Water pressure questions

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

Hi I just found this site. Very informative.

#1 My municipal water pressure is only 30psi. I purchased a Davey pressure boosting pump, which kicked it up to 95psi, which is to much. The Davey pump apparently does not have an adjustment to shut off the pump at the desired pressure. I am considering installing a in-line pressure cut off switch which is preset to shut the power feed off at 60psi. Is this the right way to solve this issue?

#2 Could I of solved my low pressure problems by simply installing a well-trol pressure tank?

Thanks, Todd

[Anonymous]

I’m assuming your pump doesn’t have a pressure tank as part of the set up. I think Davey has pumps with little 1 or 2 gallon tanks. These aren’t probably big enough to help.

If you install a pressure switch to shut off the pump at 60# and have no pressure tank, the pump will come on, immediately be shut off by the switch, immediately come on again because the pressure stopped, and do this rapid fire pulsing as long as you have the water on.

But I think that if you install a larger pressure tank, you can make it work. The pump will come on at your lower pressure set point and turn off at the higher setpoint. You could have set this up with a cheaper and simpler pump but now that you’ve got this one, I’d use it anyway. Just add the tank.

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

Todd77. With any pressure pump that you have described you will have a upper & lower pressure switch setting, bloody annoying if standing in a shower.
With modern pumps, you can get a constant pressure system where the pump will controll the flow at a predetermined pressure.
Alternativly you may wish to install a pressure reduction valve adjustable to whatever pressure below the lower pressure switch setting. The advantage here is you have a constant pressure without the pressure switch fluctuations.
Bob

[captaintodd77Participant]

Thanks for your quick replies.

1) The $500 Davey pump does have a small pressure tank. Will this small tank eliminate the pressure fluctuation, if and when I install the in line pressure switch?

2) Where would I install a pressure reduction valve if I went that route?

3) Again could I of avoided all this expense by simply installing a $200 Well-Trol pressure tank?

Thanks, Todd

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

Tod77. No! the small pressure tank will not aleviate the pressure fluctuations.
The pressure tank is supplied because water will not compress, the tank allows the pressure to expand into the pressure tank thereby giving you some drawoff before the pressure reaches the bottom switch setting.
Install the Pressure reduction valve on the outlet side of the pump after the Pressure tank & set the outlet pressure after the valve to slightly less than your bottom switch setting.
Good luck, Bob

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