Well pump discharge faucet...

[Junto]

I'm in the process of doing my due-diligence on a property that has a well pump. The current owner tied into the discharge line of the pump with a tee and a standard gate-valve hose-bib-type faucet to attach a garden hose which leads to a watering trough for his horses. I don't recall seeing any other fittings in the line upstream or downstream of this tee/faucet. I didn't think much about it at the time, but is this legal? I am assuming the static pressure in this discharge line will ride on whatever the pressure control switch setting is at the accumulator/pressure tank.

Is the following scenario likely? If there is a large demand downstream and the faucet is cracked slightly, wouldn't the pressure difference or venturi-effect suck potential contaminants into the line. I did not see any kind of backflow preventer in this section of line. The water hose was simply laying in the trough.

Any insights would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Rick

 

[JoeD]

It can't suck into the line if it is under pressure.
You could put an anti siphon on the faucet to be sure.

 

[Junto]

It can't suck into the line if it is under pressure.
You could put an anti siphon on the faucet to be sure.

View attachment 25489

Agreed. Good point, but no anti-siphon installed. Most likely there is a check-valve in the line upstream of the tank to keep the line pressure to the well high enough to avoid the siphon.
Thanks.

 

[SARG]

Difficult to imagine why there would be a check valve upstream of a pressure tank.

 

[Junto]

Difficult to imagine why there would be a check valve upstream of a pressure tank.

This issue regarding check valves opens up another world about which I know nothing. Apparently there have been long discussions about the use of check valves upstream of the pressure tanks. I don't want to create a tangent to my original post, but rather, will offer the following to those who wish to continue learning about this, yours truly included.

Submersible Pumps and multiple check valves?

In the June issue of "Well Driller" magazine, there was an article that discusses the proper use of multiple check valves in a well. Having heard Speedbump's reasoning for using NO check valves in the well, I'm left quite curious as to what standard practice is in the industry. The...

terrylove.com

 

[SARG]

I actually have Mr. Austin's article saved in my computer from when was researching his CSVs.
It was the primary reason I removed the above ground check valve in my submersible pump system. My confusion comes from the "upstream" usage and the fact upstream is the "source of flow". I always get it backward.

 

[Junto]

Excellent narrative regarding CSVs at Basic Operation of a Cycle Stop Valve – Cycle Stop Valves, Inc

 

[Eddie_T]

It would all depend upon the flow at the juncture where the bib faucet is. Since water cannot be compressed if there were to be a venturi effect at the juncture it could draw water from the trough. It would make for an interesting experiment, one could just remove the hose from the trough, crack the faucet, create the high demand and watch the trickle from the hose to see if it shows reduced flow or stops flowing.

 

[BuzzLOL]

After reading the description, the Cycle Stop Valve isn't anything I would want... at least, not if installed where they said to install it...

 

[SARG]

The CSV works fine for me ....... No regrets at all.

 

[Forlorn]

If you have issues with the plumbing system in your home, hire a qualified plumber. Some many different companies and plumbers specialize in solving plumbing problems. Your plumber will go over all of the issues and develop a plan that will get the job done quickly and effectively. Ensure the company you choose has experience working with people with disabilities and is very careful about the workers they choose. That's why I always work with the guys from plumbersingapore.org. They always resolved the problems very qualitatively in time.