Setting up in-law cabin off of main home's well

[TerryR]

I have seen and read through a few threads here about very similar situations, but I am already fairly far along on this process and I feel like my situation may be slightly different.

Initially, we decided to put in a bladder tank to supply the new cabin, which is installed and connected to the existing well via 1" line, after a Tee at the pump.

The main home has it's own tank, with a filtration system, pressure switch, and control box.

We have yet to hook up the secondary tank's pressure switch because that is going to take a whole other effort electrically.

Currently, since we have tied into the original line feeding the main home with a Tee, we have lost pressure in the main house, while there is a ball valve that is closed after the cabin's tank, before the cabin... so no water is actually getting to the new build, but just to the tank.

Originally there was a check valve after the pump before the 150' line to the main home, and the Tee was installed after the check valve.
There is another check valve before the new tank supplying the new cabin.

Could the location of these check valves be creating some sort of vapor lock, or pressure loss?

I have read in some of the other threads with similar situations about a CSV. Would this help my situation, and/or would I need to install one at each tank, or just one at the new tank?

I hope that this is clear enough of an explanation to any of you pros that you can provide some insight. Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Reach4]

Submersible pump?

We have yet to hook up the secondary tank's pressure switch because that is going to take a whole other effort electrically.

No tank or pressure tank for the cabin.
No shutoff valve in the path between pump and the pressure tank and pressure switch.
And no check valve between the tee and the the pressure tank and pressure switch. This is probably what you have. You must remove that check valve at the pump. If you have a submersible, there will be a check valve in, or at, the pump. No check valve above ground is needed.

If you wanted to add a pressure tank for the cabin, you would have no pressure switch in the cabin, and you would have a check valve at that tank.

This presumes no CSV after the tee.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[TerryR]

Currently there is a pressure tank for the cabin, that has a check valve before it with a ball valve before that, that is open. And that line goes all the way back to the Tee.

 

[Valveman]

You didn't need the tank at the cabin. It may still work, but sometimes tanks in different locations fill at different rates, which could be a problem.

Well pump, tee to cabin and house, pressure tank and pressure switch at house only, no checks valves anywhere except down hole on the pump.

 

[TerryR]

You didn't need the tank at the cabin. It may still work, but sometimes tanks in different locations fill at different rates, which could be a problem.

Well pump, tee to cabin and house, pressure tank and pressure switch at house only, no checks valves anywhere except down hole on the pump.

So, you don't recommend the need for a CSV anywhere in the system? Since the tank is already installed at the cabin, I was thinking about removing all of the check valves above ground, and installing a CSV after the Tee, on the Cabin side...

 

[Valveman]

So, you don't recommend the need for a CSV anywhere in the system? Since the tank is already installed at the cabin, I was thinking about removing all of the check valves above ground, and installing a CSV after the Tee, on the Cabin side...

Oh you could certainly benefit from a CSV. But it will need to go before the tee to the other cabin. We make the CSV125 to fit inside the well for systems like that. But it can go anywhere before that first tee.

 

[TerryR]

Oh you could certainly benefit from a CSV. But it will need to go before the tee to the other cabin. We make the CSV125 to fit inside the well for systems like that. But it can go anywhere before that first tee.

Ok, great. I'm starting to get a clearer picture of what needs to happen... Would you say that by installing the CSV before the Tee, that there would be no need for a pressure switch on the secondary tank for the cabin, and that the check valves that are currently in place for that system be removed?

 

[Reach4]

I think he is saying that the pressure tank and switch in the cabin can both be removed. So one pressure switch and pressure tank at the main house.

If you keep the pressure tank at the cabin, I think you would keep the check valve that feeds that pressure tank. I think both ways work.

Either way, have only one pressure switch with no above-ground check valve in the path to it.

 

[Valveman]

Like Reach says, only one pressure tank and one pressure switch. Remove all above ground check valves. If you can get the CSV installed prior to any tees, it would allow a smaller pressure tank if you like. But the CSV will also work with large or multiple pressure tanks. Unlike a conventional pressure tank system, the CSV makes multiple tanks fill at the same time, as there is no friction loss between them at only 1 GPM flow.

 

[Reach4]

Unlike a conventional pressure tank system, the CSV makes multiple tanks fill at the same time, as there is no friction loss between them at only 1 GPM flow.

Ahh... makes sense.