I installed a UV filter for a friend with a single story house, one bathroom, supplied by a dug well water system. The 12 gpm ultra-violet filter has a 5/16″ orifice at the outlet to prevent exceeding the designed flow rate. In addition, the water supply system contains a calcite filter and particulate filter (prior to the UV bacteria killer.) The problem is, now his water pressure is ~10-15 psi when taking a shower. Due to the content of the water (mineral and bacteria,) the calcite and UV filters must remain. The particulate might be expendable. My question for all you operational type plumbers out there is, can I put an Amtrol tank on the house side of the UV filter to provide a reservoir to draw on during use, in addition to the installed tank prior to all the filters? (I’ve jack up the pressure setpoints on the pressure switch for the pump as far as I can; any higher and the pump just runs.)
Thanks.
Replies
A dug well versus a drilled well? I've only ever worked on one of those in a house with inside plumbing. Several others fpr houses or cabins w/o indoor piping.
Regarding the location of the pressure tank, putting it downstream of the filters will help initially, but only initially. After the first few gallons and the pump cycling back on, you'll have the same flow limitations you do now.
I assume the hose bibs are unfiltered and have good flow and pressure. If so, then it sounds like the pressure drop through each of these filters adds up to be too much. A booster pump in the middle or at the end would help but would be a pain and annoying to add a pump when you already have one.
Note that Flint&Walling, Franklin, Grunfos, etc; all make various pumps. Some with higher flow, some with higher pressure, some with both. Sounds like this pump was okay BEFORE all the filters were installed. By creating the need for more pressure, you may well need to re-spec the pump (same flow rate but higher hp = more psi). Like going from a 1/3hp 15 gpm to a 1/2 hp 15 gpm model, for instance.
I think maybe I'm missing something here. If there's a restrictor at the exit of the UV filter that produces the correct amount of flow (at least that's how it's stated), then the loss of pressure is because the shower-head allows a much higher flow out than you're putting in. Right ? The usual fix around here to have high pressure and low flow is to put a restrictor in the shower-head (virtually all heads now sold here come with a restrictor), it works like putting your thumb over the end of a hose to make the opening smaller.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Put a 500 - 1000 gal poly water tank in the basement. Or bury it next to the house. Whatever.
Filter all the water to the tank. Then pump from the tank to supply the house.
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
It sounds to me that there is a high flow rate shower head that the orifice can't keep up with. I would change the shower head to a low rate water miser one.
I used to use the normal high flow shower heads in my house until the city gave us new low flow ones. I am actually happier with the low flow ones. It uses a higher velocity with a much smaller drop size to reduce flow yet still get you rinsed off throughly.
Its a cheap easy solution unless your in hard water country.