How to choose a pumping station for your home and summer house

A domestic pumping station is equipment for automated water supply to a private house. It can supply water from any source: well, borehole, central water supply or river. The advantage of installing such a device is a constant pressure in the water system, which allows you to connect any household appliances.

Pumping stations for water supply to a private house or dacha consists of:

• pump;
• hydroaccumulator;
• control and automation group.

For its performance, a guaranteed power supply is required. The installation itself is autonomous and does not require intervention: water is supplied with constant pressure – there is a difference, but it is small and the technique, and even more so consumers are not felt.

Pumping stations for water supply of a private house: the principle of operation

In modern pumping stations for water supply are installed hydroaccumulators, which are cylindrical-shaped container, divided into two parts by an elastic membrane. One part of the tank is factory filled with gas. A certain pressure is created in this chamber.

When the pump is switched on, water enters the second part of the accumulator. The tank gradually fills, the membrane stretches, compressing the gas in the second part even more. In this way, pressure is created in the water supply system of a private house (dacha). Its value is controlled by pressure switch sensors. When the threshold value is reached (about 2-4 atm), the sensors give a command to shut down the pump. As long as the taps in the system are not open, the pressure is stable, the pump no longer works.

Somewhere a faucet is opened. Water flows into it from the hydroaccumulator, in which the pressure drops little by little as the flow rate increases. When the lower threshold is reached, a second sensor is triggered, which gives a command to start the pump, water starts flowing again, equalizing the pressure. After the faucet is closed, the pump runs for some more time and then switches off.

In this way, a stable pressure is maintained in the system. This means that you can use any appliances in the house – and washing machine, dishwasher and water heater. If desired, you can organize automated watering of the plot or lawn.

Types and kinds, peculiarities of connection

The main working part of this equipment is the pump. It is his type that determines their main technical characteristics. About the pumps and will be discussed.

Surface and submersible

Most of the stations supplied from the factories in assembled form are equipped with surface pumps. They are installed on one frame with a hydroaccumulator and a control group. A pipeline is connected to the pump, which is lowered into the source – well, borehole, etc. This option is good in that it can be used in narrow wells – the diameter of the pipe can be from 32 mm, which is normal even for the narrowest well. But such systems can raise water from a depth of about 7-10 meters.

When installing such equipment at the end of the supply pipe, immersed in water, necessarily install a filter and a check valve. The filter (mesh) is mandatory, since pumps are demanding to water quality, and the check valve does not allow water to drain while there is no pumping. Without these two parts, the system works inefficiently.

If the well is deep, a submersible pump or a unit with a remote ejector is required. In this case, the ejector is lowered into the well or well, two hoses are connected to it. The rest of the equipment stands on the surface. With such a system, water can rise from a depth of 40-45 meters.

The disadvantage of this system is that it does not like the presence of air in the pipes (hoses), because of which the launch of the system is a troublesome and responsible event.

Quiet and noisy

The internal construction of the pumps also differs. From their structure depends on the level of noise during operation.

• Vortex. The suction force is created due to the blades inside the casing. These pumping stations of water supply for the house are silent or very quiet, but they can only lift water from a small depth. They can and should be put in residential houses: they do not like temperature changes very much, and when they freeze, they fail.
• Centrifugal pumps make a lot of noise when working, but pump water from a decent depth and can work at different temperatures, so they can be installed in specially equipped pits.

How to conduct water from a well or borehole into the house, read here.

Rules for installing a pumping station

For the work of the pumping station is mandatory power supply. And this is one of the main criteria when choosing the place of installation: you need to either put the station where there is power supply, or pull the line to where the station stands. But there are a number of other factors to consider:

• You need to put the equipment taking into account the distance to which water can be supplied.
• If it is planned to use the system in winter, the room where the equipment is installed should be warm – the stations do not tolerate frost. At the same time, it should have good ventilation, so that condensation does not accumulate.
• If the pump is very noisy, and it is more convenient to install it in the house or near it, it should be enclosed in a soundproof box.

Sometimes the best solution is the construction of a caisson – a small room, which is arranged at a depth of about 2.5 meters. If the water intake comes from a well, the casing pipe is cut just above the bottom of the caisson. A pump is immersed in the well, which supplies water to the hydroaccumulator.

The equipment is installed below the depth of ground freezing, which prevents it from freezing: a plus temperature is kept inside. It is convenient then and lay pipes below the freezing depth, and lead them out already under the house, in a warm non-freezing zone and supply water to the comb.

If for a house device caisson – justified expenses, then for a cottage – hardly. Then make a simplified version – build a small box or make a pit and there put the equipment for the spring-summer period, for the winter taking it into a heated room.

