Community well

[ChrisK123]

Hello, just built a new home on a community well with 4 other homes. One if the neighbors told me I needed to get a bladder tank for our house, he said each house has one. Our contractor did not install one. Do I need one? Our water pressure is good and it does have some very slight fluctuations In pressure changes.
Thanks

 

[Bannerman]

Your water is obtained from the well, not the pressure tank.

The purpose of the pressure tank is to reduce cycling by the pump and to maintain pressure in the system whenever the pump is not operating. Only one pressure tank is normally required, and that is to be located where the pressure switch controlling pump operation is located. Your home and the other homes do not need a pressure tank, and multiple tanks located some distance apart can result in flow issues and erratic pump operation.

Most well systems utilize a pressure range such as 40/60 whereby the pump will become activated by the pressure switch when the system pressure is 40 psi, and the pump will continue operating until the system pressure rises to 60 psi. How long the pump will need to operate to cause the pressure to rise from 40 to 60 will be conditional on the gpm capacity of the pump, the rate water is being utilized by all of the homes combined, and the pressure tank size.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

If the neighbors will feel better if you have a pressure tank, then I would probably go along. If you will have a pressure tank far from the pressure switch, I would feed it through a spring-loaded check valve. That would avoid those erratic things that Bannerman wrote about.

Is the pressure switch in one of the houses, or is there a separate well house?

 

[ChrisK123]

If the neighbors will feel better if you have a pressure tank, then I would probably go along. If you will have a pressure tank far from the pressure switch, I would feed it through a spring-loaded check valve. That would avoid those erratic things that Bannerman wrote about.

Is the pressure switch in one of the houses, or is there a separate well house?

 

[ChrisK123]

Must be In one of the homes. No well house. If I have a pressure tank in my house do I still need a pressure regulator valve or does it serve that purpose?

 

[Reach4]

Must be In one of the homes. No well house. If I have a pressure tank in my house do I still need a pressure regulator valve

No.

or does it serve that purpose?

And not that either. The pressure switch will control the pump. One for the system.

I presume there is a method for compensating whoever pays for electricity and hosts the equipment. Is there maybe a homeowner association that gets money from everybody and distributes it?

 

[Valveman]

The more pressure tanks added the longer the time at low pressure waiting for the pump to start. Plus, as was said, pressure tanks at different locations fill at different rates and times. One pressure tank at the house with the pressure switch is all that is needed. If you want strong city like constant pressure for all the houses, adding a CSV before that tank and any water line branches is all that is needed.