Two Pump System for Household Service and Mandatory Fire Sprinklers

[gpick]

I am rebuilding a house that has an existing well system which uses one of your CSV's and Cycle sensors.  The new house requires fire sprinklers in a multi-purpose configuration where the plumbing fixtures are tied into the loop that feeds the fire sprinklers.  Since the fire sprinklers require a 35 gpm flow and 50 psi and the well pump supplies 10+ GPM I will need a booster pump and a storage tank.  I would like to use the setup you showed here.  http://cyclestopvalves.com/smf/index.php?topic=2090.0

My well is 300' with a 45' static level, water comes in at 190' and 230', pump is set at 280'.   Well pump is a Goulds 1 1/2 hp 10 gpm.  The well head and future tank is 150' from the house which is 15' higher at the floor level.

What booster pump would you recommend to go with your Pside-kick?  What settings for the pumps' switches and CSV's?

If the well pump is supplying 45 PSI at the house now, what effect does that have on the booster pump since the pressure of the line going from the storage tank into the booster pump is only about 3 psi?  I gather that the booster pump pressure would be added to the well pump pressure as it would if the pumps were in series, right?

Thanks for your help.

[Cary Austin]

No the storage tank provides and air gap break between the well pump pressure and the booster pump.  So your booster pump starts all over boosting from 2-3 PSI from the bottom of the storage tank.

I would use something like a F&W CJ101B201 for the booster pump.  Then the Pside-Kick you need will be a PK2W set at 40/60, which is a little larger for the 35 GPM pump.

You can use the well pump for a backup in case the booster pump quits.  But you need to manually open a valve to use the well pump directly.  If you don't draw from the booster pump for the house, the water in the storage tank will turn green from the lack of use.  Even using the storage tank for the house you will probably need to chlorinate it once in a while.

[gpick]

Apparently the F & W pump does not have lead free brass and cannot be sold in CA.  Is there another you recommend?

I am not sure I am following you regarding the operation of the tank system.  Your drawing I referenced above appears to be the same layout as in your animation with two wells.  Do I have that right?  If so, it appears to me that depending on which valves I had open I could run the system with well pump only (like it is now), run with both the well pump and the tank booster pump feeding the house, or the well pump only filling the tank and the house supplied by the tank booster pump.

I have plenty of water in the well to supply all my needs except the fire sprinklers because of its 35 gpm demand so I am considering a 350 gallon to assure me of the 35 gpm for 10 min the fire code requires.  I can setup an irrigation system timer to flush out the tank as necessary to prevent algae.

[Cary Austin]

Most people just work off the storage tank all the time so the water stays fresh.  But if you never use it in the house you might be able to flush it occasionally and get by ok.

But yes depending on which valve you have open determines which one of those pumps supplies the water.

And I guess you can use the F&W with the plastic impeller. CJ101P203 or CJ101D153

[gpick]

Thanks, I found the pump, but I could not find a PK2W on your website.  Where is it?  Also your chart shows a fairly large friction loss at 35 gpm and the pump shows it just reaches 50 PSI at 35 gpm.  Do I have deduct the CSV friction loss?

[Cary Austin]

The PK2W is not on the web site yet.  And you are correct that pump is marginal even before adding in the friction loss of the CSV2W.  So you will need to use the 3HP, 3 stage pump to get 35 GPM at 50 PSI.  Until we get it in the site you will need to call for price on the PK2W.  800-652-0207 Thanks

[gpick]

I found another pump (Sta-Rite HMS series) that appears to have greater gpm with only 1 1/2 hp than the 2 hp F&W.  (46 gpm @ 40 psi and 36 gpm @ 50 psi.)  The F&W specs on their lead free 2 hp model shows 41 gpm @ 40 psi and 34 gpm @ 50 psi.  I don't have my fire sprinkler calcs yet but I think either one will work if I use your plastic CSV that has the lower friction loss.  The F&W now makes a lead free brass impeller so the specs are a little better.  I see F & W is family owned in USA.  Which is the best pump in your opinion?

[Cary Austin]

Both of those pumps are good.  I doubt that there is a nickel worth of difference between the two.