Location of water pressure switch?

solarvic
solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
in Solar Water Pumping #1
Will this work? My water pressure tank is in my crawl space with the usual plumbing outlet on tank that has the pipe to mount the pressure on off switch. I want to relocate the pressure switch up under my sink or in the utility room so I can wire up a battery powered inverter dedicated to the pump. The switch presently is mounted on a short pc. of threaded copper pipe. I am thinking of either running stainless steel braided line used on ice makers or soft copper line to the switch upstairs. I can get a 25 ft. length of the stainless line for $22.99 shipped off ebay. Do you think the switch would work acuratly with a setup like this? It is getting harder to crawl on my hands and knees in the crawlspace. :Dsolarvic:D PS I am an old fart
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    it might work, well it should, ... My switch is mounted just where the underground pipe (Poly) joins with the 3/4 inch copper. as soon as you turn o the tap the pressure will drop so it might kick in a bit soon but not too much ahead of the need...
     
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    Why don't you just put tee in the supply line to the sink (or anywhere else in the line!). The long and short of it is, in general, think of your plumbing as a balloon. The pressure is equal everywhere (or nearly so) throughout the system. So installing a P gauge or P switch anywhere will result in the same net effect (nearly) no matter where you put it.

    Installing a tee for a P switch is quite easy, especially if you know of "shark bite" fittings. No threading, no sweating required.

    Tony
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    Why move the switch at all? Run wires: it's easier and they don't leak.

    A pressure switch located near a tap instead of at the tank runs the same cycling risk of one on a pump: if there's too much distance between the switch and the PT it will get false pressure readings and turn on/off when it's not supposed to.

    If you're talking about putting in an additional switch to control the inverter (direct wired to the pump for back-up I assume) that's another matter.
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Why move the switch at all? Run wires: it's easier and they don't leak.

    A pressure switch located near a tap instead of at the tank runs the same cycling risk of one on a pump: if there's too much distance between the switch and the PT it will get false pressure readings and turn on/off when it's not supposed to.

    Coot you hit the nail on the head. Just like measuring battery voltage at the end of long wires feeding a load, the reading will be correct only when there is no current flow. As soon as there is a good flow, the pressure drops and on goes the pump, in spite of the tank still being well above the kick in pressure of the pump. For best results, definitely run a dedicated line from the tank to the pressure switch.
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    Good point!

    As an amendment , the P switch should be locate far enought away from a tap that is used often, as it will, as has been stated, be subjected to pressure drop as the tap is opened.

    T
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  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    There is 4 reasons why I want to relocate the switch. #!. I am going on 68 years with arthritis that makes it difficult to crawl around in my crawl space on hands and knees. So I hope to only need to go down there maybe 2 times a year to change the waterfilter.
    #2 At certain times a year it sweats down there and the contacts carrode. #3 I want to wire up an unused SW 4024 inverter I have just to run the pump.with search mode.I know I could run the wire down to basement to do that but I do have enough extra pump wire to come up to my main floor to a pressure switch. I also want to put indicator loghts on L! and L2 so I know my pump is running on 240 v. Now some times I think it is running on 120 as the pressure is lower than it should be. On my previous old mobile home I had the pressure switch in the furnace compartment where the water connected to the main waterline and the storage tank was buryed. I learned the hard way that buryed tank isn,t the answer. #4 It is time for a new pressure switch as I have cleaned the contacts a couple times and figured this would be the time to do it. Even if I don,t connect the inverter I would have the switch in a better dryer inviroment. Solarvic
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    Just a heads up on the way I did have my water pump hooked up to an MSW inverter. It worked perfectly! (But now I use the Zantrex 1800/12 on power save because of other loads that come and go anyway.) I used one set of contacts to interrupt the AC to the pump motor, just in case, and the other set of contacts I used to turn the inverter on and off as needed by the pump. Couldn't have worked any better!
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    Yeah I find crawling around down there no fun too. :blush:

    In that case I'd suggest running a dedicated line up from near the tank to where you want the switch. Use PEX and fittings appropriate. Simple and cheap and the pressure on the switch will not be incorrecty affected by open taps.
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Yeah I find crawling around down there no fun too. :blush:

    In that case I'd suggest running a dedicated line up from near the tank to where you want the switch. Use PEX and fittings appropriate. Simple and cheap and the pressure on the switch will not be incorrectly affected by open taps.
    Exactly! Well said and it will work perfectly!
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  • CDN_VT
    CDN_VT Solar Expert Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    My 1.5 sense
    The feed to the pressure switch now (if like mine is 1/4 NPT brass pipe,took a pix & posted).

    The stuff I would take into consideration , the pipe size would need to be larger for the longer run of 25 feet , so right now it has a small distance & hole, for protection of the system , I would increase it to the next size in the distance you want to run , say 3/8 stainless braided. stainless steel braided line used on ice makers can be very small , causing incorrect readings . Next is a way to bleed out the air , you need it to feel the pressure tank without having a air cushion in-between.
    As for the Pluming regs , Not the way the book says .

    I like Waynes & coots ideas , and buy a better pressure switch , one for wet locations ..

    VT
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?

    Yes; don't try to run 25' of 1/4" line to the switch. Use standard 1/2" PEX and make sure you have a bleed valve just as CDN_VT suggests.
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: Location of water pressure switch?
    CDN_VT wrote: »

    The stuff I would take into consideration , the pipe size would need to be larger for the longer run of 25 feet , so right now it has a small distance & hole, for protection of the system , I would increase it to the next size in the distance you want to run , say 3/8 stainless braided. stainless steel braided line used on ice makers can be very small , causing incorrect readings . Next is a way to bleed out the air , you need it to feel the pressure tank without having a air cushion in-between.VT

    Larger line size not needed as there is no flow, therefore no flow resistance / pressure losses. That said, 1/2 inch PEX pipe is cheap and easy.
    No need to bleed out the air. As the pump brings the pressure up in the tank, that same static pressure will appear at the switch, which only senses pressure, it matters not if it's air or water pressure it's sensing. The air pressure over the pressurized water in the sealed line is identical to the water pressure. No need to complicate the situation with extra valves.
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  • cathytn
    cathytn Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭
    #14
    Hi
    I just joined here and you guys are great at details. Yall beat the crap out of youtube videos! I'm 63yrs old , I haven't done a lot of plumbing or electrical work. However I learned quite a bit being a go-for for my husband for 25yrs. He was a great fixer of anything but a bad teacher. He would say " I can do this just don't ask me how". Anyway, my water pump froze and busted plus pipe damage during some single degree weather.  It has taken me two weeks to change out everything some of it by trial and error but I got it. This is a great sight with good ppl who are helpful not impatient know- it-alls. Wish I had found it sooner. Thanks for rhe time you all take to help folks with these important issues. YOU ARE APPRECIATED!
    CATHY
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