Lake Jet Pump Set-up Advice Needed

[Lakepump]

Hi Everyone,

I’m in the process of setting up a system to draw water from a lake for a 2 story, 2 bath home and I’m looking for some advice on the jet pump set up. The pump will be in a 5 foot deep protected pit on the bank. I’m looking at about a 18-20 foot vertical suction lift to the pump. Then 50 feet (flat horizontal distance) to the house where the pressure tank, pressure switch and filters will be. The line from the pump to the lake will have internal heat cable installed in the 1 1/4 inch poly. I’m departing between a Goulds J7S 3/4 and J10S 1 hp pump. Also looking for thoughts on pressure tank size to limit cycling. Should I consider a cycle stop valve and smaller tank instead? Planning on a 40/60 switch setting. Any other advice on fittings would also be greatly appreciated. I’m a true DYIer and I truly value the opinions of those of you that have the experience. Thanks.

 

[Jbrady1981]

I have basically the same setup, just longer distances. I draw from the lake. It's about a 50-60' lift and 425' horizontal distance. Then the pump has to discharge the water another 150 horizontal feet and maybe 40' elevation. I use a Goulds J10 twin pipe for the lake pump. I only get about 2 gpm at the main pumphouse, so I use 2 400 gal poly tanks as a cistern. I tried using a pressure tank and switch to control the lake pump, but I think my distances were just too great and it constantly chattered. I ended up just wiring the lake pump directly to 220v and controlled the power with a relay latched with a float switch in the cistern. Another Goulds J10S pulls water from the cistern and runs through a typical pressure tank/switch and filtration. That part is easy and trouble free. The lake pump constantly has to be tinkered with. I would go to a submersible pump in a heartbeat if it was allowed. Being a Corp of Engineer lake, they have made it technically very difficult to get water because our lake has so much elevation change. No electrical installation on Corp land, so my lake pump sits right next to the fence, but it is quite a distance.

 

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[Valveman]

Hi Everyone,

I’m in the process of setting up a system to draw water from a lake for a 2 story, 2 bath home and I’m looking for some advice on the jet pump set up. The pump will be in a 5 foot deep protected pit on the bank. I’m looking at about a 18-20 foot vertical suction lift to the pump. Then 50 feet (flat horizontal distance) to the house where the pressure tank, pressure switch and filters will be. The line from the pump to the lake will have internal heat cable installed in the 1 1/4 inch poly. I’m departing between a Goulds J7S 3/4 and J10S 1 hp pump. Also looking for thoughts on pressure tank size to limit cycling. Should I consider a cycle stop valve and smaller tank instead? Planning on a 40/60 switch setting. Any other advice on fittings would also be greatly appreciated. I’m a true DYIer and I truly value the opinions of those of you that have the experience. Thanks.

To get good pressure at the top of a 2 story house you really need a 50/70 pressure switch setting. At that pressure, and lifting 20', even the J15S is not enough because it would have a max pressure of 73 PSI. Would work with a 40/60 switch, but the pump needs to be able to build 10 PSI more than the pressure switch off setting. You might think about the J plus with two pipes as the J15 with the FT5-11 jet assembly would build plenty of pressure. The multi-stage HSJ15N would do it with one suction pipe. A submersible would be much better if you don't have the restraints to prevent it.

Whichever pump you choose the Cycle Stop Valve would be a good choice. The CSV would work with any size pressure tank. But at 50/70 I would recommend at least a 10 gallon size tank like is available with the PK1A kit. Using a 50/70 switch the CSV would hold a strong constant 60 PSI to the house, which is much stronger shower pressure than when the pump is cycling on and off between 50 and 70 over and over.