Getting started.

[dovecreek]

OK, for my set up, I have a 1/2 horsepower Flotec well pump that fills a 1000 gallon cistern. My well is @ 3 gals. / minute. I don't want to over pump it. It is 133 ft. deep. What I think I need to do is put a dole valve on the water line from the well pump that will cut the flow down to the 3gals. per minute so the well remains static and the pump continually fills the well until it's full. I have a pressure tank that tuns on using the cistern when there's a call for water from the house. What I think I'm understanding here, is that once the CSV is hooked up to the well pump, it will allow the well pump to operate at a slower rate to fill the well and I'm free from manually (over) pumping the well into the cistern for about 10 minutes until which time I need to shut it off before I run it dry. It takes about 20 mins. to run it dry at about 5 gals.per minute before I have to wait a few hours for it to recover. Am I getting this right?

[Cary Austin]

No the CSV needs to go on the booster pumping out of the cistern and before the pressure tank.  The CSV will give you a strong constant pressure in the house and keeps the booster pump from cycling itself to death.

You are right that a 3 GPM Dole valve is what you need to make the well pump fill the cistern slowly.  Now a Cycle Sensor can be used on the well pump.  The Cycle Sensor will shut the pump off if/when the well is pumped dry, and will let you set a timer so the pump will restart automatically after the well has recouped for the amount of time you want.

[dovecreek]

Thanks, Cary. Will I need two CSV's? One for the booster pump and one for the well pump?

[Cary Austin]

You don't need a CSV for the well pump, you need a Dole valve.  But a Cycle Sensor would be good on both pumps to stop them from running dry if the storage tank or the well get pumped dry.