Can faucet on well be used as regular outdoor faucet?

First time well owner and just want to make sure I can use the faucet on the well as a regular outdoor faucet for watering the lawn and garden. It keeps a steady pressure when its on and is threaded like the other faucets.

Here is a pic with the faucet circled.



Thanks

You should have no problem using that faucet. By the way,i'm impressed with the craftsmanship on your system. That's how they all should look.

SAM

Thanks, I thought I'd be able to use it but just wanted to check with some others. It's good to know it was installed properly too.

That is a clean installation, it must not freeze where you live, no insulation, no heat tape.

One suggestion:

Paint the exposed PVC, because it won't last more than a couple of years exposed like that.

Rancher

Rancher said:

That is a clean installation, it must not freeze where you live, no insulation, no heat tape.

One suggestion:

Paint the exposed PVC, because it won't last more than a couple of years exposed like that.

Rancher

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm in central florida so freezing isn't too much of a concern. Is there special paint needed for that or just standard exterior paint?

I just use enamel, I know they make a special paint for vinyl, for spraying auto dashes, not sure if it's necessary, just don't spray it too thick that the solvents soften the PVC, i.e. spray several coats thinly.

Rancher

If there are any ATVs or large animals roaming around nearby, and even if not, I would build some kind of small and well-ventilated doghouse structure to protect it from the sun, weather and whatever else.

That regulator with the bolt sticking straight down is an Aqui Genie or a Flomatic knock off. The installation may look good but, I can see a couple of problems. The tank should be on the bottom and the regulator on top. If you have any sediment, it will settle underneath the diaphragm of the regulator and hold the valve closed. That type regulator also has a screen in it that needs to be cleaned regularly, or it will stop up and dead head the pump. There is also a small 1/16" hole through the middle of that regulator. When that hole grows closed like the holes in a shower head do, it will dead head and burn up the pump.

You cannot remove the regulator because the tank is way too small to use on a pump system without a control valve. You cannot remove the internal screen or the debris will plug up the bypass hole. This is a very good way to control a pump system until the hole, screen, or diaphragm stop up. This is why a Cycle Stop Valve has a notch instead of a hole. The notch cannot stop up so, we don’t need the screen either. Then we install the valve right side up so the diaphragm cannot fill full of sediment. The CSV has solved the few problems that have caused trouble with this type control in the past.

However, to answer your question, it is perfectly OK to use that faucet, and you will have good constant pressure until you forget to maintain that control valve. The CSV will give the same performance, just doesn’t need the maintenance and therefore is more dependable.

Valveman,
i'm glad you pointed that stuff out. I learned few new things about CSV's.

SAM

Is the kind of maintenance that needs to be done something a professional would need to do or is it fairly easy to diy? Would this be yearly maintenance, 6 months, 5 years?

Thanks for the help, definitely learning a lot reading through these boards.

Here in Florida the sun will make your pipe more brittle over time. Not in a few years though. If you want it to be UV resistant, just paint it black. Problem solved.

bob...

Maintenance on that type control valve depends on your water quality. I would check it after about 6 months. If the screen, hole, or diaphragm have any clogging, then it should be cleaned every six months. If there is no clogging, I would check it again in 12 months. This will give you an indication of how often you should check these things. The principle of operation of these type valves is sound. They were just designed by an engineer who was more concerned with looks and ease of installation rather than function. The Cycle Stop Valve was designed to function trouble free, and it's simple patented design cannot be copied by others for several more years.

You should be able to access all these things by unscrewing the black plastic top of off the valve. On your valve it is underneath and has the adjusting bolt sticking out of it. When the black plastic top has been removed, the spring, bolt retainer, and gut pack should fall out the bottom. The gut pack has the screen and hole that need cleaning. There are several little holes underneath the diaphragm which need to be examined for buildup as well. Then replace the gut pack with the two o-rings, spring, and bolt retainer, before screwing on the black cap and adjusting bolt. If you don't turn the bolt, you should not need to adjust the valve again. Let us know what you find and we can help you with what needs to be done.