Okay, so, I started this whole project because, you know, the water pressure at our place was just all over the place. One minute you’re enjoying a nice hot shower, the next it’s down to a trickle. And with four of us in the house, someone’s always showering, washing clothes, or doing dishes. It was getting pretty annoying, to be honest. So, I figured it was time to look into our well pressure tank.
First thing I did was try to get a handle on what we actually needed. I mean, I knew we needed a new tank, but what size? I saw some stuff online about using two 5-gallon buckets and a garden hose to measure the flow rate. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, let me tell you, it was a bit of a mess. I got the kids involved, thinking it would be a fun little experiment. Picture this: me, two kids, two buckets, and a garden hose, all tangled up in the backyard. Water went everywhere, but, hey, we got it done. We filled those buckets up in a minute, which gave me a rough idea of our water usage.
After that whole water escapade, I started digging deeper into the whole pressure tank thing. I learned that these tanks keep the water pressure steady and stop the pump from cycling on and off too much, which is a good thing. It’s supposed to make the pump last longer. There’re all these different sizes – 20, 30, 50, 85, even 120 gallons. How’s a guy supposed to choose? I read somewhere that for a family of our size, something between 20 to 44 gallons is usually enough. But, I wanted to be sure, so I kept on researching. I found that a lot of experts recommend a larger tank to improve the efficiency of your well system.
- Did the bucket test with the kids.
- Learned about pressure tanks and their sizes.
- Read that 20-44 gallons is generally okay for a family of four.
Then came the part where I had to actually measure the pressure. I found out that well pressure tanks are usually pre-charged to 2 PSI below the pump’s cut-in pressure. I had no clue what that meant at first. But basically, it’s the pressure at which your pump turns on. So, I grabbed my trusty pressure gauge – yeah, I actually have one of those – and checked the pressure in our current tank. It was a bit low, which explained a lot about our water pressure issues.
Making the Decision
After all that, I decided to go with a 44-gallon tank. It seemed like the right balance between size and efficiency. I figured it was better to go a bit bigger than necessary, just to make sure we had enough water and to give our pump an easier time.
Installing it was another adventure. I’m pretty handy, but plumbing isn’t exactly my forte. But, with a little help from some online tutorials and a couple of trips to the hardware store, I managed to get it installed. And let me tell you, the difference was immediate. No more sudden drops in water pressure, even when the washing machine’s going and someone’s taking a shower. It’s like a whole new world.
So, that’s my story about figuring out the right size pressure tank for our home. It was a bit of a learning curve, but totally worth it. Now, we’ve got steady water pressure, and the pump isn’t working overtime. If you’re dealing with water pressure issues, definitely look into your pressure tank. It might just be the solution you’re looking for!