About the device of water piping in the dacha is written in the article “How to make a water pipeline in the dacha: choose pipes, scheme, method of laying”

How to choose a pumping station for the house

In addition to the types of pumps choosing pumping stations for water supply to private homes you need to pay attention to a number of parameters:

• Distance from the place of water intake to the installation of the pump. Determines how close the equipment should be located to the water source.
• The height of water elevation – at what distance relative to the place of water intake it can be supplied. Note that long horizontal runs must also be considered.
• Capacity is the amount of water that can be delivered per unit of time. To calculate this parameter, you can use the average flow rates depending on the type of consumer (see table).

  

• The volume of the accumulator. The larger its size, the more water you will have in reserve in case of power failure. But this is not the most important point. It is much more important that with large volumes less often turns on the pump, which means a longer life of its operation. But the hydroaccumulator – an expensive thing and the bigger it is, the more expensive. Please note: similar in structure expansion tanks, although they cost less, you can not buy. They are not adapted for water (they are used to stabilize the pressure in gas pipelines) and quickly break down, in addition, the water becomes unsuitable for drinking (there is an unpleasant smell and taste).

When choosing a model, it is worth paying attention to additional functions. A useful option – protection from overheating and from idling (when there is no water). They prolong the life of the equipment.

You can also choose the pump casing. It is made of steel, stainless steel, cast iron, high-density polypropylene. Polypropylene is the most inexpensive. It does not rust, does not transmit noises during operation. But although it is high density, it is plastic, and with careless handling (during transportation, for example) it can be damaged. The second most expensive – steel, but when using a centrifugal pump, the casing transmits noise, and sometimes also resonates. So such pumps work loudly. Similar, installed in cast iron works quieter. But with acidic water, cast iron quickly rusts, which is not pleasing: iron and so usually in the water overabundance. The most optimal in terms of durability – the case of stainless steel, but they are the most expensive.

About purification of water from a well or borehole read here.

What to do if there is no station with the required characteristics? Assemble it yourself. All the required parts are available on sale, connects everything with the help of conventional fittings. How – see in the video below. A self-assembled pumping station is cheaper than a complete one, and you’ll find it easier to repair: you’ve connected everything yourself.

Popular brands

The most popular today are pumping stations of water supply for private homesJileks Jambo. They have low prices, the quality is not bad. Produced with pumps made of cast iron (letter “Ch” in the marking), polypropylene (stands “P”), and stainless steel (“H”). There are also numbers in the marking: “Jumbo 70/50 P – 24. It is decoded as follows: 70/50 – the maximum water flow rate of 70 liters per minute (productivity), head – 50 meters, P – body made of polypropylene, and the number 24 – the volume of the hydroaccumulator.

The price of a pumping station for water supply to the house Jileks starts from 100$ (mini versions with a small capacity and for a small flow rate in a polypropylene housing). The most expensive unit with a stainless steel housing costs about 350$. There are still options with a borehole submersible pump. They can lift water from a depth of up to 30 meters, the flow rate is up to 1100 liters per hour. Such installations cost from 450-500$.

Jileks pumping stations have requirements for installation: the diameter of the suction pipe should not be less than the diameter of the inlet. If the water rises from a depth of more than 4 meters and the distance from the source of water to the house is more than 20 meters, the diameter of the pipe lowered from the well or borehole should be larger than the diameter of the inlet. This should be taken into account when installing the system and tying the pumping station.

Reviews of JILEX DZHILEX DZHAMBO 60/35P-24 (in a plastic case, the cost of 130$) you can see in the photo below. This is part of the impressions left by owners on the selling site.

Grundfos (Grundfos) pumping stations work well when supplying water to the house. Their body is made of chrome-plated steel, hydroaccumulators for 24 and 50 liters. They work quietly and reliably, provide stable pressure in the system. The only drawback: the Russian market is not supplied with spare parts. If, suddenly, something broke, you will not find “native” elements. But it must be said that the units do not break down very often.

Prices for pumping stations with surface pumps start from $250 (power 0.85 kW, suction depth up to 8 m, capacity up to 3600 liters / hour, height 47 m). A more productive unit (4500 liters / hour with more power 1,5kW) of the same class costs twice as much – about $ 500. Reviews are presented in the format of a photo, which is taken on the site of one of the stores.

Series of Grundfos pumping stations with pump housings made of stainless steel has a higher cost, but they also have protection against idling, overheating, cooling – water. Prices for these units – from 450$. Modifications with well pumps are even more expensive – from $ 1200.

Not badly recommended pumping stations of water supply for the house Wilo (Wilo). This is a more serious technique to ensure a large flow rate: each station can stand up to four normally suction pumps. The casing is made of galvanized steel, the connections are made of stainless steel. Control – programmable processor, touch screen control panel. Pump capacity is smoothly regulated, which allows to ensure stable pressure in the system. The equipment is solid, but the prices too – about 1000-1300$.

How to make an autonomous water supply in the house connected to the centralized water supply, with poor pressure or provide yourself on a permanent basis with hourly water supply, see the following video. And all this with the help of a pumping station and a water storage tank.