4.5 gal vs 10 gal Tank and Pressure Switch Setting

[RSB]

I am very close to placing my order for a CSV1A and new pressure tank on the CSV website.  Background is that my switch and large tank (86 gal) recently failed on my conventional CSV-less system.  The switch was replaced with the same model (40/60 to 40/60) and now I'd like to replace that waterlogged 86 gal tank with a CSV1A and small tank.  My pump is a submersible Red Jacket (100SESW1-7GC) installed in 1998 and rated at 22 GPM.  My house is a 2-story with (7) family members and I have underground sprinklers.  My well's 1.25" black poly pipe enters the basement foundation, tees to the big tank and pressure switch (w/ 2 drains and a PRV), then splits to the irrigation system and household water softener above the big red gate valve in the photo.

I have spoken to Sam at CSV via phone and email this week and he has been very helpful.  My final question is around tank size (4.5 vs 10) and pressure switch setting.  I'd prefer to go with the 4.5 because 1) It's what you guys recommend 90% of the time, and 2) I'd like to mount the tank "cantilevered" horizontally directly off the CSV1A and the 10 is too heavy for that.  However, we've always wanted a little more pressure in our house (especially on the 2nd story) at the showers and sinks and I'm wondering if this CSV install is my chance to fix that. 

So here's my (3) questions:

1) With my family size, 2-story house, and irrigation system, am I better off with the 10 gallon or is a waste of space/$?
2) If I understand all of the website data correctly, am I better off with the 10 gallon tank if I plan to up my pressure to 50/70 instead of 40/60?
3) Can I just "turn up" my existing 40/60 switch to a 50/70 setting, and then adjust the CSV to 60psi constant and my new tank to ~48psi?  If I need to buy a new 50/70 switch no big deal but I'm wondering if I need to.

Thanks!         

[RSB]

More data about my house and well, as it looks like Cary uses this info in answering other people's questions on the forum:

- My house has 2.5 bathrooms (1.5 on first floor and 1 on second story), but we're thinking seriously about upgrading our 1st floor 1/2 bath to a full bath by adding a shower.

From the 1998 Well/Pump Install Record:
- My well depth for that submersible pump is 106 ft
- It's about 40-50 more feet of pipe to get from the well head into my basement
- The static water level is noted as 19 ft below the surface on the data sheet, and "75 ft below land surface after 3hrs pumping at 50 gpm

[Cary Austin]

Yes you can just turn up a 40/60 switch to 50/70 by simply tightening the large adjustment screw about 4 full turns to the right.  I think you would like the 50/70 pressure with the 2 story house.  Also with 50/70 pressure the 10 gallon size tank is recommended.  You can mount the 10 gallon tank horizontally, you just need to brace it somehow.  Looking through the pictures in our reviews you can see many different ways people have done this.

[RSB]

Thanks Cary!  I'm going to place that order with you guys for the CSV1A and 10gal tank today.  Understood on the tank bracing.  Rather than add more holes to my poured foundation by bracing to the wall, my plan was to build a unistrut frame for the tank to sit on down to the floor.  Would it be OK if I added an elbow from the CSV to the tank?  So that the tank is back to vertical (inlet facing up) but the bottom of the tank is closer to the floor?  I know I will still have to brace it (since it's still cantilevered on the CSV), but this orientation makes for a much smaller bracing frame between the bottom of the tank and the floor than the horizontal orientation.  See attached sketch. 

[Cary Austin]

Sure you can elbow over to the tank.  You can also get the PK1ALT, which the LT means less tank.  Many people use a 3/4" flexible hose to go from the CSV1A to a tank with a base that sets on the floor.  Sometimes it is easier to use a tank with a base than to pipe mount and strap one down.

[RSB]

Thanks again Cary.  My order processed this morning for the CSV1A, 10gal tank, and 1.25 SS ball valve (I want to replace my old gate valve).  I think the 3/4" flexible hose from the CSV1A to my tank will work great while I decide on whether to floor mount or wall mount it. 

Am I correct that I should set the pressure in my new tank to 48 psi when I'm running the switch at 50/70?

[Cary Austin]

46 to 48 yes.

[RSB]

Got everything installed and up and running on Friday night.  The re-adjusted switch pressure works great (57/70) and I got the CSV set to ~62 psi when flowing 2-3 GPM.  Picture of my install is attached.

When I called earlier last week, Sam recommended I add (1) additional hose clamp to my black poly pump source pipe at the 1/25" barb fitting.  I did that and decided to make an additional upgrade of replacing the poly barb fitting with a brass one.  The only installation hitch I ran into was with the teflon tape.  First go around, I wrapped each threaded interface (steel/steel, steel/brass, steel/PVC, and brass/PVC) with 5 to 7 wraps of teflon tape and threaded everything on very tight.  When I got everything put together and running, there were small/slow leaks from almost every threaded interface immediately .  So, I took the entire thing back apart (minus the 1.25 PVC fittings I had glued, those were re-used), took off all the teflon tape, and used blue monster pipe dope instead.  The end result is not as clean looking as tape, but all the leaks are gone!

Thanks again Cary and Sam, for the great product and great product support.

[Cary Austin]

Thanks for letting us know how it worked!