In well tanks good or bad?

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Wet Willy

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Dose anyone have any experience with an in well pressure tank. I am having a well drilled for a vacation home and will be shared with my buddy next to me it will be about a 40 to 60 foot well with a 1/2 hp pump at 10gpm. We are in the estimating stage of the game and have had difference of opinions on the in well tanks. Some swear by them and some swear at them. Any opinions from anyone with experience with these tanks would be appreciated. Thanks.
 

Speedbump

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I have had no experience with them, but I'm a skeptic, so I'll wait until someone else has the experience. I don't like being the Guinea Pig.

bob...
 

Wet Willy

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www.inwelltec.com/
Maybe this will help for some info on what I am looking at. That’s what I am afraid of Bob, is being a guinea pig at the toon of about $500.
 

Speedbump

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You mean they want $500.00 for just the tank?

The company that makes these tanks approached me about marketing their in well tanks. I thought they were a bit pricey for something nobody knew anything about.

I do believe they also use a CSV in the top of the well to make them do their thing. Otherwise there is just not enough tank there to give much of a drawdown. In the case of the inwell tank and the CSV you would have about the same thing as a very small tank in your basement and the CSV.

bob...
 

Wet Willy

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$625 includes the tank and the constant pressure valve but we would not have to have a tank in the cabins so the price is about the same as haveing to buy two tanks and valves and it would be in the well and not taking up room in the cabin.
 

Valveman

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There are a couple of different in well pressure tanks. One is made by In Well Tech out of Wisconsin. The other is made by H2Optimal out of Nebraska and is called a Pitless Module. Neither tank is large enough to be of any good (3/4 gallon draw down) without a Cycle Stop Valve.

Some people have used them with the variable speed pumps but, since these pumps have little or no difference in pressure between on and off of the pump, these small tanks do not deliver even a cup of draw down. This causes the pump to start for every glass of water, ice maker filling, or wash of a tooth brush. A dripping faucet or leaky toilet can cause the pump to cycle or ramp up and down, hundreds of times per day. Of course it doesn’t help to use a larger tank either, as the variable speed pump tries to hold a single set pressure, and will still cycle for every glass of water. The temperamental and undependable nature of variable speed pumps is only exacerbated by the addition of an in well tank.

When used with a Cycle Stop Valve, these in well tanks will deliver the full 3/4 gallon of draw down because we still have a 30/50 or a 40/60 bandwidth in the pressure switch. The Cycle Stop Valve holds the pressure in the middle of the pressure bandwidth as long as at least 1 GPM is being used. This eliminates so many cycles for the longer term uses of water, that it may no longer be a problem for the pump to cycle on every time the toilet is flushed. The 3/4 gallon draw down will at least let you get a glass of water, wash a tooth brush, ice maker fill, or use less than 3/4 of a gallon of water without the pump having to restart. At the very least these tanks allow you the convenience of putting all the controls in the well. You can always add more draw down to the system by installing an additional small tank under a sink, crawl space, etc. if needed.

Without the CSV, these small tanks would quickly destroy a pump from hundreds of rapid cycles per day, even with a wide band in the pressure switch. Cycle Stop Valves, Inc. actually wrote and holds the patent on the in well tank and control valve combination, as again that is the only way these tanks are large enough to operate a home water system.

As of November 2nd 2006, In Well Technologies of Wisconsin no longer has a license from Cycle Stop Valves to use this patented idea with any valve. There have been numerous problems with these tanks holding their air charge. As they are very small tanks to start with, they do not hold very much air. It is imperative that this small amount of air not be able to escape, or the tank becomes waterlogged and destroys the pump. This has happened with the In Well tank so many times, that Cycle Stop Valves no longer wishes to be associated with this brand tank. Use of this tank with a CSV or any other valve is no longer covered by license.

The Pitless Unit from H2Optimal uses a larger casing above the pitless adapter, that will accommodate a small standard type bladder tank. These type tanks are proven to hold their air charge, and H2Optimal is working under license from Cycle Stop Valves patent. They can be seen at pitlessunit.com.
 

