is 36 lbs pf pressure enough?

So, I just got my water turned on and threw on a pressure gauge right by the house. I got 36 lbs of pressure. I was hoping for more but expecting less. I am on our towns water system, using 1" pvc through a 1" meter. I have a 450' run with about 125 vertical foot climb.

Is 36 lbs enough?

If not, what possible solutions do I have?

Ewww 36psi?

That 1" meter and service line you have is nice, but the long run and climb it takes to your home is definitely not!

A PRV valve is factory set at 50psi, but most guys here seem to feel 80psi is about right.

I guess the question to ask is if you are happy with 36psi? Do your fixtures put out enough pressure to your satisfaction? If not, then your best bet is to look into a whole house solution done by a water pressure boosting pump.

The 450' climb is what is affecting your pressure but it wouldn't matter what size your pipe was the pressure would be the same.

You lose pressure as you gain altitude, what is the city's street pressure?

Your pressure will be 55 PSI lower at the top of the 125' vertical climb. That is mother nature ( gravity ) and the only help there would be a pump.

not sure if I am happy with my fixtures, as they are not hooked up yet. This is new construction and I am acting as Owner/Builder. I am close to being finished with my plumbing (minus fixtures).

I understand that I am losing a lot of pressure due to my lenght of run and increase in elevation.

So a pump will get me to 50+ psi? I am assuming it is a certain type of pump (water pressure boosting pump).

What would be a good setup to increase my pressure? Are they expensive (googling right now)?

You have a choice of running a booster pump in line, or putting a storage tank and a pump at the house (similar to as if you had a well). One would give you fairly consistent pressure, treating it like a well would cause it to go up and down, with the pump cycling. Putting a larger, cistern up near the house might help with your fire insurance, and give you a supply if the main was off for some reason, but it is more maintenance. If the property has an area above the house, you could use that elevation for the tank as an aid and would give you gravity feed in case the power was off.

In England, we have large hot and cold water tanks in the attic to maintain pressure that have fill valves similar to those found in toilets. You need a good structure though.

A primary component of an indirect (gravity fed) plumbing system is a cold water storage tank (or cistern). Normally located in the loft space, the cold water tank supplies water to the hot water tank (which sits directly below it, and feeds the hot water taps, shower etc) aswell as all of the cold water taps in the property, with the exception of the kitchen tap.

New houses are supplied with a polythene cistern, which is practically corrosion free, however older houses may still have a galvanised-steel tank which will eventually corrode over time.

I have a great structure, but no attic.

Could you not compensate with larger pipe in the house to increase the flow rate for the lower pressure?

A question to the others: would using 3/4" pipe instead of 1/2" pipe in the house suitably raise the flow rate?

An expensive fix though. And I am not sure what you would use on the final runs to the toilet/facuets.

I am already running a 1" meter and 1" supply lines to the house.

I do not have much area above the house (well i do but it would cost $$$ to get there). I do have room in the crawlspace.

Can any of these pumps be installed underground? Would I still get my 36#'s if the power goes out? Is sound an issue?

This is a forever home and I would like it done right. If it was your home, what would you install?

Your 36 lbs is static water pressure meaning that it will decrease as you open a faucet. Millions of people used to use a well and run 20/40 psi and that gives an average of 30 psi but, modern houses with multiple bathrooms and large water using tubs and showers require more water; like maybe as much as 15+ gpm. The dynamic flow you will have will be substantially less so...

An atmospheric storage tank, jet pump and small pressure tank and CSV would be the best solution but... you must be able to clean the inside of that type tank and prevent biological contamination. If you just install a pump, and want to use more gpm than the 'city' supply can deliver with only 36 psi, the pump will be starved for water and cavitate ruining the impeller and causing less water to be moved and the pressure will fall off bringing you back to 36 psi static pressure or less because of the pressure loss through the pump and such.

You would use a float switch in the cistern tank to control the flow from the city and a float switch to prevent the jet pump from running when there was not enough water in the cistern and burning up the pump. The pump would have its own pressure switch on it, set at like 30/50 or 40/60 psi. The CSV will provide constant pressure once you use the draw down gallons in the small pressure tank (2-3 gals) and cause the pump to come on. That reduces pump starts and extends the life of the pump motor.

If the power goes off to the pump you can't get water out of the cistern unless you plumb a by pass around the cistern, pump, pressure tank and CSV.