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Pump options for an off-grid, cistern only rain water collection

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tx2utila:
Building a home in a remote area which will be solar, and rain water collection.

Many of the homes in the area have cisterns which are piped from underneath then come up to the pump, then pressure tank, then to the house. No one has heard of CSV so we will be the first to try it. Our cistern will hold about 19k gallons. The Cistern is the first floor, the second floor is bedrooms with 2 baths, third floor is living area, kitchen and a bath. Each floor is 9 feet. Total height of the home is 38 feet to the top of the roof.

Fear of a leak made me decide to build the cistern as one piece, with access from above, there are two 2" pipes to feed the pump. The other problem is there is a divider wall in the cistern with a leveling window at 7 feet. Both sides will be feed by rain collection. The drawback is making sure my pump can bring the water up and over the cistern to fill the pressure tank and then the house while not killing my solar system or pump. That is why I am interested in the CSV. Most of the homes use Jet pumps.

What are my best options: Jet pump vs Submersible (Hallmark)? Now for the twist, I have to be able to pump out of both tanks, a Jet pump could do that, but I would need two Hallmarks, and thus would I need two CSVs? I'm visual so illustrations or pictures work best.

Attached is the top of the cistern with the two 2" pipes, the divider wall is between them.
 

Thanks, Brad

Cary Austin:
Jet pumps work fine with a Cycle Stop Valve.  However, it will be tough to draw from 2 suction lines.  Maybe you could just put a little sump pump in the other cistern and pump water to the cistern with the pump or foot valve when needed?  The Hallmark submersible would also work, but the inexpensive 33 GPM version is a 1HP and would require more battery power to start.  The best pump for running on generators or solar is probably the Grundfos SQ, as it has a 5 second soft start built in.  Something like a 10SQ07-240 would work, and would draw half as much energy as a jet pump or other brand of submersible.

tx2utila:
Thanks, I saw that illustration in a previous post from 2009 and thought that might be what I have to do with the way the cistern was built. The next cistern may be built differently.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Brad

tx2utila:
Hi Cary,

Another question regarding the low yield pump illustration. So with my tank being separated I would use a sump pump to move water from one tank to the other tank which has the Grundfos pump to supply the house. Most sump pumps work opposite of what I'm trying to do which is move water from a full tank to a half full tank. Do you have recommendations on float system and pump that work that way?

Thanks, Brad

Cary Austin:
Leave the pump down float switch on the sump pump, so if it pumps that tank dry it will shut off.  Then loop the wires through another "pump up" float switch in the tank you want to fill.

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