Running booster pump 24/7 Questions before I make an order

[Checkthisout]

when I bought the place it came with the blue pump, so it was always there. It broke just like everything else in the apartment. So, blue pump was there, replaced it with this booster pump.

Ok. So why did you replace the blue one? I'm asking because I'm curious how long it went at any given time with no power.

 

[Zeebest001]

When buying the place, when I knew absolutely nothing. The past owner told me to flip the breaker to turn on the blue pump (well pump) from time to time. He said it would build pressure. This was before I knew anything about cisterns pumps anything else. So I have been trying to educate myself as quickly as possible. Learning to do stuff on my own since I have been ripped off a lot already in PR. So it is in my best interest to learn as much as possible.

 

[Zeebest001]

The blue one finally died and wouldn't turn on anymore at all. Not sure, I bought the place 1.5 years ago and replaced it about 6 months ago.

A lot of the places in PR have full generators provided by the HOA, the small apartment complex I am at doesn't have this.

 

[Zeebest001]

Ok. So why did you replace the blue one? I'm asking because I'm curious how long it went at any given time with no power.

I am not sure if it ever worked correctly, I just figured the place had low water pressure. Like I said, the previous owner told me to flip the breaker on from time to time to build water pressure. So I just assumed when we lost power it was just gravity feeding the house, kitchen, toilet, shower, etc.

 

[gotbeans]

Ok. So why did you replace the blue one? I'm asking because I'm curious how long it went at any given time with no power.

He said it broke. that's why he replaced it

When buying the place, when I knew absolutely nothing. The past owner told me to flip the breaker to turn on the blue pump (well pump) from time to time. He said it would build pressure. This was before I knew anything about cisterns pumps anything else. So I have been trying to educate myself as quickly as possible. Learning to do stuff on my own since I have been ripped off a lot already in PR. So it is in my best interest to learn as much as possible.

Well I think having an actual accumulator tank is the best for any pumps as it allows them to run longer to build pressure and then turn off rather than short bursts.

I'd go with the generator but then only those plugs are going to be on when it is on. You can't really hook that type of equipment into the main lines of the house unless you redo the entire place's power. So if the power would be out you can have some dedicated outlets that would still be on.. unless redoing it all

You have a place to put the generator outside? It's 3 stories up?

If not maybe then the batteries are better, at least they don't kill you while running lol

 

[Zeebest001]

He said it broke. that's why he replaced it

Well I think having an actual accumulator tank is the best for any pumps as it allows them to run longer to build pressure and then turn off rather than short bursts.

I'd go with the generator but then only those plugs are going to be on when it is on. You can't really hook that type of equipment into the main lines of the house unless you redo the entire place's power. So if the power would be out you can have some dedicated outlets that would still be on.. unless redoing it all

You have a place to put the generator outside? It's 3 stories up?

it isn't as easy as getting a huge ground unit (propane) outside the complex in the common area and tying it into all the units, or just mine? It would require a total rewire? There are a ton of apartment complexes all over the place that have backup generators that just kick on when power is lost. You can hear all of them running from my place.

 

[Zeebest001]

He said it broke. that's why he replaced it

Well I think having an actual accumulator tank is the best for any pumps as it allows them to run longer to build pressure and then turn off rather than short bursts.

I'd go with the generator but then only those plugs are going to be on when it is on. You can't really hook that type of equipment into the main lines of the house unless you redo the entire place's power. So if the power would be out you can have some dedicated outlets that would still be on.. unless redoing it all

You have a place to put the generator outside? It's 3 stories up?

If not maybe then the batteries are better, at least they don't kill you while running lol

your saying for my booster pump it is better to have an accumulator tank in addition to it? If it is anything like the well pump blue tank....... I would have great pressure and it would slowly trickle down second by second, or 30 seconds by 30 seconds and get somewhat low and then the well pump would kick back on and build the pressure back up... This made washing dishes, taking showers kinda suck, because the pressure would fluctuate during doing the dishes / showering.

 

[gotbeans]

it isn't as easy as getting a huge ground unit (propane) outside the complex in the common area and tying it into all the units, or just mine? It would require a total rewire? There are a ton of apartment complexes all over the place that have backup generators that just kick on when power is lost. You can hear all of them running from my place.

Well IDK how those buildings are built but assuming it's the same as europe/the states then you'd need your main breaker already have some generator hookup and if not you have to build one and not have it backfeed into the grid

in that scenario where it is NOT already setup I'd say the easiest thing to do to have the entire house on this backup would be to get some inverter and take the main lines out of your house breaker, put it into a different breaker, run that breaker into one of these solar inverters that allow grid to bypass into it and then plug the inverter into your main panel that is already going to all the bedrooms. But it's the least amount of wiring there.

