How Much Water Do You Need?

When designing a Residential Water Well System for your home, it’s important to determine the proper water capacity to meet your needs. To do this, we look at the number of water fixtures and outlets in your home, and calculate the required pumping capacity based on a rate of 1 gallon per minute (GPM) per fixture. This ensures that your system is appropriately sized and prevents the risk of under sizing.

Example of Water Fixture Calculation:

Let’s consider a four-bedroom house with two and a half bathrooms. Here’s an example of how fixtures might break down:

• Baths: 3 (Sinks, Tubs, Toilets)
• Kitchen: 1 Sink, 1 Dishwasher, 1 Ice Machine
• Laundry: 1 Washing Machine, 1 Laundry Tub
• Outside Faucets: 4
• In-Ground Sprinkler System: (Variable)

Total Fixtures: 17

At 1 GPM per fixture, the total GPM requirement is 17 GPM.

Choosing the Right Pump Size:

With 17 fixtures, a 1.5 HP submersible pump would be suitable for this application. It would provide approximately 18-20 GPM, ensuring sufficient water flow for your needs. If additional water is required for specialized uses like an in-ground sprinkler system, this should be factored into the overall pumping capacity to ensure the system can meet all demands.

Sizing the Pressure Tank:

The pressure tank works in conjunction with the pump to maintain a steady water supply. Pressure tanks are designed to hold 1/3 water and 2/3 air. The tank size should be large enough to allow the submersible pump to run for at least one minute. This ensures that the motor is adequately cooled by the passing water.

Importance of Proper Sizing:

Properly sized pumps and pressure tanks are essential for the long-term reliability of your water well system. A submersible pump that is too large will work efficiently without strain, while a pump that is too small may be inadequate for your needs and require replacement sooner.

At Independent Well Drilling, we ensure that the right pump and pressure tank sizes are chosen for your home, so you can enjoy years of reliable service from your well system.