So my well is completely jacked up and pretty much my only option other than getting a new one drilled (definitely short on funds) is setting up a airlift type well. My question is what size holding tank is needed for a normal house? Also what size pump should I use to connect the holding tank to the house? My setup already has a 40 gallon bladder tank to add into the system and I may use a csv valve as well to make the new pump cycle less but I want to make sure I get a large enough tank so the air compressor doesn't have to run non stop.
Air lift setup/holding tank setup help
- Thread starter Willp48
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With a CSV you need a standard bladder/diaphragm style tank, which doesn't need a compressor charge except when installing. The 40 gallon size tank only holds 10 gallons of water, and that tank will work, but is 10 times larger than really needed with a CSV. A 4.5 gallon tank is common with a CSV. A house uses about 300 gallons a day, so I like about three days worth of storage for a holding tank.
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The cycle sensor would not apply to the air lift pump idea.
An air lift pump is usually not practical if the bottom of the air lift pump to the surface of the water is significantly less than the surface of the water to the top of the lift.
How far down is your water?
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Something like a Hompat NS242T-40 looks interesting. It is intended to be driven by a solar panel, but I think you could buy or make a filtered DC power supply to power it. I don't know how reliable it would be. Nor do I know if your well bore is not messed up enough to keep you from getting such a pump into your well.
Yeah I really dont think any of those 2inch diameter pumps are going to work. The casing is only 2 inches and has some kind of issue. I'm gonna try to run a camera down it tomorrow and see exactly what I have going on. Only reason I was looking at airlift is because I can use a small drop pipe and dont have to worry about it getting stuck. I already have a 80 gallon air compressor and a large tank could still be useful when I get a new well drilled eventually.
Terminology: if you have a storage tank, a well pump fills the storage tank. No pressure tank needed for filling the storage tank. Some storage tanks have conical bottoms to make draining sediment easy. Protect the storage tank from light to prevent algae. You may need to add chlorine to the storage tank to prevent bacteria.
The water is supplied to the house via a pressure pump. This can be a submersible in the tank, or could be a jet pump outside of the storage tank. A pressure pump should have a pressure tank with or without a CSV. The pressure switch goes at the input to the pressure tank.
A new well is a lot less work for you, but it costs cash. Do you have a budgetary price for that? Some things are worth borrowing money for, and some, such as a brand new car, are usually not.
I was quoted about 8 grand to drill a new well not including the new pump. I currently have a brand new jet pump but if I'm getting a new well I might as well go with 4inch and get a submersible. Unfortunately with what I just paid I cant afford a new well. It will probably take me a year or longer to get the money together .
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Texas Wellman
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Do you have plastic or galvanized casing ? I have ran across bad spots in the casing in the past where there is essentially a defect or bulge that won’t let the jet pass. What part of Houston?
So just a follow up I had a camera guy come scope my casing and it had a number of pretty large cracks preventing the packer from coming out. Ended up getting another 2 inch well drilled and a airlift system setup. Got a 550 gallon tank and a small tankless air compressor. It works surprisingly well and fills the entire 550 gallon tank in about 35 minutes. Going to get a csv next to stop the supply pump from cycling too much. At least I have water again and was able to do it for a pretty good price.
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