Unless they just backfeed into the grid there and don't care lmao

 

[gotbeans]

your saying for my booster pump it is better to have an accumulator tank in addition to it? If it is anything like the well pump blue tank....... I would have great pressure and it would slowly trickle down second by second, or 30 seconds by 30 seconds and get somewhat low and then the well pump would kick back on and build the pressure back up... This made washing dishes, taking showers kinda suck, because the pressure would fluctuate during doing the dishes / showering.

yep this is the low/high pressure of the on/off switch it can be changed but yea it does suck. It's cuz they had it set at like 25-35psi or 35-45 psi but it's better to go higher like 45-60 then you don't notice

 

[Zeebest001]

I just had an electrician leave my place to rewire the entire main panel. He told me it was setup so poorly, which I agree with.

 

[gotbeans]

I just had an electrician leave my place to rewire the entire main panel. He told me it was setup so poorly, which I agree with.

I think a lot of people here can attest that if something "isn't setup by them" then they'd say it's setup poorly too lol

 

[Zeebest001]

well when I get back to PR, I am going to try the bypass and hope I have enough water pressure. This is just for blackouts and PR has been working on fixing their electricity for a long time now. So, I can only hope it will get better and better overtime. This is also for worst case scenarios, hopefully I won't have a power outage while guests are there, just trying to be over prepared instead of under.

 

[gotbeans]

well when I get back to PR, I am going to try the bypass and hope I have enough water pressure. This is just for blackouts and PR has been working on fixing their electricity for a long time now. So, I can only hope it will get better and better overtime. This is also for worst case scenarios, hopefully I won't have a power outage while guests are there, just trying to be over prepared instead of under.

Maybe by the time we're dead of old age they'll vote it in as a state and then you can get the power fixed

You can get a simple battery backup which can run a LED light (maybe plug in a lamp?) / charge phones for an easy 10 hours+ but it won't run anything crazy

https://www.amazon.com/APC-Battery-Protector-BackUPS-BX1500M/dp/B06VY6FXMM/

The batteries in them last 3-4 years or so, so you'll have to replace them, they're not bad from mighty max

https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-Battery-Back-UPS-1500-2-Pack/dp/B019FQAWLQ/

I've used mighty max for about 15 years, at company offices.. I say I've probably had like 200 of these battery backups in different offices they work fine

 

[Zeebest001]

I think a lot of people here can attest that if something "isn't setup by them" then they'd say it's setup poorly too lol

It was a breaker panel that was 50 years old with breakers with to much amp rating, for example one was 50 amps on a wire guage that would have fried if it went anywhere close to that amperage. ETC, stuff like that, The electrician also told me the subpanel didn't have a breaker going to it.

 

[gotbeans]

It was a breaker panel that was 50 years old with breakers with to much amp rating, for example one was 50 amps on a wire guage that would have fried if it went anywhere close to that amperage. ETC, stuff like that, The electrician also told me the subpanel didn't have a breaker going to it.

I edited my post above with some amazon links maybe all you need for them is a backup pack like that, they're pretty simple
.. also it comes with batteries, you don't need batteries until like 3 years or so from now
stuff can plug into the battery plugs and it'll just work. When power goes out, it'll go to battery automatically

 

[gotbeans]

and no those battery backups won't run your pump..

 

[Zeebest001]

Thanks, yeah PR sells some battery packs as well. I was going to buy a pretty expensive one for around 3k but I don’t think I want to go that route. I have already purchased battery powered fans and battery powered lights for power outages. The next thing I would do is a whole house backup. Or nothing at all.

 

[Zeebest001]

It’s nearly impossible to get batteries shipped to puerto Rico, so I can only buy what they sell and of course they all have a very nice markup on them.

 

[Zeebest001]

He said it broke. that's why he replaced it

Well I think having an actual accumulator tank is the best for any pumps as it allows them to run longer to build pressure and then turn off rather than short bursts.

I'd go with the generator but then only those plugs are going to be on when it is on. You can't really hook that type of equipment into the main lines of the house unless you redo the entire place's power. So if the power would be out you can have some dedicated outlets that would still be on.. unless redoing it all

You have a place to put the generator outside? It's 3 stories up?

If not maybe then the batteries are better, at least they don't kill you while running lol

Yeah 3 stories up, people have massive generators that power their entire apartment building, I have no idea how it hooks up etc. I have a small roof top space outside my 3rd story building that I can put a few solar panels, maybe a generator, not sure if I am allowed to do that though.

 

[Checkthisout]

I am not sure if it ever worked correctly, I just figured the place had low water pressure. Like I said, the previous owner told me to flip the breaker on from time to time to build water pressure. So I just assumed when we lost power it was just gravity feeding the house, kitchen, toilet, shower, etc.

My ultimate point is that since it was in fact a pressure tank, did you ever lose power long enough and use enough water that you felt the pressure tank would have been totally depleted of residual pressure?

When the blue one finally broke, what changed that made you notice it?