Any plumbers here? I need advice

[KoolBak]

Farging contractors.....lol

Like cable / satellite TV workers here: "Oh yes! he'll be there between 6 AM and Midnight!!" Suuuure.......

[PLAYER57832]

Ok here it goes.

I live in a small town where water pressure is not so high, so I have a cistern where the water arrives, and from there a centrifugal pump moves it to the water tank on the roof. Now I've had problems with the pump forever, basically you gotta prime it very often and lately they just die every 6 months. Also I have a pressure problem, and every time I'm in a hotel I realise how great it's to have a lot of pressure for the shower.

So I went into a pumps store and they recommended a submersible pump between the cistern and the water tank and a pressure pump after the water tank. They said a pressure pump for two outlets its ok, since I really only care for pressure in the shower, and there are only 2.

So they arrive tomorrow to the store and I'm picking them up, but, I have on idea of how to install the submersible pump and worse, I have a feeling that it would stop working soon enough and replacing it every year will be a pain in the ass. The cistern is a very old cistern, made of concrete, and the access that was once perhaps 80cmx80cm has been reduced to maybe 50cmx50cm and with the floater and all, I don't think I can fit in to install the pump! So it would be a pain in the ass to install and I want to be sure it's my right solution. So any comments on this?


And on the pressure pump, do I need a tank? Or can I just turn it off (it has two switchs, one on the pump and a remote one) when I'm not taking a shower and everything is ok? Does any of you have one and turn it on and off? Are they noisy? Do I need a bigger one ?

Suspect you have this fixed by now. Sounds like what you need is a compression tank. Folks with wells around here use them. The water gets pumped from the well into this tank, where the pressure builds before the water enters the house water "system" (pipes to the heater, faucets, etc.). The key point is to have this tank at the right height. We installed one at my folks' rental house, but rather that give you incorrect specifics, I would say do an internet search on it.

Another way to approach it would be to raise the tank/cistern as much as possible (even a foot or two can help a lot) and to shrink the size of your pipes. With a low flow shower head (I reccomend ONLY the Europa model. Other low flow offer abysmal power or only a fine mist of water), you should wind up with decent pressure. If you cannot find a Europa, you might be able to do the same thing by physically blocking off part of your shower head so that only a few holes are open. Do it gradually, test on a water hose, so you get the right amount. (you don't want to block too many holes).

[PLAYER57832]

Yeah, there was a contractor finishing a job in another part of the house and since he finished early in the day I asked him if he was free to help me hide the piping inside the floor/walls. He said that he could do it in the afternoon. I was being lazy, I have the tools, maybe not the experience but I could've done it myself.

Well, he showed up after lunch at like 4pm, to tell me that he needed a big ass drill bit and that he was going to get it in that evening and start tomorrow morning (today) and he didn't show up either, maybe he'll show up later? it's a 2 hours job. Anyway, contractors do that here, they will tell you they are free when they have like 3 other jobs waiting and go one day to one and next day to other, but I guess that if he doesn't show up tomorrow I'll do it myself.

I have all the electrical almost finished only to connect it. If I have the time I'm gonna go buy the stuff needed to connect the pressure bust pump later.

OOPs just saw this.. looks like you did finish. Hope it worked out!

[nietzsche]

I just finished installing HALF of the piping for the pressure booster pump. What a pain in the ass, to work with already installed piping, trying to add your stuff. Soldering makes me nervous, specially soldering in tight spaces. I'm not done soldering. I need to move copper piping for propane and another water connection.

And I have to run pvc piping through a tight space between the roof and a series of windows, steel beams. I think I should've called a plumber. I would actually, but EVERY plumber we've hired in the pass in the zone makes a very shoddy work. If I want the job well done I have to bring a plumber from the city, 60kms from here, and it's a pita to get them here. You have to pay WELL.

Oh, and the contractor, he has come 3 times to say "tomorrow I'll come" or "in the afternoon I'll be here". He MIGHT come tomorrow, good thing I didn't disconnect the old failing pump, otherwise we'd be without water by now.

If you are building a house, or remodeling, I strongly recommend you to think all you'll need in the future and have it installed it right then. I don't like credit but that's a good use. Seriously, adding stuff as time passes gets more difficult every time.

