location of pressure switch vs pressure tank

[pelican bay]

My wife and I recently purchased a manufactured home in South Western Oregon. It the second of two homes on the property and the newest. There is a well that is approximately 300' from the new house and 100' from the old one. The topography is mostly flat. I am told that the well is 150' deep. The old house has outstanding water pressure and the new house is terrible. I have found a pressure tank in the garage of the new house but no pressure switch. I have looked around the old house and I cannot find any sign that there was a tank anywhere old or new. The wellhead sticks above the ground approximately 2', is approximately 10" across, made of cast iron with an aluminum cover. There is 1" electrical conduit running up the side of the wellhead and into the cover. By the new house's garage There is a pipe made of galvanized metal that comes out of the concrete makes a turn and goes back into the concrete. It has a thin round cover in it that reads, 120-psi max. That pipe is located on the out side of the new garage and the pressure tank is on the other side of the wall in the garage. Could the pressure switch be under the wellhead? If it is, is there a gauge under there too? I have read that possibly the old tank could have been in the well casing. Is that true? Thanks anyone.

[Bob NH]

Is there only one well and pump that serves both houses?

If the tank at the new house doesn't have air in it, then it is useless because all of the demand must come through the long pipe from the well.

If the tank at the new house is precharged properly, it should have the same pressure (adjusted for elevation difference) as the old house.

You should install a pressure gauge near the tank at the new house so you can observe the pressure when there is no water running, and when there is water running. That is essential for diagnosis of the problem.

[pelican bay]

Where would the new gauge be loacted on the tank? There is a small threaded place in the top of the tank. Is that where it should be placed? I do know that the tank is charged because I let a small ammount of air out to see if it was. How much pressure should be in the tank?

Thank you,

[Bob NH]

If it is a bladder tank the air is put in at the top. That should be a Shrader Valve, such as is found on your auto wheel.

The water gauge should be installed on a tee somewhere off the pipe that carries the water. If you have nothing else you can get a gauge that screws onto a faucet with a hose connection.

If you have a galvanized tank with no bladder then you need to have a way to put air into it.

A bladder tank usually has the water inlet at the bottom center of the tank and no fittings on the side. A galvanized non-bladder tank usually has one or more fittings in the side of the tank.

[prd823]

Are you sure that you don't have a pressure reducer on the line going to the new home?? I know a few years ago my nephew bought a manufactured home and for the warranty to be good he had to have a pressure reducer connected where the water entered the house. Later after the warranty he took that thing off and had MUCH better pressure. He was also on a well, maybe this is why you have good pressure at the old place and bad at the new one??