Water pipe extension up hill and little pressure

tullah

Member
Location
Linconshire
I have just run a length of half inch water pipe 300 yards slightly up hill about no more than 30 feet to the top meadow.
Turning on tap at the end and not much pressure. Any suggestions?
 

Turnip

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
How much pressure are you looking for? If it is just for a drinker I wouldn't bother as it will fill up when it fills up, if you are looking to install a car-wash then you need to look at booster pumps.
 

tullah

Member
Location
Linconshire
I've looked on the web but how does a booster pump fit into the system. Do you just put it into the alkathene line?
Does it have to be manually turned on and off? I have no idea how they work .
 

Wisconsonian

Member
Trade
A booster pump will need a pressure switch unless it has one built in. Usually you'll want a small pressure tank, but a built in pressure switch might not need one.

You need to clarify if you have a low pressure situation or a low flow. They go together, but there is a difference. You may have two bar pressure with no flow, but only four liters per minute or less if you open it all the way up. Or you may have less than half bar pressure with no flow, so a little bit more pressure will help.

I'd check into the restriction of the float valve you intend to use, go 3/4 or 1" for the least restriction, and the size of the tank to live with the pressure you have, before going for a booster pump. Also, what is the pressure at the base of the pipeline?
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Flow is a combination of pressure, pipesize, and demand. As the
When there is no demand the pressure across the pipe is constant.
To get flow, you need pressure.
As the flow increases the drag from the pipe increases dropping the pressure at the delivery end.
So your pipe is either too small or the pressure at the source is too small.


But first you must investigate the pressure at the source. If it comes from a large main even if the pressure is low you will still get a good flow.
Then you need to decide how much water you need to your meadow.

You then have three options, if pressure is low then you need a booster pump.
You can change the pipe or possibly put a larger tank in the field so the water can run longer to fill it and supply your stock.
There are on line calculators but if you post your estimated needs then some one here can probably work out your best options.
One thing I would not do is buy a cheap booster pump as they can have a short life
A good booster will be fully automatic but must be protected from frost of course.
 

MGS6930

Member
Location
West of Scotland
It's a supply for tents so needs to be shower and drinking.
The larger pipe will make a difference but maybe not enough to serve showers and taps with a high peak demand.

With it being potable water there are the WRAS regulations to adhere to, as either way between a booster tank set or a header tank you will need to store water for a period of time.

A header tank potable water approved at the highest point will be the cheapest way and as @ShooTa says calculate the storage required and how long it will take to refill. even filling a 25l drum and timing it gives you a start.

However that tank would need to be placed at height to create pressure for outflow so would again slow the filling rate which may make it unviable

Booster tank set wise something similar to the below, a concrete base, electrical supply and a protective shelter would be all that's needed.


Either option would need maintenance / cleaning of the tanks and booster set pump will need periodic servicing.
 

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