Pump Pressure Tank Sizing

The more a pump must run the more wear and tear occurs to the pumping mechanism and the electric motor.

Pump pressure tank sizing.

Join john woodard our master water specialist. A pressure tank is an integral part of maintaining your well. Sizing a water pressure tank properly keeps the amount of run time to the water pump held to a minimum. Tank drawdown capacity is the minimum amount of water stored and or delivered by the pressure tank between pump shut off and pump re start.

An under sized pressure tank can cause a water pump to run an excessively. A 20 gpm pump needs a tank with 20 to 40 gallons of storage. This should not be confused with tank volume for example a pre charged tank with a tank volume of 20 gallons has only five to seven gallons drawdown capacity depending on the cut in cut out on. Pressurized well tanks extend the lifespan of your well pump by preventing rapid on off cycling of the pump and maintaining water pressure throughout your home.

Because the pressure tank is a core component of the entire well system responsible for regulating pressure and for easing the workload of the well pump the importance of selecting a the right well pressure tank cannot be overemphasized. Properly sizing a water pressure tank ensures that the run time on the water pump is kept at a minimum. A properly sized pressure tank ensures your household water needs are met and your pump is protected against short cycling. Old pressure tank sizing method in the past pressure tanks were sized to store at least 1 or 2 gallons of water for every gallon per minute the pump can produce.

A larger pressure tank can often be a good way to extend the life of your pump and electric motor provided that you have enough space to accommodate a larger tank and where the flooring can hold the additional weight. Selecting a poorly made pressure tank may result in more troubleshooting scenarios than necessary. A 10 gpm pump needed a pressure tank that holds 10 or 20 gallons. If you re installing a new water pressure tank or replacing an old one you can determine the size for optimum water pressure and pump performance using online calculators.