What pump should I use for pressure tank?

[Chetwynd]

My configuration for a rental house I own and am working on is:

Well pump controlled by float switch in large tank -> From the tank it currently flows through a Grundfos Scala 2 pump, to the house.

I'd like to replace the Scala pump with a booster pump of some kind, into a pressure tank.

My question is, what kind of pump should I use? The tank can basically gravity feed into the pump (no head), and so I just need to decide on a pump and wire it to a 30/50 pressure switch.

Opinions on pumps?

Thank you.

 

[Reach4]

You can put a submersible pump into a flow inducer, and put that horizontally into the tank. That would be 1/2 HP 10 gpm, because 1/3 HP pumps are rare and expensive. Submersible is quieter, and there is no priming problem.

You could use a jet pump outside of the tank. The pickup in the tank could be a foot valve, which is a combination screen and check valve. I think you would want "self priming" although those do need some initial priming.

There are many posts on this. You might use the search box above to search this forum. Some search words will include cistern, "pressure pump" and even "float switch"

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Chetwynd]

I think my question is more...a jet pump? Any brands to stay away from? Red Lion? Flotec?

 

[Valveman]

Whether you use a submersible well pump for a booster pump like in the first drawing or a shallow well jet pump attached to an outlet pipe from the cistern is up to you. The 1HP, 33GPM, Hallmark submersible works great in a cistern and only cost 170 bucks. But if you can find a good shallow well jet pump that has a max pressure of at least 70 PSI it will work fine also. It will take a 1.5HP like a Goulds J15S to do as much as the 1HP submersible.

Any of these pumps will be larger than needed most of the time and cycle on and off while using water, which is not good. Controlling either type pump with a Cycle Stop Valve gives better constant pressure than the Scalla and keeps the pump from cycling itself to death. Scalla is meant to sell often. A good pump with a PK1A for a control can last many decades. which is why the big companies sell Scalla instead of Cycle Stop Valves.