I was going to add that these are 3500 peso devices. That said, when you are a lower income Dominican and faced with a choice of a 1/2 case of rum, Presidente or a pump, I think we all know where the priorities lay!
- Thread starter JD Jones
- Start date
For "What it's worth" department
I agree they are definitely not using it to take out that wife for Mother's Day they leave that to the Gringo take their wife out dinner
Like you pointed out, most Dominicans use the ladronas to suck water out of the main line when the pressure is very low(which is almost always) and/or to pump water from the cistern to the tinaco.
An update on this little pump. Last month the automatic sensors stopped working. removed them and cleaned them up and still not working. I wired it with the sensor bypassed and the pump worked but it had to be turned on and off manually meaning the if you shut the tap it would continue to pump. I always shut it off quickly but others didnt. It started to get noisy and now it is unbearable and pumping very slowly.
I just finished installing a new setup with a local pump and a expansion tank from temu as well as a pressure switch. Easy peasy except for the cement I was using was about a year old and just about every joint leaked. The blue cement didnt get hard. I had to buy a better quality purple cement and just pulled apart all the joints cleaned and dried them and applied the new stuff. Never had that problem my whole life.
So to summarize the pump JD is talking about is good but won't last long. Mine was suppling only the bathroom, never ran dry and still went kaput.
The first foto shows the original pump setup the second shows my new setup. Hope it lasts
I just finished installing a new setup with a local pump and a expansion tank from temu as well as a pressure switch. Easy peasy except for the cement I was using was about a year old and just about every joint leaked. The blue cement didnt get hard. I had to buy a better quality purple cement and just pulled apart all the joints cleaned and dried them and applied the new stuff. Never had that problem my whole life.
So to summarize the pump JD is talking about is good but won't last long. Mine was suppling only the bathroom, never ran dry and still went kaput.
The first foto shows the original pump setup the second shows my new setup. Hope it lasts
Attachments
Knock on wood - both of mine are doing well but they probably don't get the same use as yours did.
Also, there are dozens of different brands and models of pumps. You may have gotten one that was not the same quality.
I have a couple of small ladronas that worked well; the pressure switch was the PITA.
Also, there are dozens of different brands and models of pumps. You may have gotten one that was not the same quality.
I have a couple of small ladronas that worked well; the pressure switch was the PITA.
Rogerjac’s new setup is basically a mini version of a main ladrona setup. These type of pumps normally last long.
The problems I have witnessed with pressure switches is mostly wrong installment or too high bar settings. A 2bar switch on a whole house will cycle the pump on/off about every 10 minutes just to hold that pressure and it is annoying. A 1-1,5 bar switch is plenty enough.
The problems I have witnessed with pressure switches is mostly wrong installment or too high bar settings. A 2bar switch on a whole house will cycle the pump on/off about every 10 minutes just to hold that pressure and it is annoying. A 1-1,5 bar switch is plenty enough.
Bladder tanks help, but you're not going to get 60 lbs. of pressure like you do with the other pump.
With that new pump it's just a matter of time before the pressure blast an elbow, nipple, or any other connection within your house or apartment, it's just too much - the pressure switch might help some but not forever
Ask me how I know
This is the cycling setup I mentioned in post #46. Shouldn’t the pressure switch be after the tank?
AFAIK these pumps don’t maintain pressure after shutdown, they bleed to whatever side has lower pressure. I also wonder if the tanks have a one-way valve on their inlet?
The mini pump I had was putting out more pressure and I never had any blowouts so I think I am safe to say this pump should be fine as it gives less pleasure.
To prevent a loss of pressure back through the pump I installed a gate valve ( back flow preventer) call it what you will. Mine is between the pump and the small tank. The pressure switch can be anywhere between the pump and inlet to house. If you put in a gate valve it has to be between it and the inlet.
AI Overview
Learn more
In the context of fluids, pressure is the force exerted per unit area, while flow is the volume of fluid passing a point per unit time. Pressure drives the flow, and both are interconnected, with higher pressure generally leading to higher flow, but also being influenced by factors like pipe size and resistance.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Pressure:
- Definition:
Pressure is the force exerted on a surface, typically measured in pounds per square inch (psi) or Pascals (Pa).
- Role:
Pressure is the driving force that causes fluids to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
- Examples:
Water pressure in a pipe, air pressure in a tire, or the pressure exerted by a hydraulic system.
- Definition: Flow is the rate at which a fluid moves through a system, typically measured in gallons per minute (GPM) or liters per second (L/s).
- Role: Flow represents the volume of fluid transported over a specific period.
- Examples: The amount of water flowing from a faucet, the amount of air flowing through a hose, or the amount of oil flowing through a hydraulic system.
- Pressure Drives Flow:
Higher pressure generally leads to a higher flow rate, but this relationship isn't always linear and can be influenced by factors like pipe size, resistance, and viscosity.
- Resistance to Flow:
Resistance to flow, such as friction within pipes or valves, can reduce the flow rate, even with high pressure.
- Bernoulli's Principle:
This principle states that as the velocity (and therefore flow rate) of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases, and vice versa.
- Hydraulic Systems:
In hydraulic systems, pumps deliver flow, and pressure results when that flow encounters resistance.
- Water Faucet:
The water pressure from the main line pushes water through the pipes, and the flow rate is determined by how much the faucet is open.
Most setups have the pressure switch between the pump and the tank or on the tank itself. Most pumps have a built-in back flow valve or there is a check valve in the line to prevent the water from going back thru the pump. Cycling can be caused by the pressure points being too close together or by a lack of air in the pressure tank or a leak in the bladder in tanks that have them.