- Thread starter zeferus
- Start date
Water Tank Without Tinaco?
Those small pumps are called "Ladronas" (Thiefs) because folks here use them to "steal" water from water lines.
Do a search on FB marketplace for Ladrona and see how many pop up and how cheap they are. (Hundreds)
Very common pumps and you find them everywhere.
It's a viable option, but with a bigger tank and a quality pump.
What characteristics would you look for a pump? Using 30 PSI, a flow rate of 2.5 gpm (one shower), pump efficiency of 75% and drive motor efficiency of 90%, pump calculator online is giving me 0.06HP
Thanks for the reply. I am indeed from Canada. Of note here during the daytime the water "feels" close to normal pressure to back in Canada. Of course I have not measured it thus why I think for just peak use.The image I have created in my head.Man lives (as expat I assume )in a condo building. Sounds nice. Condo boards has many rules and regulations. That's good for keeping up the value. Hot water at prime times is scarce because of demand. Not an unusual circumstance. Image is clear. Now it gets cloudy. Recommendations : set up a blue barrel on your balcony or laundry room, Rube Goldberg a series of valves, check valves (affecting the building's water supply)and pumps that may be needed. If no check valve, load the barre;; manually.
In the year 2022 what's wrong with this picture?
Possible solution: Sell the condo and see how you might be able to do better in another more upscale building. IDK...it's your money and your desire. Go for it.
PS. The water here in the DR is not that cold and hot water is bad for your skin.
My opinion ...your money.
Do you mind explaining how if I use a check valve it can negatively impact the building water supply?
You need to have a check valve where the water enters your apartment. Pressure comes in and doesn't go back out.
Without a check valve, any pressure your system produces will go back into the condo tubing.
I would use at least a 1/2 hp pump. Better to have a little extra than not enough.
As far as tanks are concerned, I'd look for a diaphragm tank of at least 10-20 gallons.
A non diaphragm tank will eventually fill up with water and cause the pump to cycle on/off frequently.
Gracias JD...do you think an owner in a condo building is capable of rising to this level (hopefully not "water level) to this style of living? IDK, I'm a guest in this country.
Hi Johne, can you expand your thoughts ? Do you mean me as an owner willing to go through the expense and or endeavour because it is time consuming expensive or not common ?
Johne, thousands of people here have this setup in their homes; it's a very common system.
It is less prevalent in towers/condominiums because they usually have communal water systems that maintain pressure in the buildings 24/7. That's what home owner association fees are for.
But..........
I live in a small residential complex of 11 apartments with a very robust water system which includes a well that fills a huge cistern, and a 2 hp pump with a diaphragm pressure tank that is capable of maintaining strong pressure, with tanks on the ceiling for water when there's no power.
Sounds perfect, right?
The woman who is "in charge" of the complex pays the electric bill as part of her rental agreement (she is also the secretary of the building owner - a well known local attorney) and as a result, she turns on the pump a couple of times a day for 15-20 minutes to fill the ceiling tanks while minimizing the power consumption. As a result, we all lived with "Tinaco pressure" with the occasional outages.
I told her I would install (at my cost) an automatic switch to control the pump, but she doesn't understand the concept of a programmable switch. (She is not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree)
I talked to her a couple of years ago and told her I was going to install my own system of pump and tank that would pull from the Tinacos, and she figured out pretty quickly that something like that would have everybody else complaining, and she agreed to install another Tinaco to increase the capacity.
Since then, water service has been pretty consistent and the pressure from 4 Tinacos is acceptable.
I just re-read the OP. I totally misread the posting as I had thought he ran OUT OF HOT WATER. My bad. After a lifetime in NA east coast, I automatically thought HOT WATER at peak times. Never dawned on me the subject was WATER PRESSURE. Sorry 'bout that. My responses now would read awfully strange.
Carry on.
Carry on.
Good point though that most Domican do not use hot water. Although an electric tankless water heater of 12 kilowatts bring nice hot water here (unlike the frozen north..)
