Dave, Until or unless someone gives me a convincing argument regarding any system other than with a bladder tank, the proposed system mod will have one.

If inertia were my problem, flow would increase shortly after opening a valve wide. Not the case. I have variable water pressure as evidenced by the shower head's trajectory. Sometimes it is pretty acceptable and other times it is marginal.

Adding a pressure tank without a booster pump would improve initial flow when a valve is opened, especially if a lag induced by inertia (analgous to inductive reactance) were a problem. I don't have a noticible lag. The flow doesn't visibly "ramp up" after a valve is opened.

If a check valve were introduced between the source and the tank then under a no consumption condition AND varying supply pressures, the tank pressure, over time, would tend to approach the peak supply pressure experienced (like a capacitor charging through a resistor eventually charges up to the peak voltage of the charging waveform.) This would briefly give you a higher pressure and flow when a point of consumption valve were first opened but would taper off to no higher than the then extant ambient supply line pressure. The larger the tank then the longer it would take for pressure to taper off to the current supply pressure. It would take an enourmous tank to hold a higher pressure long enough for a shower, much less two consecutive ones (we don't always shower together.)

I need something like my own a 100 ft water tower filled by a pump OR I need a booster pump, check valve, and bladder tank (you can substitute a bladder tank for a water tower.

Alternatively, I can just mumble under my breath when the rural water system pressure is on the low side and complain every so often.

I would be open to hear any recommendations regarding booster pumps. I got one recommendation, buy a shallow well pump but even there I would favor a more specific recommendation RE brand, type, HP, or whatever. Booster systems are pretty expensive so I would lkke to get it right the first time.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]