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I want to add a line for a sprinkler system to my water line, before the pressure tank, water filter, etc. My options are
1. Cut in the line at the well. Advantages are the water line is exposed after it leaves the top of the well. Disadvantages are I would have to run it across the driveway to where I need it. I have old 3/4" electrical conduit under the driveway. I've tested it and it leaks. A 1/2" line would fit through that but I wanted a larger water line.
2. Dig up the line just before it enters the house. Advantages are it is close to power for an eventual timer/zone controller. Disadvantages are it would be a bit tricky to get a Tee in because the water line wouldn't be that flexible for moving around.
3. Tie in under the house and come out through the foundation. Advantages are no digging, and there's 70' of water line I can flex to work a tee in. Disadvantages are having to come through the foundation. Since I would need an above ground vacuum breaker anyway, I don't think there would be any difference between coming through the footing and up vs just coming through the block wall above grade.
I am inclined at this point to go with #3.
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(08-02-2022, 09:10 AM)crokett™ Wrote: I want to add a line for a sprinkler system to my water line, before the pressure tank, water filter, etc. My options are
1. Cut in the line at the well. Advantages are the water line is exposed after it leaves the top of the well. Disadvantages are I would have to run it across the driveway to where I need it. I have old 3/4" electrical conduit under the driveway. I've tested it and it leaks. A 1/2" line would fit through that but I wanted a larger water line.
2. Dig up the line just before it enters the house. Advantages are it is close to power for an eventual timer/zone controller. Disadvantages are it would be a bit tricky to get a Tee in because the water line wouldn't be that flexible for moving around.
3. Tie in under the house and come out through the foundation. Advantages are no digging, and there's 70' of water line I can flex to work a tee in. Disadvantages are having to come through the foundation. Since I would need an above ground vacuum breaker anyway, I don't think there would be any difference between coming through the footing and up vs just coming through the block wall above grade.
I am inclined at this point to go with #3.
I would go with number #1. It is not that difficult to run a line under the driveway and you wouldn’t have to come thru the foundation or worry about a leak under your house.
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(08-02-2022, 09:10 AM)crokett™ Wrote: I want to add a line for a sprinkler system to my water line, before the pressure tank, water filter, etc.
Naive question because I don't know but am in a similar boat. Why tie in before the pressure tank? Do sprinklers need less pressure than normal house pressure? Is it bad to use conditioned water (going through a salt tank) for irrigation, or does it deplete the effectiveness of the resin and use more salt?
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would tying in before the pressure tank cause the well to short cycle or since its effectively all one line, the pressure tank would still be doing it thing?
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. - Philip K. Dick
Mark
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adding a tee isn't that hard, just use 4 90's when cutting it in. that's what I do when I break an underground PVC pipe.
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. - Philip K. Dick
Mark
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(08-02-2022, 12:35 PM)meackerman Wrote: adding a tee isn't that hard, just use 4 90's when cutting it in. that's what I do when I break an underground PVC pipe.
hmm. so on the line from the well... cut it, then 90 out, then 90 to a tee, then 90 back to the line, then 90 to continue the water line. that is a good idea. I can pre-assemble a lot of it.
As to having the water line before the pressure tank, the advice I got here several years ago when I was plumbing a line to be able to fill my pool (and possible use as a sprinkler) was to take it off before the pressure tank. once the well pump kicks on, it will stay running for longer because the pressure isn't building as fast. what kills a pump is the on/off cycling.
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08-02-2022, 01:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-02-2022, 01:19 PM by meackerman.)
(08-02-2022, 12:42 PM)crokett™ Wrote: what kills a pump is the on/off cycling. right, when my pressure tank popped, my well short-cycled.
if your well is pumping water faster than it can be released....in my case my well is 1 1/4" pipe, and I funnel that down into a single 3/4" PVC line, it seems like its going to short cycle....the pressure will build faster than its being released. But since the 3/4" pipe is connected to the 1 1/4" pipe running to the pressure tank, the pressure tank might still be doing its thing.
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. - Philip K. Dick
Mark
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08-02-2022, 02:28 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-02-2022, 02:43 PM by crokett™.)
(08-02-2022, 01:19 PM)meackerman Wrote: right, when my pressure tank popped, my well short-cycled.
if your well is pumping water faster than it can be released....in my case my well is 1 1/4" pipe, and I funnel that down into a single 3/4" PVC line, it seems like its going to short cycle....the pressure will build faster than its being released. But since the 3/4" pipe is connected to the 1 1/4" pipe running to the pressure tank, the pressure tank might still be doing its thing.
I would be taking the water line off the main line ~65' away from the pressure tank. My thinking is that when the sprinklers are running, either pressure will never build enough for the switch to shut off, in which case the pump keeps running, or pressure does build and the pump turns off, but it takes longer for this to happen. So I'm not sure how this would short cycle the pump.
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08-02-2022, 04:52 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-02-2022, 04:52 PM by meackerman.)
(08-02-2022, 02:28 PM)crokett™ Wrote: I would be taking the water line off the main line ~65' away from the pressure tank. My thinking is that when the sprinklers are running, either pressure will never build enough for the switch to shut off, in which case the pump keeps running, or pressure does build and the pump turns off, but it takes longer for this to happen. So I'm not sure how this would short cycle the pump.
so 65' away from the pressure tank isn't before the pressure tank (#1 option), so you should be fine. the pump will still cycle unless the volume of water being used is the same as the volume the pump is producing.
I installed a bigger pressure tank when mine blew up, with the thought that the tank held more water, so the pump would cycle on less.
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. - Philip K. Dick
Mark
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(08-02-2022, 04:52 PM)meackerman Wrote: so 65' away from the pressure tank isn't before the pressure tank (#1 option), so you should be fine. the pump will still cycle unless the volume of water being used is the same as the volume the pump is producing.
Yes it is. My pressure tank is not at the well head. it is under my house. The water line comes in at one end of the house and runs to the other end where there is more headroom in the crawlspace. The pressure tank is at that end of the house. I would cut in between the well and the pressure tank.
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