Water pressure boost

My well is about 400 feet from the house. There are two water lines leaving the well, one goes to the house and sprinklers, the other is only for sprinklers, etc.

I have a CSV and a Welltrox WX-102 at the well head. Pressure switch is set at 40/60.

I'd not so much want higher pressure in the house, but I'd like to raise the bottom threshold to about 50 psi. I would also like to limit the dramatic pressure drop when a sprinkler turns on (not fun being in the shower when this happens!).

Could I put a small or medium size pressure tank here at the house with a check valve (prior to the pressure tank)?

Thank you!

If you have an adjustable CSV you can turn it up to 60 and set the pressure switch at 50/70. Another tank is just another load for the pump to fill and will actually make the pressure lower. The flow and pressure come from the pump, not the tank. Since you have a CSV you can reduce the amount your sprinklers are putting out and will have more pressure left for the house. You will just need to run the sprinklers a little longer to get across.

valveman said:

he flow and pressure come from the pump, not the tank. Since you have a CSV you can reduce the amount your sprinklers are putting out and will have more pressure left for the house.

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I do think that there is plenty of pressure (and capacity) for the sprinklers and the house, it is the inrush when they turn on that creates an abrupt pressure drop, in a few seconds it is back to normal pressure.

My thought was that the air tank at the house would not boost the upper pressure, but even out the shock in the system, much like a capacitor in an electronic circuit.

The inrush from filling the lines after the electric valves can cause a sudden loss of pressure. Yes a larger pressure tank can supply the water for the inrush. But then the tank has to be refilled before the line pressure will increase. So with a larger tank the pressure may not go as low after the sprinklers start. But the pressure will stay low for longer as the tank refills.

Might work better to use electric valves with a flow control knob or a ball valve after the electric valves. You can set them to the same flow as when the sprinklers are running. This will fill the lines a little slower, but won’t pull your house pressure down in the process.

valveman said:

Might work better to use electric valves with a flow control knob or a ball valve after the electric valves. You can set them to the same flow as when the sprinklers are running. This will fill the lines a little slower, but won’t pull your house pressure down in the process.

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Interesting idea, hadn't thought of that.

The inrush from filling the lines after the electric valves can cause a sudden loss of pressure. Yes a larger pressure tank can supply the water for the inrush. But then the tank has to be refilled before the line pressure will increase. So with a larger tank the pressure may not go as low after the sprinklers start. But the pressure will stay low for longer as the tank refills.

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A check valve would be between the sprinklers and the house, so the pressure drop of the sprinklers should stabilize before the house pressure tank would drop much in pressure. Check valve would then open and refill (pressurize) the house tank.

If you are already using a 3 GPM shower in the house when the sprinklers come on, the tank(s) will not be full. The pump will be on and pressure will possibly be up to the 50 PSI regulated by the CSV. So if filling the sprinkler lines takes a minute, the extra tank will need to supply at least 3 gallons between 50 and 40 PSI (20+ gallon tank). And the pressure will always be dropping when getting water from a tank. Then when the lines are full, the tank still has to refill to 50 PSI before shower pressure is back to normal.

I have done this on larger systems many times. Restricting the line fill rate is better in many ways.

valveman said:

Restricting the line fill rate is better in many ways.

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Will do. Thank you!