I live most of the year on a tiny Caribbean island with no mains water. I collect rain in a 25,000 gallon cistern which is then pumped to the taps. But the house is build against a hill top.
My water system is as illustrated below enabling the domestic water and garden irrigation to be served by separate pumps:
Each pump with its own pressure vessel is plumbed so that either pump can be isolated (with cutoff valves) and then by opening the crossflow valve the remaining pump can be made to do both garden watering and domestic supply.
But the pressure — largely due to the water needing to be pushed up 25 feet from the basement— is a bit pathetic.
My question:
Would opening the crossflow valve to effectively merge the separate systems into one make much difference? Might there be any problems as two pumps are trying to pressurise two vessels at the same time?
I have two more options:
I can recombine the two water supplies at the garden level which is 25 feet above the pumps incorporating check valves. So might this be a way to boost the pressure easily for the garden?
And/or I can use a plastic shipping barrel as a water butt raising it slightly above the bib tap level. I figure this could be plumbed in parallel (with check valves) to add a bit of pressure in gravity head (220 litres at maybe a couple of feet).
Any suggestions what might work best?
My water system is as illustrated below enabling the domestic water and garden irrigation to be served by separate pumps:
Each pump with its own pressure vessel is plumbed so that either pump can be isolated (with cutoff valves) and then by opening the crossflow valve the remaining pump can be made to do both garden watering and domestic supply.
But the pressure — largely due to the water needing to be pushed up 25 feet from the basement— is a bit pathetic.
My question:
Would opening the crossflow valve to effectively merge the separate systems into one make much difference? Might there be any problems as two pumps are trying to pressurise two vessels at the same time?
I have two more options:
I can recombine the two water supplies at the garden level which is 25 feet above the pumps incorporating check valves. So might this be a way to boost the pressure easily for the garden?
And/or I can use a plastic shipping barrel as a water butt raising it slightly above the bib tap level. I figure this could be plumbed in parallel (with check valves) to add a bit of pressure in gravity head (220 litres at maybe a couple of feet).
Any suggestions what might work best?