Do I need a pressure tank?

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Bassadict69

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We just resurrected an old well on my property with the sole intent of using it for irrigation of my yard. They installed a 1/2 hp submersible pump and a pressure tank with a 30/50 pressure switch. I don't know the tank size but its 3-4ft tall.

If I install an irrigation timer, do I need the tank? I was reading here somewhere that the pump should run constantly for irrigation rather than cycle off and on which it seems wold be worse for the pump.

Besides an irrigation timer, do I need a pump start relay or anything else to make this work?
 

Bassadict69

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Well pump.jpg
 

Bassadict69

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Can anyone here please tell me if I can remove the tank and how to plumb it and hook this up to an irrigation timer and pump start relay?
 

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Yes you can do that as long as you don't ever want to use that garden hose. Need the tank if using garden hoses but also need to keep the pump from cycling on and off.
 

Bassadict69

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Yes you can do that as long as you don't ever want to use that garden hose. Need the tank if using garden hoses but also need to keep the pump from cycling on and off.
The water hose is only being used with sprinklers until we get the irrigation lines ran. Until I get the irrigation controller hooked up, I will just turn the breaker off and on to run the sprinklers/hoses.
 

Valveman

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There are pros and cons to both the pump start relay and the pressure tank/pressure switch method.

With a pump start relay your pressure is determined by the size of the zone. Matching the size of the zones to the pump is important, as small zones will have high pressure and large zones will have low pressure. If the zones are sized properly the pump start relay works fairly well. One downside includes the problem that occurs when the gophers eat the wires to the zone valve, as the pump comes on but no sprinklers. Adding a 75 PSI pressure relief valve can save your pump from melting down when/if this occurs, which I see fairly often. The pump also starts with no pressure against it, causing a hard start for the pump and water hammer to the rest of the system.

With the old pressure tank/pressure switch method, you still had to match the size of the zones to the pump to keep the pump from cycling on/off to death. But when a Cycle Stop Valve is added to the pressure tank/pressure switch system you can match the sprinkler zones to the yard and not the pump. The CSV will not let the pump cycle as long as you are using more than 1 GPM. The CSV will maintain a constant pressure on any size zone. Starting the pump against pressure and keeping the irrigation system pressurized keeps water hammer from happening on pump start and when zones open and close. The CSV also eliminates water hammer on pump stop. Plus, the pressure tank/pressure switch/CSV system allows you to continue using a hose when/if needed, and even the hose will not cause the CSV system to cycle. You have everything you need to make this happen except the CSV1A.
 

Bassadict69

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Great! Thanks for the help! My only problem with the tank, is it is a large, tall tank, in my front yard that totally ruins the whole look of the house and yard. That is the only reason I am wanting to get rid of it!
 

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Great! Thanks for the help! My only problem with the tank, is it is a large, tall tank, in my front yard that totally ruins the whole look of the house and yard. That is the only reason I am wanting to get rid of it!
Lol! Then you do need a Cycle Stop Valve as then you only need a little 4.5 gallon size tank like this. A little fake rock is all you need to cover it.



fake rock before.jpeg


fake rock.jpeg
 
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Bassadict69

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The tank is brand spanking new! It was just purchased a few days ago when everything was installed.

So, I can go with a small tank? That would give me the perfect setup, still allowing use of a garden hose for manually watering!
 

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The tank is brand spanking new! It was just purchased a few days ago when everything was installed.

So, I can go with a small tank? That would give me the perfect setup, still allowing use of a garden hose for manually watering!
Yep! And the CSV with the small tank will make the pump last longer than with the big tank.
 

Bassadict69

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So, with the cycle stop valve, I do not need the pump start relay? Correct?

I guess the irrigation timer opens a zone valve, when drops the pressure, which kicks on the pump?
 
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WorthFlorida

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With a CSV and a tank, a pressure switch is needed. With no CSV or tank, a pump start relay (the MV terminal on the irrigation controller) would be needed.
 

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Cary Austin
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So, with the cycle stop valve, I do not need the pump start relay? Correct?

I guess the irrigation timer opens a zone valve, when drops the pressure, which kicks on the pump?
Correct as Worth says.

Also edited the above picture to include how the PK1A kit looks before adding the fake rock. Found this in the many reviews about the Pk1A seen here. https://cyclestopvalves.com/pages/reviews
 
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Banjo Bud

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I have an irrigation system with nothing but a pump, lines, and heads. Four zones, 6-7 heads in each zone. It’s a non submersible pump pulling from a stream. I have a Rain Bird controller and a pump start relay. No tank. No CSV. It’s a direct shot from the stream, to the pump, and to the sprinkler lines. It’s been working perfectly for about 7 years now. I run it about three times a week for 45 minutes a zone. 3 hours total. I run it probably 8 months and then it’s shut down for 4 months in the winter. All the heads are Rain Bird 2 & 3 GPM. The pump puts out 45 PSI and about 15 GPM. Perfect set up for me. I’m sure you can do the same with a submersible pump.
 
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