What size/style pump and what size if any tank for pressure booster.

[Pat]

We have a dual water source; rural water supply which often drops to 20 lbs or less and our well which has 20-50 lb switch but is 1/4 mile away so there are some line losses even with 1 1/4 inch line.

I'm thinking I might want to install a booster pump. There are many styles and sizes, some with and some without bladder tanks. I'm looking for suggestions and personal experiences to help mold my decision. I appreciate getting good user information from actual users and professionals instead of a bunch of advertising hype or BS from some big box store know-in-all who can't spell booster pump.

Why wouldn't I want to buy the booster pump in the Harbor Freight catalog?

Should I use a bladder tank?

Are there sizing criteria for the tank beyond reducing the cycling of the pump.

Is there a rule of thumb for sizing the tank if we assume we know the GPM flow?

I have seen pumps advertised for use without tanks but wonder if that is a good idea.

Pat

[speedbump]

The problem with booster pumps is: If they can't get any more water through the pipe that is already feeding you water, there is no added water to use for boosting. Bladder tanks are great devices, but they only hold so many gallons. Then it's up to the pump to keep up with demand for the rest of the cycle.

Why shouldn't you buy a pump from Harbor freight? Because they are junk and won't last a year. I buy things from Harbor Freight that I know will do what I need only once in a blue moon. Simply because I know that they won't last very long. I also wait until they are on sale for 40% off or better.

If you can't run a larger line from the well, set the pressure switch up higher to boost the pressure through that 1-1/4" pipe (which should be fine by the way) I would look into a cistern. A tank large enough to hold the water you need for a day with it's own pump to push water through your plumbing.

Another problem with bad pressure is plumbing being plugged with minerals or just being too small. All the booster pumps in the world won't make enough difference in that case.

[Pat]

Run is a quarter mile to the well and I will not be replacing the PVC which I know to not be plugged. I also have low pressure from rural water district where I typically get my water (redundant sources can be switched in less than 2 min) via about 800 ft or so of 2 inch PVC, also not clogged. The gallons per minute available from the rural water district is not the issue, we can get enough volume for the house but the pressure is not good enough to make a shower the invigorating experience I would prefer. A boost pump WOULD NOT pull a vacuum on the line coming from the meter. The meter is a joke. 2 inch into it and out but it is internally plumbed in 3/4 inch. (Separate issue, lets let that one slide for now.)

It is hard to just pigeon hole everything sold at HF as crap just because the majority is cheap and flimsy. I have lots of stuff from them that works fine. My floor standing 16 speed drill press has worked fine for nearly 20 years. I have a lathe from them (got it recently) and it is pretty HD (plenty of cast iron) and it is not the cheapest one they sell. Works great and should last a long time.

Anyway, back to the problem at hand. I am looking for recommendations for a residential water pressure booster.

Pat

[speedbump]

I have not done much at all with booster pumps. I just haven't had the need. What I do know is that you can only boost pressure if you are able to pull more water than is already available. Pulling on a two inch line that is fed through a 3/4" meter will in fact put a vacuum on that 2" line. If more water can be pulled through that 2" line than the municipality is already providing with their pressure, you will see greater pressure in your shower. If not, you will have the same pressure you always had.

Most people having a similar problem, will install a cistern that can be filling day and night so that when there is a demand, there is plenty of available water to meet that demand. A simple 1/2hp submersible in the cistern will do a fantastic job in most households.

As for HF, I agree, they do sell some rather decent tools at very good pricing. They also sell junk, like so many other places do these days. It's up to you to buy the good stuff and let the junk stay on the shelf. Their pumps (at least the ones I have seen advertised) are in fact junk. I have used, tried to repair and sold similar pumps. They are just plain not worth the money even at $49.95.