SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

OK, I've got a zone with 6 PGP rotaries in it. With 6 #5 red nozzles, that would be 9.6 gpm if it maintains 30psi, but with the booster I probably have more like 45psi so it should be more like 1.9x6=11.4gpm. Where is the best place to measure psi, before the booster, after booster or at one of the rotaries, I could put a T by one rotary with a gauge on it. I actually wouldn't mind having permanent gauges at the well head before and after the booster.

Just out of curiosity, what would a 1 hp submersible pump do for me over what I have? Would it be more like Dan's system?

I may be out of touch for a while, back surgery tomorrow for herniated disk. I hope it works and gets rid of this pain.

I have decided to go with a pro pump man. We're talking about a variable speed submersible pump maintaining a 75psi in the house and reducing it for the irrigation right now, but he says we need to figure the problem of the high flow rates at the irrigation and the lower flow in the house somehow. He says he can check the well capacity also. We should have figured this before we even started working on the irrigation side, but the wife was in such a hurry to get it done and of course the irrigation people were more than happy to have her money.

Nothing uphill of the source, if the source is the location of the booster. If the source is where they tapped into the black pipe from the well, then yes.

I'm sure the pump/well guys will have a field day with the system. Actually it's not terribly out of order, the house is mostly higher than the well head, but downstairs is below it. Some of the irrigation is slightly above the tap into the well pipe, but most of it is well below the well tap point. Most of the irrigation system is below the house including downstairs, but some of it is above the downstairs. I'll report on what I end up with.

I've got 2 guys so far to take a look at the system.

I plan on making a rather detailed story for Angie's List out of this "Irrigation Specialist" which I will also post here.

The pipe at the well is only 3' deep and at the house about 7'. Plus the well is in a garden where there's plenty of room for all the auxiliary equipment. At the house, it's near the front door. Better away from the house than next to the front door with all that equipment. I'm not complaining about where they tapped into the line, it's only about 60' from the house to the well anyhow.

Still recovering from surgery, but plan is to install pressure gauges at input and output of booster, plus a 1" outlet at the input to the booster. Had a well guy tell me to turn on the water at the input to the booster and let it run until the pressure tank turns on. At this point, the sub pump will probably not keep up and pressurize the tank to 60# again and I should get a good reading of how many gpm right at the output of the well head the sub pump is putting out, at least for the 1" line. If I'm motivated, I'll measure the water height in the well, and let it run for half hour or more and see how much it draws down the head. If the sub pump is only putting out say 10 gpm and the well is supplying 40gpm, there should be minimum draw down I would think.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to get something like a 1 1/2 HP variable speed/constant pressure sub pump. That should put out about 15gpm or so and should solve all my dreamt up issues. At least I should have good pressure in the house which I've never had and it should be able to keep up with any of the zones I have.

One guy quoted me about $3K for the pump and installation.