How about some advice from some of the water and plumbing experts?
The attached crude drawing (I make no claims about being an artist) shows water coming in from the source (meter or well).
The pressure is sensed with a pressure switch where the water enters the house.
The water is split into two parallel paths. One goes through a check valve and the other through a pump and then a check valve. The two parallel paths recombine and go to the house.
Maybe there should be a bladder tank to reduce short cycling the pump?
Just for a starting point lets say the pressure switch turns the pump on when input pressure falls below 30 lbs if the output pressure switch permits it.
OOPS... forgot to draw the output pressure switch which is another presure switch that goes in the output after the two paths converge. This second switch provides the high limit pump cutoff at say 60 PSI.
My hope is that if the water pressure on the supply line stays above 30PSI the pump does not run and water flows mostly through the path without the pump but it is OK if some water flows through the pump and probably will depending on the style of the pump.
When the input water pressure falls below 30PSI the pump comes on and runs until the ouitput pressure excceeds 60PSI and then shuts off. The check valves prevent any funny buisness.
I have never used a cycle stop arrangement and from what very little I comprehend that might be an alternate approach in place of a larger bladder tank.
If the input supply pressure falls below 30PSI while the output pressure is above 35PSI the pump does not run.
The switch arrangement lets the pump runs till the output pressure hits 60 PSI and shuts off but won't restart till the output pressure falls below say 35PSI AND the input pressure is less than 30PSI.
My hope is that the pump will not run unless the input pressure is low and then only to meet the range programmed by the cut in cut out pressures of the switch on the output side.
Again, the pump doesn't run if the input pressure is above 30PSI no matter what the output pressure is.
I would also like a suggestiion as to the kind of pump that would be good for this. A non-exhaustive list of candidates includes cheap fresh water pump from HF, shallow well pump, other.
Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]