Good Valve, Old Plumbing

[dmurray27712]

About a year ago I purchased and installed a PK1A and noticed better water volume and pressure.  It seemed to be working fine with the 1/2hp 230v 2 wire submersible well pump that I had.  The pump died this weekend.  When I changed the pump, I went back with a 3/4hp instead.  Everything seemed fine.  It seemed like the water pressure was better than with the old pump.  That was Saturday.  This morning my wife called and said she had just heard a water pipe burst under the master bedroom and that we had no water.  I first told her to go kill the breaker to the pump and water heater.  Sure enough there's a mud puddle in the crawl space under the m.b.  The plumbing in our house is old copper.  The house was built in 1985.  I know it needs to be replaced with pvc or pex.  Is this common when increasing the pressure in copper lines that have been used to lower pressure? Am I going to have future leaks as well?  I used to have a 20/40 pressure switch and when I installed the PK1A I bumped up to a 30/50.

Any advice?

[Cary Austin]

I would assume the line under the bedroom is after the CSV?  If that is the case the pressure should be exactly the same 30/50 you had with the smaller pump.

If the line to the BD is prior to the CSV the larger pump could have gone from 100 PSI to maybe 140 PSI, as the larger pump will build more backpressure.

Either way it should not have been a problem with copper pipe.  Even thin wall copper is rated for much more pressure than that.

I also have had problem with copper pipe.  But it seems to be from pin holes in the copper (cheap built pipe) and not from the pressure.

[dmurray27712]

I apologize - upon further inspection, it was a failed clamp on the black plastic line where the water line comes in the house. Our house is built on a slight slope and the water had ran down the slope about 10 feet to just under the bathroom fixtures.  I have repaired that and so far no trouble.  Without any water running in the house I have a 48psi reading at the tank/CSV and a static pressure reading of just under 60psi from the spigot in the pump house on the top of the well and at both of the spigots on the front/back of the house.  When I open the line at the front of the house, once the pump kicks in the pressure at the pump house jumps to between 110-120.  after closing the line, it returned to just under 60.  Is that the back pressure you are referring to and will that cause any problems?  I am planning to replace the copper pipe under the house in the next few months if it can make it that long.

Thanks Again,

DM

[Cary Austin]

110 to 150 PSI on the pipe prior to the CSV is common.  The CSV is doing this to make the pump think it is in a deeper well so it produces less water when you need less water.  The CSV will open up and make the pump think it is in a more shallow well when you need less water, and there will be less backpressure on that line.

The backpressure is not a problem as long as your pipe is rated for that much pressure.  And if your pipe is not rated for more than 150 PSI, it is the pipe that is your problem, not the CSV.