about 42 gal eq. I guess) in the house. Switch is at the pump. Our needs are not great. We would never exceed 2-4 GPH since we would only use one water outlet at a time. Just 2 of us in the summer cottage.

Do you think I can get away with just the small tank at the pump and use a cycle stop valve to smooth out the flow? Or is our flow too low for a CSV? We would like to be able to get rid of the tank in the house because it is in the way and it is rusting and needs to be replaced if used.

thanks,

Click to expand...

Jet pumps (yours is apparently a shallow well jet) are pretty inefficient. They will work with a Cycle Stop Valve, but I don't think they are a good combination. CSVs work best when you have lots of pressure, such as with a multistage submersible.

CSVs work on the inlet side of the tank to keep the pump from shutting off when you are using a sustained flow less than the capacity of the pump. When installed with a small tank, the tank capacity tends to cause the pump to cycle every time you run a small amount of water.

I would intall the tank at the house; not at the pump; unless the pump is close to the house and you run a large enough pipe so the pressure loss is low. A 3/4" plastic pipe will lose about 3 psi in 150 ft at 4 GPM, but you should minimize the number of fittings (elbows, couplings, tees, adapters).

I would put the pressure switch at the house, with the larger tank. Since you drain the system in freezing weather, the tank could be outside behind a bush. It doesn't have to be in the house.

A bladder tank is a good choice for a seasonal place because it emptys completely when you drain the system. If you buy a new bladder tank, you should get one with an actual volume at least 3 times the GPM rating of the pump.