Need help installing Craftsman 1hp. jet pump in pressure system

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NMranch

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I just purchased some land with a 600' well which pumps into a 1500 gallon storage tank. At the present time I am using gravity feed for my water needs. I need to install a pressure system from my storage tank. I have a Craftsman 1hp. convertible deep-shallow well pump, and a fibreglass pressure tank.
The pump has a 1" discharge and a 1 1/4" suction port. There is also a 1" port just below the suction port, and the directions that came with the pump call this the drive port. My question is "can I plug this 1" port and use the pump in the pressure system, or do I have to purchase the shallow well jet for this pump?

Any help designing this pressure system will be apreciated

Thanks
nmranch
 

Bob NH

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If you want the usual pressure that people want in their households, you need a shallow well jet.

You might want to see if they have different jets for maximum efficiency in a "no lift" or "low lift" application. I assume that if you are pumping from a tank you will have the suction below the water level in the tank.

Since you have the pump and the pressure tank, you have already set the major "design" factors of the system. But here are some suggestions.

1. Try to operate your storage tank full, controlling the well pump with a float switch, but have some protection to prevent damage to the well pump if you have low water in the well.

2. If there is any danger of running the tank out of water, put a float switch in the tank to shut off the jet pump if the water is low. The object is to protect your jet pump. You judge whether you need that equipment protection feature. If you do it, you need a float switch that closes on high level and you need a "definite purpose contactor", about $20 in Grainger catalog. You should be operating that pump on 220 Volts so you need a 2-pole contactor.

3. Check your storage tank from time to time to make sure it is not growing algae. If you put a little chlorine bleach in it you shouldn't have any problem. Start with about 1/2 cup per 1000 gallons of water once a week and increase the frequency if you find that isn't controlling the algae. Tanks like that are never perfectly tight and you will be surprised at the stuff that gets in and settles out. The bleach will also kill coliform bacteria and viruses.

4. You should have your storage tank piped so the inlet and outlet are opposite with inlet high and outlet low. That way you will avoid stagnation in the tank. When you add the bleach, add it near the inlet if possible.

5. You may want to paint the tank if it is polyethylene or otherwise translucent. That will cut down on growth of algae, extend the life of the tank, and keep the chlorine from evaporating so quickly. Paint doesn't stick well but it seems to stick ok after a little film builds up on the outside of the tank.

I know a lot of people are paranoid about chlorine, but it is used in nearly every public water system and it is the easiest way to kill bad thingies that grow in the water. If you can smell or taste it when you drink the water, you have too much. Most faucet aerators will dissipate it when you run the water. That is ok because it has already done its job.

If you haven't seen it here already, you need to pressurize your bladder tank, when empty, to 2 psi less than the "on" setting of your pressure switch.
 

NMranch

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Thanks a lot with the info. I found the jet at sears for about $45. I will order it. I will be setting up the system in the next week or two. The submersible pump in the well pumps the water in at the top of the tank, and the outlet is from the bottom. The tank has a building built around it so it will be out of the sunlight. I am currently building a shop next to where I will be building the house. I will install the pressure system in one corner of the building. The outlet from the storage tank is already piped down to this location.

Thank you very much
nmranch
 
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