Wet Willy

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Thanks for the info valveman sounds like I should just stick to an in house tank and leave it at that. Now should it be a fiberglass or metal tank and if I install a sqe grondfos pump with the cu301 control unit is the 2 gal tank that comes with it enough or should a guy go to a larger tank. Just dumb questions from a mechanic not a plumber. Thanks
 

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The SQE is one of the variable speed pumps I was talking about. With that pump it will not matter if you use an in the well tank, 2 gallon standard tank, or 120 gallon tank. There is very little bandwidth between on and off, and a sudden drop in pressure will start the pump anyway. That is why this pump will need to start every time the ice maker fills. Of all the variable speed pumps I do believe this is probably the best of them. Even though it has composite impellers and spins at up to 10,600 RPM, compared to the standard 3,450 RPM, has computerized electronics in the control box and in the motor as well, some have been known to last over 9 years now. That is about how long they have been around but, they have had to make several major changes every couple of years. I think the average life is closer to 5 years, which means for every pump that last 9 years, there is another that only lasted 2. They will deliver fairly constant pressure though, and everyone should try a variable speed pump once.

Just remember when you start having problems with it, that a constant speed pump with a Cycle Stop Valve will deliver the same constant pressure you will learn to love, without all the electronics and high RPM’s. Then the complete draw down of whatever size tank you have can be utilized, which is just one of the things that makes the CSV system more dependable and longer lasting, less expensive, etc. than variable speed pumps.

See this thread;
www.terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12732&highlight=constant+pressure
 
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Wet Willy

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Thanks valveman that was a very informative thread for me to read as is the info that I have received here from you guys. I feel much more confident on which way to go on my well.6" well 10 gal flexcon tank 1/2 hp 10 GMP grundfos pump with a CVS and a 40/60 bandwidth pressure switch. Thanks very much.
 

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I have a ½ HP 10 GPM Grundfos pump that is 26 years old and still running strong. Their regular RPM pumps are good ones. Please let us know how you like your system.
 

Wet Willy

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I was talking to a well driller today,wanted another estimate,he said I could burrier a fiberglass tank out side or a S.S. no blatter tank and be done with it a little pricy he said. He will send me info on it and a price. Boy I'm sure learnig a lot in a little time.I was looking at what some paid for drilled wells and it was $16 a foot we are $28 a foot here this well will be about $6000 to $7000 just over $100 a foot for the works.
 

Raucina

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only 12$ a foot here and dont need to bury any tanks. $28 dollars sound very steep indeed. Seems like that should include the tank and pump.
 

Speedbump

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I have never been fond of buried tanks bladder or otherwise. You can't see them and you can't service them either. I'm sure you can find somewhere to put a bladder tank.

bob...
 

Wet Willy

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I don't like the thought of an in ground tank either for the same reasons. I have room for a tank under the stairs and that's were it was going to go from the get go anyway. I have got 5 estimates and for a 60 foot drilled well ,casing,welding,drive shoe,3 foot S.S.screen,well seal, water sample and labor $3200.00 1/2 hp pump tank not sure what size 202 diaphram,pitless adapter,trench,pipe,wire,fittings,up to 8hrs labor 15feet from building $2000.00 75 feet of trenching to well and insulation pipe and wire $1076
 

Raucina

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Why don't you out easters with buried tanks simply run a tube to the surface with your schrader valve out in the light? Then you can test and fill.

I cannot imagine something so simple NOT being done.
 

Speedbump

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So your saying $6200 or there abouts for the whole job? That sounds like a fair price to me.

Buried tanks are not a good idea. They don't last forever so your going to have to either dig it up or put another one beside the old one. They were made to be accessable.

bob...
 

Valveman

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The 202 tank you mentioned only holds 5 gallons of water. That tank is plenty large enough when used with a Cycle Stop Valve. Without a CSV I would use at least a 302 tank which actually holds about 20 gallons of water.
 

Wet Willy

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The prices I have got so far are from $5600 to $6800 for the same set up. Waiting for one more to come in. Yes there will be a CSV on this system thanks to you guy's.Thanks for all your help will keep in touch and let you know how things go.
 
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