New well supporting two houses

[EEB]

Hi. New user here. We are located in upstate NY. We are replacing a spring water system with a well, which has been drilled and has about 50 gpm at 240' per the testing by the driller using air. The submersible pump is not installed yet. We need to supply one year round apartment, and then a seasonal farmhouse that then feeds a barn and a small house with 2 bathrooms. The area is pretty level. I'd like T off the well and supply the apartment using an existing pressure tank, and then the other T to the main farmhouse with a pressure tank there. This seems to be the easiest way to work with the existing plumbing and make it serviceable and easy to winterize one side.
Do I need check valves?
What's the best way to wire the two pressure switches so they don't drive each other crazy?
Or would it make sense to bury a pressure tank near the well?
Thanks,
EB

 

[Valveman]

You will only need about 10 GPM for all of that. Even though the well is 240' deep, the pump will only be lifting from the water level. With a 50 GPM well, pumping 10-20 GPM will probably not pull the water level down by much. Knowing the static water level would help determine or guess what the pumping level will be for sizing of the pump.

You can use the existing pressure tank and pressure switch to control the well pump. You do not need or want a second pressure tank in the other building. Just do not have any other check valves than the one down on the submersible pump, and water from the pressure tank and pump can go anywhere it is needed.

What you really need with multiple houses and water uses is to limit the on/off cycling of the pump. In the old days we would put on extra large pressure tanks. But that only slowed the cycling somewhat. Now all you have to do is install a Cycle Stop Valve in the well or somewhere before the tee to the other house to be able to stop the cycling and only need the one pressure tank you have.

 

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[EEB]

Thanks so much for your reply and clear diagrams. The well will be put on hold for a while as we just had a massive fire on Saturday and most of the 240 year old farmhouse is badly damaged. We suddenly have higher priority urgent things to take care of, and will proceed on finishing the well in the spring. But thanks for your help, these forums are so helpful.

 

[Valveman]

Oh my goodness!! So sorry for your problems. If the well house was destroyed the little PK1A kit is an easy way to get the water system up and working again. I have been known to donate a few kits to victims of wildfires and people so unfortunate to have lost everything to fire. If you need to get the water working, let me know how I can help.

Custom PK1A PSIDE-KICK Pressure Tank Kit

Replaces large pressure tanks. Preset and easy to install for the DIY customer. The pside-kick kit is a complete constant pressure control package for most pump systems with demands from 1 to 25 gpm. This kit comes with everything you see and utilizes a mechanical pressure switch.

cyclestopvalves.com

 

[EEB]

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. It is looking like the farmhouse is a total. One barn apartment is running it's independent spring system, and will be ok until next year. We will commission the well when we have the renovation far enough along, and put all the buildings on the well.
I am hoping we can put a new basement under the existing farmhouse, or the rebuilt dining room and kitchen, and then maybe put the new pressure tank and CSV there. Lots to do to get there... we are hauling out things still and drying out what might be salvageable.