Having a constant and continuous water supply is mandatory for all families. Well pressure tank is one of the critical components which fulfills this requirement. In addition to preserving pressurized water, it enables us to access the well water. We don’t have to activate the pump manually.
As soon as anyone turns on the faucets, the water starts running through the water pipes. Besides, the pump has to withstand lots of pressure if there is a high demand for water. Then the tank delivers a good amount of water. Therefore, it lessens the stress on your pump while extending its lifetime.
Now that we know the benefits of a well pressure tank let’s see how it works and how to find out the perfectly-sized tank.
How does a well pressure tank work
The key component of such a system is a well that stores the water. As it lacks positive pressure, it needs some other tools to pull the liquid. A pump and a pressure button are included for this reason. The responsibility of the pump is to send water to the tank. The pressure tank works as temporary storage there. It stores the water until anyone turns on the faucet.
When the tank has insufficient water, the pressure switch starts the pump for filling the tank. The pump never activates otherwise. It notifies the pump after reaching the desired water level. Then the pump will turn off. There is compressed air pressurizing the liquid inside of the tank.
The majority of these tanks contain 40 to 60 pounds per square inch(PSI) pressure. While opening a faucet, the water will be pushed through the pipe due to the force. Then the water will be running out of the faucet. If the tank water goes below the required amount, the pressure starts to drop significantly.
In this case, it fails to operate. Then the pressure switch detects it instantly and allows the pump to refill water again. The pump draws water into the tank until it gets the needed pressure back. For a 40/60 pressure switch, the water pressure will be decreasing from 60psi.
As soon as it reaches 40psi, the pump starts working after getting a signal from the pressure switch. The overall procedure keeps repeating this cycle again and again.
What size well pressure tank do I need
If you are interested in getting an ideal well pressure tank, you need to consider several parameters. Among them, size is the most crucial one. Because selecting the right size helps to optimize its performance.
These tanks come in a variety of sizes as the size requirement will vary according to various properties. If you are wondering about which size will suit you the best, check out these parameters related to the size.
Water demand
We all know that the larger ones can hold more water than the smaller models. So if the water demand is high, you must go for a large version. It will supply liquid to all water pipes so that you don’t have to worry about water shortage. On the other hand, if you have only a few faucets in the house, a small to medium tank can cover all of them.
Well depth
To evaluate the needed size, make sure that it suits the capacity of the well. If these two variables don’t match, there will be a degradation in performance. Obviously, a deep well can carry lots of water where a well with less depth cant does the same.
In this case, the tank should be small as well. But there are some models which ensure maximum water delivery even though the capacity of the well is not high. They will be great for high water demand and less well capacity.
Drawdown capacity
Almost all tanks are evaluated by this factor. It refers to the amount of water the container can hold until the pressure crosses the bottom point. In short, it measures the least amount of water that doesn’t activate the water pump. We can calculate it quite easily.
The flow rate measures the gallon of water produced by the pump per minute. After multiplying it with the least runtime of the pump, we can get the drawdown capacity. If the flow rate is not high, one small or medium size tank will be enough.
But if it is too high, you have to use a large tank or multiple tanks. Usually, the water pump’s capacity is labeled by the producer. So don’t forget to check it before purchasing it. With this value, you can be confirmed about both performance and functionality.
Energy consumption
Many users prefer continuous fresh-water supply from the well. They need to get a small tank to achieve a low drawdown. But in this situation, the pump has to draw water inside the tank after short intervals. As a result, it will consume more power. The tanks with better capacity may not give you fresh water all time but give a large drawdown. Due to fewer pump restarts, it will save more energy.
Pressure Switch Setting
It describes at which force the pump starts to refill the tank and at which it stops. Among various options, three settings are pretty standard such as 20/40, 30/50, and lastly, 40/60. Here, both numbers indicate the pressure to turn on the pump and to terminate its operation, respectively.
The second number has a direct connection to drawdown capability. For example, a 40/60 model has less drawdown capability compared to a 30/50 one. You have to keep it in mind to find out the perfect size. Almost all producers provide a chart for their customers, describing the drawdown capacity depending on this setting.
Well pressure tanks are beneficial, easy to use, and effortless to install. Try to buy a model that delivers more efficiency and higher drawdown capacity. And above all, pick the right size one by following our guidelines.
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