Water Pump and Tank

Jan

Jan

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For 5 years I paid a guy to fill my roof top tank. There is no water connection from the street. The guy is drunk half the time and usually a few times a month I am without water because hes too drunk to plug in his pump. Anyhow, I decided to get my own little pump.

I got a plumber to connect a pipe to the street pipe. It runs up the wall to my 2nd floor apartment. Into the apartment so I can have the pump inside the laundry area so it does not get stolen and so I don't have to run outside and connect everything when there is water. He then ran a pipe into the existing pipe in the house which connects directly to the roof top tank (the building is 2 floors).

The question is. He connected the bomba to the pipe that connects to the house water. It's on the bottom of the tinaco. How will the tinaco fill with water without the water running back into the bomba since it is on the bottom of the tank? Right now the tank is empty, has been for 6 days now. I'm waiting for water in the street to try the bomba for the first time but then I noticed the bottom connection. Is that OK?

I don't care about water pressure of an automatic fill, just the basic. Turn Bomba on when there is water in the street and when tank is full turn water off.
 
SantiagoDR

SantiagoDR

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Tinaco's are filled at the top connection.

The bottom connection is the exit of the water.
 
chico bill

chico bill

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Check valve. Probably already has one. All tinacos do. Only allows one way flow. They do get corroded and might stick halfway open so it would be a good idea to replace it with a new 1" brass (or stainless) one, preferably from decent source (not the cheapest Chinese garbage). Sure it will be Chinese off Amazon at $16, but a little better quality, or you can spend more money and get a US made one like $35-$40, but it will be better:

691238542&sprefix=american%2Bmade%2Bcheck%2Bvalve%2Bfor%2Bwell%2Bpump%2Bbrass%2Caps%2C258&sr=8-13&th=1
 
JD Jones

JD Jones

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The problem with filling from the bottom is there's no way for the pump to know when the tinaco is full.

There should be one tube from your apartment that connects to both holes in the tinaco.

The bottom connection should have a check valve that lets water out, but not in. That forces the water to go to the top hole.

The tube at the top hole needs a float valve that closes when it's full.

If the pump isn't running, the water will flow back down from the bottom hole.

The good thing about having the pump inside is that it will pull water from the tinaco and deliver it to your faucets with more pressures.

Also, you need a check valve on the tube from the street to stop the water from the tinaco from flowing back down.
 
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Jan

Jan

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So when the water enters at the bottom via the the same pipe that enters the apartment water will not enter? It seems to me that the pipe from the pump to the house water pipe should have a turn off valve so the water does not come down the pipe.
 
Jan

Jan

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When I hear water from the roof I will know when it is full and unplug the pump. There is no float . I'm just wondering what will stop the water from exiting the bottom tube where the water enters. All the facets in the apartment have the on-off like the sink and shower but he did not instal a llave for the pump. Seems to me that where the water enters the house pipe there should be a llave.
 
Jan

Jan

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chico bill

chico bill

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You could put a check valve between the street and pump and also have a separate connection from the tinaco to the house water. Tianco's fill from the top with float valves and they should be adjusted so the water never reaches the level of the inlet line thus there is an air gap and water can no flow out of the tinaco back down the fill pipe. Also there needs to be a pressure flow switch to the tinaco so the pump shuts off when it is full or unless you are unplugging the pump once you see the tinaco full? See below link
Each installation may have different conditions. Yours looks like a more typical of places with no cistern
When you say 'street water' I am assuming the building has it's own cistern or is only when there is water in the 'street' pipe do the neighbors switch on pumps ?

 
Jan

Jan

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chico bill said:
You could put a check valve between the street and pump and also have a separate connection from the tinaco to the house water. Tianco's fill from the top with float valves and they should be adjusted so the water never reaches the level of the inlet line thus there is an air gap and water can no flow out of the tinaco back down the fill pipe. Also there needs to be a pressure flow switch to the tinaco so the pump shuts off when it is full or unless you are unplugging the pump once you see the tinaco full? See below link
Each installation may have different conditions. Yours looks like a more typical of places with no cistern
When you say 'street water' I am assuming the building has it's own cistern or is only when there is water in the 'street' pipe do the neighbors switch on pumps ?

Click to expand...
No cistern. No float valve. I will turn off when full. When there is water in the street many neighbors go out and connect their pumps. I had the guy put my pump in the apartment so I didn't have to carry it with a pipe going down to the street pipe. Still no water in the street or in the tinaco. it has been empty for 6 days now because the guy that was pumping into my tinaco has no water (I have been filling jugs at the gas station across the street). That is why I decided to do it myself. I had the plumber come yesterday and install the stuff. But I noticed today that the water will be entering from the bottom of the tank and is connected to the pipe that water enters the apartment with. Seems strange to me. Still no water in the street to pump so not sure yet but trying to call the plumber but his phone is off for now.
 
J

johne

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Jan said:
No cistern. No float valve. I will turn off when full. When there is water in the street many neighbors go out and connect their pumps. I had the guy put my pump in the apartment so I didn't have to carry it with a pipe going down to the street pipe. Still no water in the street or in the tinaco. it has been empty for 6 days now because the guy that was pumping into my tinaco has no water (I have been filling jugs at the gas station across the street). That is why I decided to do it myself. I had the plumber come yesterday and install the stuff. But I noticed today that the water will be entering from the bottom of the tank and is connected to the pipe that water enters the apartment with. Seems strange to me. Still no water in the street to pump so not sure yet but trying to call the plumber but his phone is off for now.
Click to expand...
Jan
May I ask...where do you live? Reason I ask is this coming week my plumber is doing all of this for me at the house I am renovating and maybe, depending on where you live he can advice you/me/us.
 
J

johne

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I bought two (265) tinacos yesterday for delivery today and install on tues. I'd be glad to try and help...with his advise.
 
Jan

Jan

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My neighbor advised me that there is water in the street. I primed the pump. Water spurted out, closed the valve. Checked about 3 minutes later and no water in the pipe. Primed again after a few minutes dumping water into the pipe some spurted out. Closed the valve. Checked after a few minutes and no water again. Don't understand. My plumber still has his phone going to voice mail.

Edited to add. 10 minutes after last prime and water spurt checked and water is spurting. Seems it might be working...please God...please God. 6 days carrying water for this old gals back does not make for a happy, non-hurting human.
 
JD Jones

JD Jones

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Jan said:
My neighbor advised me that there is water in the street. I primed the pump. Water spurted out, closed the valve. Checked about 3 minutes later and no water in the pipe. Primed again after a few minutes dumping water into the pipe some spurted out. Closed the valve. Checked after a few minutes and no water again. Don't understand. My plumber still has his phone going to voice mail.

Edited to add. 10 minutes after last prime and water spurt checked and water is spurting. Seems it might be working...please God...please God. 6 days carrying water for this old gals back does not make for a happy, non-hurting human.
Click to expand...
When you open the valve, leave it open until there's a steady flow of water, not just a spurt.
 
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