Just had new pump installed and now thinking about adding a CSV.....

[Recountryman]

Well looks like my last 2 pumps only got about 7 years each one was a Berkeley other cannot remember.

My new pump is a Franklin Electric Series V 1 hp 10gpm submersible pump its 120' down and "think" well is 185' going by what my grandpa told me years ago.

Now I'm wanting to extend the life of my new one as $1200 every 7 years is too much for me and have been reading about the CSV. My old pressure tank is a Flotec (I know its crapy) 35 gal bladder tank even though was low on air pressure (think it was 7psi) that was due to home owner (me) not checking it yearly. Its also about 7 years old and so far is holding good pressure but its only been 4 days.

Should I replace the tank also to a 4.4 gal one when I do get and install a CSV or just keep the 35 gal one? Wouldn't the smaller one have less pump cycles as it would be running more continues while in use that the larger 35 gal one? Thanks!

If it matters house has one bathroom with 2 kids me and my wife...small house but cheap and paid for.

Oh also I was just reading the sticky about check valves and see that its not a good idea for having 2 (at pump and up above ground due to hammering. Should I also go ahead and remove my second check valve right before the pressure switch?

 

[Valveman]

Pumps are designed to withstand about 7 years of average cycling. Looks like you are an average cycler. The fewer cycles on your pump, the longer it will last. The larger the pressure tank, the fewer number of cycles for small, intermittent uses of water like ice makers, and flushers. But a 35 gallon pressure tank only holds 8 gallons of water. So the pump is going to come on for every large use of water like showers and sprinklers, even with the larger tank.

The 4.5 gallon tank only holds 1 gallon of water. So the pump will need to comes on for most small, intermittent uses of water larger than the ice maker or rinsing a toothbrush. With the smaller tank the pump will need to cycle for every flush instead of every 2 or 3 flushes.

You are right that if the pump is running a shower somewhere at the time anyway, a toilet flush won’t cause an extra cycle. And we know toilets are always flushed while someone is taking a shower, because you can hear the person in the shower scream from the scalding water.

Decreasing pressure, as when water is coming from a larger pressure tank during so called “normal pump cyclesâ€, can cause hot flashes in the shower when a toilet is flushed. The constant pressure from the CSV will keep the pressure up, and eliminate the scalding. The small tank even gets the system up to the constant pressure quicker than with a large tank.

Long story short, the size of tank is not going to make much difference. The CSV will eliminate so many cycles during long term uses of water like sprinklers, showers, and heat pumps, that an extra cycle for a lone toilet flush is a moot point. Most toilets are flushed during or close to the same time as hands are being washed and showers are being started, so they don’t cause an extra cycle.

Conclusion; I would rather have a good 4.5 gallon tank with a CSV than any larger tank that is already losing air. And if I have to buy a new tank anyway, I would go with the 4.5 gallon tank and spend the extra cash on something else.

Remove the check valve above ground.

 

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[Recountryman]

advice taken...thanks!