DeeJay
New Member
After a recent leak when a hose came off the pressure tank and flooded my first floor at the cottage, we're about to begin the renos- new floor and some t&g pine replacement on a wall.
Because my pump is in a cupboard just inside the entrance door, the reno requires removing the cupboard and pump to get at the wall behind it, and while the 30 yr old pump is out, I'm replacing it with a new one a neighbour gave me when he sold and moved back to Michigan.
My current tank is a non bladder type, which periodically becomes waterlogged, but I'm looking to buy a new bladder model. The cottage has 2 bathrooms and usually has 2-4 people there. I have a new very shallow dug well, and no supply problems, being right on the lake's edge.
I have three questions.
1. How do you determine the size of the pressure tank? I've read a lot lately about how a 9.5 gallon model, for example, would be equal to a much larger non-bladder type.
Is the size mainly determined by available space/footprint, and budget? (HD shows models from 2.1 to 35 gallons.)
2. I was lucky to hear the pump running when we had our flood and started the cleanup before water rose more than 1.5 inches. However, with all of the damage, I've been paranoid about future leaks, despite 23 years of trouble-free operation.
I thought that I'd install a switch just inside the door, on the water cupboard itself, to allow for easy manual shutoff of the pump whenever we were going out for a few hours. ( I always depressurize, close the supply valve, and shut off the breaker when leaving for home) The switch would interrupt the 230 v line to the pump.
Any downside to that, other than forgetting to turn it back on?
3. I've read here about the value of cycle stop valves to prolong the life of pumps.
Since this is a seasonal home, would you recommend installing one anyhow? I've been running the pressure range at 40-60 lbs.
DeeJay
Because my pump is in a cupboard just inside the entrance door, the reno requires removing the cupboard and pump to get at the wall behind it, and while the 30 yr old pump is out, I'm replacing it with a new one a neighbour gave me when he sold and moved back to Michigan.
My current tank is a non bladder type, which periodically becomes waterlogged, but I'm looking to buy a new bladder model. The cottage has 2 bathrooms and usually has 2-4 people there. I have a new very shallow dug well, and no supply problems, being right on the lake's edge.
I have three questions.
1. How do you determine the size of the pressure tank? I've read a lot lately about how a 9.5 gallon model, for example, would be equal to a much larger non-bladder type.
Is the size mainly determined by available space/footprint, and budget? (HD shows models from 2.1 to 35 gallons.)
2. I was lucky to hear the pump running when we had our flood and started the cleanup before water rose more than 1.5 inches. However, with all of the damage, I've been paranoid about future leaks, despite 23 years of trouble-free operation.
I thought that I'd install a switch just inside the door, on the water cupboard itself, to allow for easy manual shutoff of the pump whenever we were going out for a few hours. ( I always depressurize, close the supply valve, and shut off the breaker when leaving for home) The switch would interrupt the 230 v line to the pump.
Any downside to that, other than forgetting to turn it back on?
3. I've read here about the value of cycle stop valves to prolong the life of pumps.
Since this is a seasonal home, would you recommend installing one anyhow? I've been running the pressure range at 40-60 lbs.
DeeJay