Booster pump experience

nicuribe · 11-20-2009, 05:50 PM

Hello, all.
I'm new here, and I'd like to start off by sharing my booster pump experience.
I live in a developing country, in a city that's doubled in population over the past 20 years, due to rural migration. Not surprisingly, the municipal water supply has become inadequate with all the new building going on. My static pressure at point of entry fluctuates wildly from 40 psi to 20 psi to 0, depending on how many people are taking a shower at any given point in time.
At other times, repair work means no water for a day or two at a stretch. So, I bought and a 1/2 horsepower booster pump and installed it according to instructions. Surprise! Zero improvement in my house pressure. After researching my problem, it seems that everyone just naturally assumes a booster pump will work if installed properly. THIS IS NOT SO, if the municipal water supply cannot deliver the necessary FLOW (liters/sec, gallons/min, whatever.) So, I'm now faced with the prospect of installing cistern tanks (at least 1,000 liter capacity) on my roof so as to first store the water, and THEN run it through my house under gravity, aided by my new booster pump. Lesson: Unless you're living in a developed country, you can't automatically assume that a booster pump will work the way you expect it to.

Yoyizit · 11-20-2009, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicuribe

I'm now faced with the prospect of installing cistern tanks (at least 1,000 liter capacity) on my roof so as to first store the water

This tank could weigh 2200 pounds.

The water company can supply you with likelihoods of X continuous days without water or with low pressure and the NWS may be able to supply you with rainfall data.
The recent past may predict the near future.

I don't know if the WaCo will give you these data because it makes them look bad. You might have to write to your state's attorney to pressure them into giving you this info.

You can then size your tank appropriately, based on, let's say, a 50%, 95%, or 97.5% chance of always having water.
Normal water usage is 70 gals per person per day.

You might want to consider a well. Half the wells in the US are between 80' and 240' and 95% are between 25' and 470', but I have only one sample of a price: 12 kilobucks for 520' well. Avg. depth is 200'.

stuart45 · 11-20-2009, 06:16 PM

Most of our houses have got cold water tanks in the roof space, normally from 50 to 80 galls. The old galv ones used to rust and split drenching the house. New ones are plastic, but if the stat on the immersion goes they can fill up with hot water, melt and do some serious damage to anyone under.