[Phatscotty]

I will plunge the shit out of it

[nietzsche]

QUICK UPDATE:

MAN the pressure in my shower is GREAT!! I had to close it a little bit because it was actually hurting me!! And I'm no doll, I'm pretty much like the guy above..

I will be finally able to install one of those massage shower heads

One problem tho, the water heater has a exhaust (if that's the correct word) pipe and with the new pressure the water goes flying, even tho it has like 2 meters of pipe up. I don't know if I can just close this thing or if I need to do something else..

I will ask tomorrow but if anyone knows if that thing is really necessary please let me know.

[nietzsche]

I just finished installing the piping for the pressure booster pump, and the contractor hasn't showed up lol.

I checked online and the gas water heaters don't need that pipe extension, so I closed it. I soldered copper to copper quite easily for that and realized it must be that brass to copper isn't the same, did a little research online and bingo, found the trick for soldering copper to brass, and then everything was easy.

I need make some electrical wiring to put the special switch of the pressure booster pump right where I want it, that I'll do tomorrow.

I'm very happy with the water pressure!

[Symmetry]

I just finished installing the piping for the pressure booster pump, and the contractor hasn't showed up lol.

I checked online and the gas water heaters don't need that pipe extension, so I closed it. I soldered copper to copper quite easily for that and realized it must be that brass to copper isn't the same, did a little research online and bingo, found the trick for soldering copper to brass, and then everything was easy.

I need make some electrical wiring to put the special switch of the pressure booster pump right where I want it, that I'll do tomorrow.

I'm very happy with the water pressure!

Woah- get an expert in for electrics where water is involved if you don't have experience. Plumbing most people can learn, electrician basics, you can do yourself. Plumbing plus electrics- get an electrician. It's the only area I don't mess with. It's also the area a lot of house builders botch cos the plumber and electrician don't talk to each other.

Basically, if you're going to pay out, pay out on that.

[army of nobunaga]

Ok here it goes.

I live in a small town where water pressure is not so high, so I have a cistern where the water arrives, and from there a centrifugal pump moves it to the water tank on the roof. Now I've had problems with the pump forever, basically you gotta prime it very often and lately they just die every 6 months. Also I have a pressure problem, and every time I'm in a hotel I realise how great it's to have a lot of pressure for the shower.

So I went into a pumps store and they recommended a submersible pump between the cistern and the water tank and a pressure pump after the water tank. They said a pressure pump for two outlets its ok, since I really only care for pressure in the shower, and there are only 2.

So they arrive tomorrow to the store and I'm picking them up, but, I have on idea of how to install the submersible pump and worse, I have a feeling that it would stop working soon enough and replacing it every year will be a pain in the ass. The cistern is a very old cistern, made of concrete, and the access that was once perhaps 80cmx80cm has been reduced to maybe 50cmx50cm and with the floater and all, I don't think I can fit in to install the pump! So it would be a pain in the ass to install and I want to be sure it's my right solution. So any comments on this?


And on the pressure pump, do I need a tank? Or can I just turn it off (it has two switchs, one on the pump and a remote one) when I'm not taking a shower and everything is ok? Does any of you have one and turn it on and off? Are they noisy? Do I need a bigger one ?

I had to do this same thing on my house in mexico.. Instructions are included man.

I have a large ass cistern on my house there though so I had a few technical issues.

[saxitoxin]

MAN the pressure in my shower is GREAT!! I

POST SOME PICS!!!!!

[Haggis_McMutton]

Did someone ask for a plumber?

[nietzsche]

I just finished installing the piping for the pressure booster pump, and the contractor hasn't showed up lol.

I checked online and the gas water heaters don't need that pipe extension, so I closed it. I soldered copper to copper quite easily for that and realized it must be that brass to copper isn't the same, did a little research online and bingo, found the trick for soldering copper to brass, and then everything was easy.

I need make some electrical wiring to put the special switch of the pressure booster pump right where I want it, that I'll do tomorrow.

I'm very happy with the water pressure!

Woah- get an expert in for electrics where water is involved if you don't have experience. Plumbing most people can learn, electrician basics, you can do yourself. Plumbing plus electrics- get an electrician. It's the only area I don't mess with. It's also the area a lot of house builders botch cos the plumber and electrician don't talk to each other.

Basically, if you're going to pay out, pay out on that.