What would the OP use said water for ?
Ladrona pump is only to take more than one's share of the water supply ......... but only when there is water. ie i would plug in the ladrona when water is flowing from street pipes to fill up a cistern faster----- in theory, i dont do that , 🤨🤨🤨
Cheapo answer is a couple of those empty paint buckets, should do for dishes, flushing toilets, washing hands etc. ......
Fill them when mains are on.
Or buy 12 5 gallon water bottle thingies and use those.
Ladrona pump is only to take more than one's share of the water supply ......... but only when there is water. ie i would plug in the ladrona when water is flowing from street pipes to fill up a cistern faster----- in theory, i dont do that , 🤨🤨🤨
Cheapo answer is a couple of those empty paint buckets, should do for dishes, flushing toilets, washing hands etc. ......
Fill them when mains are on.
Or buy 12 5 gallon water bottle thingies and use those.
Back in 2017 in the after math of Maria I flew to PR with a crateful of goodies to ease the burden on family there.Along with 4 generators I also brought over a few gadgets I think may be of help here.One of the most convenient was a handheld portable camp shower head, basically a submersible pump connected to a shower head that has a rechargeable battery that has an android port to charge with.
Second was a plastic barrel ( bucket ) adapter that provides essentially a faucet:with a couple of hand tools and a drill you have a quasi sink no need to dunk a pot or jug just twist and enjoy.
Third was an rv water pump that I found on eBay.If you go this route make sure it is a 120 volt model as opposed to 12 volt.It operates off of pressure sensitivity and many units can run dry without burning up. ( although I did install a switch as to provide a safeguard ) Shurflo is the brand most campers rely on but you'll see many more brands available, your choice.
Lastly was a luxury that my bougie a** could not live without, and that is a portable tankless propane water heater. I have seen them in the bigger hardware stores on the island ( Ochoa Bellon ) I believe the biggest name in these units is Lorenzetti? This is the only suggestion that requires quite a bit of caution because you have to either install it outside or you must provide adequate ducting for exhaust fumes. As Murphy's Law would have it this was the only one I was not able to use because of course there was no propane available at the time (Womp womp )
I would advise the KISS approach. Keep it simple,stoopid I would never try to guess what my patio can hold weight wise, what the electrical capacity in my electrical panel in my condo is,( if you were considering electric tankless ) and what water column, rate of rise, head pressure, and any other calculations that nerds like me consider a turn on. Take a page out of Camper's notebooks travel light, and keep it rudimental.
Second was a plastic barrel ( bucket ) adapter that provides essentially a faucet:with a couple of hand tools and a drill you have a quasi sink no need to dunk a pot or jug just twist and enjoy.
Third was an rv water pump that I found on eBay.If you go this route make sure it is a 120 volt model as opposed to 12 volt.It operates off of pressure sensitivity and many units can run dry without burning up. ( although I did install a switch as to provide a safeguard ) Shurflo is the brand most campers rely on but you'll see many more brands available, your choice.
Lastly was a luxury that my bougie a** could not live without, and that is a portable tankless propane water heater. I have seen them in the bigger hardware stores on the island ( Ochoa Bellon ) I believe the biggest name in these units is Lorenzetti? This is the only suggestion that requires quite a bit of caution because you have to either install it outside or you must provide adequate ducting for exhaust fumes. As Murphy's Law would have it this was the only one I was not able to use because of course there was no propane available at the time (Womp womp )
I would advise the KISS approach. Keep it simple,stoopid I would never try to guess what my patio can hold weight wise, what the electrical capacity in my electrical panel in my condo is,( if you were considering electric tankless ) and what water column, rate of rise, head pressure, and any other calculations that nerds like me consider a turn on. Take a page out of Camper's notebooks travel light, and keep it rudimental.
Mine has a filter - that we clean regularly....plus my 'whole house' filter/UV system helps
This link appears to send back to the other same shower head. Was that expected? In any case your links are awesome and showing a great temporary idea.