Water supply for a single family home
Water supply for a single family home
(OP)
Can anyone tell me what the standard design flow rate for a single family home on a well is? Need to size the line from the well to the house. House will be 157 feet higher than the top of the well casing and approx. 250 feet of pipe length.





RE: Water supply for a single family home
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You'll lose 70 psi just from the elevation difference. Probably a few more psi to the upstairs shower.
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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: Water supply for a single family home
RE: Water supply for a single family home
RE: Water supply for a single family home
RE: Water supply for a single family home
The pump is going to be on a vfd.
Thanks again.
RE: Water supply for a single family home
Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com
RE: Water supply for a single family home
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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: Water supply for a single family home
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Otherwise you won't be happy, because the VFD will not save any energy as you have probably been promised. What would be important for me on my house supply, is a dependable system with adequate pressure tank storage. I don't think VFD's can even make use of a pressure tank.
RE: Water supply for a single family home
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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: Water supply for a single family home
RE: Water supply for a single family home
Saving money on this project is not even remotely on the radar. The foundation alone for the 1600 sf house built next door to our proposed guest house (which is owned by the same owner) cost $500k. Trams and a lot of hand work is all we can use. The garage is down below and you have to ride a tram to the house. For this guest house, there will be a total of 3 trams. Two to get to the house and one to get down to Lake Michigan. The top floor of the guest house will have a water storage tank that will feed a fire suppression system because the fire department said your pretty much on your own.
I really appreciate the input on this and am digging into the various links and ideas.
RE: Water supply for a single family home
I agree that saving money would not be a reason to install a VFD.
Regarding static head on start-up. If your well is deep, the well water will drain back down the well on pump shutoff. Deep well pumps have internal check valves that allow the water to drain back down. So the static pressure will not be large on start-up. You are not starting against system pressure.
The VFD is beneficial if the water level in the well will vary. With a fixed speed pump, the discharge pressure will change as the water level in the well varies.
You probably should buy a VFD with bypass. The bypass feature allows you to run the VFD at 100% capacity and will mimic the operation of a fixed speed pump.
RE: Water supply for a single family home
RE: Water supply for a single family home
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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: Water supply for a single family home
My original question was regarding the required flow rates for a single family home but the more everyone is weighing in on this and expanding the post, I felt you all needed to be made more clear on the situation.
The pressures and such are not new to this area. The more common well depths are between 100 and 200 feet and sometimes even higher. So sustaining pressures with static heads of more than 200 feet is not uncommon. We will have a 50' deep well serving a building that is 170 feet above the top of casing. Its more in creating an adequate water distribution system that services both the main house and the guest house and providing a consistent pressure that can easily be managed. That is the reason for the VFD in this situation. Secondly, a $200 PRV sure beats putting in two separate wells.
RE: Water supply for a single family home
My thoughts on a tank are that the VFD is holding a steady 130 PSI, so how can the tank deliver any water? I have found that even with a tank on line, a VFD pump has to start when even the slightest amount of water has been used.
"Regarding static head on start-up. If your well is deep, the well water will drain back down the well on pump shutoff. Deep well pumps have internal check valves that allow the water to drain back down. So the static pressure will not be large on start-up. You are not starting against system pressure." bimr
Starting against system pressure or a closed valve is the best way to start a pump. Starting with no head against the pump will cause upthrust on the pump and overload the motor, which is not a good thing.
"The VFD is beneficial if the water level in the well will vary. With a fixed speed pump, the discharge pressure will change as the water level in the well varies." bimr
With only a 50' setting, the water level won't vary enough to make any difference.
"You probably should buy a VFD with bypass. The bypass feature allows you to run the VFD at 100% capacity and will mimic the operation of a fixed speed pump. " bimr
I would also recommend a bypass. Especially in such a remote location. You will still need a pressure tank to run the pump on bypass. Just doesn't sound like a good application for a VFD. Of course I have just been bitten by a similar application of a VFD, so I am gun shy.