Nah, I've been making my electric wiring since I was 15. My high school was a combination of high school + mechanical electrical technician.

It's just basic wiring, I'm extending the control the of the pump, it has a double connection because the control has wiring to a special valve and to the motor in the pump.

Basic electric wiring is very easy, the complicated matter is doing it pretty-- that takes a lot of effort.

[nietzsche]

MAN the pressure in my shower is GREAT!! I

POST SOME PICS!!!!!

I shower on cutt-offs, I'm a never nude.

[Symmetry]

I just finished installing the piping for the pressure booster pump, and the contractor hasn't showed up lol.

I checked online and the gas water heaters don't need that pipe extension, so I closed it. I soldered copper to copper quite easily for that and realized it must be that brass to copper isn't the same, did a little research online and bingo, found the trick for soldering copper to brass, and then everything was easy.

I need make some electrical wiring to put the special switch of the pressure booster pump right where I want it, that I'll do tomorrow.

I'm very happy with the water pressure!

Woah- get an expert in for electrics where water is involved if you don't have experience. Plumbing most people can learn, electrician basics, you can do yourself. Plumbing plus electrics- get an electrician. It's the only area I don't mess with. It's also the area a lot of house builders botch cos the plumber and electrician don't talk to each other.

Basically, if you're going to pay out, pay out on that.

Nah, I've been making my electric wiring since I was 15. My high school was a combination of high school + mechanical electrical technician.

It's just basic wiring, I'm extending the control the of the pump, it has a double connection because the control has wiring to a special valve and to the motor in the pump.

Basic electric wiring is very easy, the complicated matter is doing it pretty-- that takes a lot of effort.

Cool- I'm pretty decent with wiring myself, and I taught myself basic plumbing (repair and maintenance), just get worried if people mix the two and don't now the electrical basics. Sorry for the weird panic.

[nietzsche]

Almost finished, only some details left, but everything is working perfectly as planned. I will post pictures soon.

[nietzsche]

I just finished with the electrical details of this project. I extended the location of the little control the pressure booster pump has.

I'm very tired, but most of it out of frustration: the thing is, I lent the contractor my hammer drill because he's is broken, and since mine is new, I haven't buoght it all the bits that needs, these bits are a bit expensive because the use a sds plus system and I'm waiting to buy them cheaper in the states, so I just bought an adapter for regular bits, and the stupid f*ck broke the adapter.

So I had to do the holes in the cement wall for the electric pipes and all with my all black and decker 30 dls drill. And I was angry at the contractor, who btw made the way for me to fit the pipes but hasn't come to cover it.

Anyway, the system is working flawlessly, very good decision.

I promise pictures. SOON.

[KoolBak]

Kick that contractors ass! Get some money or take some of his freaking shit

And why do you shower in clothes? I remember when I was a kid, there was a member of the Mexican Olympic team that was having my sister train his horse...he was really cool and ended up staying with us for a while....I remember he showered in his clothes to wash them AND him at the same time Amazed all of us....lol

Congrats on the water pressure!

[nietzsche]

Kick that contractors ass! Get some money or take some of his freaking shit

And why do you shower in clothes? I remember when I was a kid, there was a member of the Mexican Olympic team that was having my sister train his horse...he was really cool and ended up staying with us for a while....I remember he showered in his clothes to wash them AND him at the same time Amazed all of us....lol

Congrats on the water pressure!

I wish I could say something to the contractor, but he's a neighbor and his wife is a good customer. The adapter isn't worth much, probably 20 dls, what it's a pita is the fact that I have to drive 120kms to buy a new one. Anyway, good pretext to finally cross the river again.

The shower in clothes thing is a joke, from Arrested Development. And the belts are still in SF! lol, I will call them later or tomorrow morning.

[KoolBak]

Damn.....I left several messages and have heard nothing ;o(

edit....i am on hold with them right now

OK - the package is NOT in San Fran...thats the last continental US scanning point and after that its apparently a crap shoot as to if / when the data is updated....so....it IS on its way to you.....lol

On a side note; the box I sent to Chile (around the same date as yours) has already arrived as have several to Canada....maybe the federalis dinna like the extra surprise I put in there for you

[nietzsche]

I have pictures now.

But I will not post them until thegreekdog delivers the greekies!!!!!!!!!!!!!