Many people are familiar with the weak pressure of water in the home plumbing. With low pressure, you can not use household appliances, gas water heaters, and even take a shower. And what to do in the complete absence of water? The causes of low pressure are varied, but the problem is solved by installing a pump that increases the pressure.
Reasons for low pressure
In accordance with the norms of water supply, the water pressure in the main is 4 kgf/m2, but in reality, this system has half the pressure, sufficient to power five to six floors. At rush hour, with the massive use of water, the pressure of the column drops even lower, the upper floors remain without pressure. During the irrigation season, the private sector also suffers.
There are many reasons why this problem occurs. The simplest is clogging of metal water pipes. The old wiring is overgrown with iron oxides, and the water flow becomes minimal or stops altogether. A clogged water meter assembly filter will also reduce system pressure.
OnIn fact, most often the problem arises due to communal structures that supply drinking water, artificially lowering the pressure in the main. If such a problem is not solved by the whole house in the utility management, local installation of a booster pump will help to get rid of it.
Types and principle of operation of pumps
Pumps for pumping water are divided into circulation and self-priming, differing in the principle of operation. The simplest are circulating electric pumps, which are a housing with an impeller placed on the motor shaft. The impeller blades capture the flow of water, increasing its speed and pressure at the outlet of the boost pump. For its operation, the constant presence of water in the pipeline is necessary.
Self-priming pumps operate on a different principle, differing in design. The equipment is sold in the form of a pumping station, consisting of a hydraulic accumulator in the form of a tank and the pump itself. By suction, the device raises water even if it is partially absent in the line, closing on a storage tank that regulates the pressure in the apartment wiring.
Where to install the pump
The booster pump is installed in a certain place on the house wiring. A local problem in a certain section of the pipeline (for example, only in a bathroom) is solved by installing a circulation electric pump that increases the pressure by 2–3 kgf / m2. If the issue is resolved, for the entire apartment or country house system as a whole, it will be necessary to install a self-primingpump station with hydraulic accumulator.
Since the pumps are designed for water temperatures up to 60 ° C, they are installed before boilers, boilers and columns.
Specification of electric pumps
According to the type of control, household booster pumps are divided into automatic and manual. The former turn on independently when water is consumed and turn off when it is not being used, while the latter work constantly, starting manually. According to the type of cooling of the electric motor, household stations are divided into “wet” and “dry”, that is, cooled by water or air.
The performance of the device depends on its power, which is in the range of 0.25-1 kW for domestic use. Larger pumps are used in industry. The height of the pressure column and the suction height are objective indicators necessary for installing the device on the upper floors of the building. For the private sector, these characteristics are not so valuable, but are always indicated in the data sheet of the booster pump.
Select booster system
Different conditions for the supply and consumption of water in the private sector and the apartment require the selection of the pumping unit that will work as efficiently as possible.
Power is the first parameter to consider when choosing a booster pump. For a one- and two-room apartment, a 0.25 kW installation will suffice. In the country, when it is necessary to use household appliances and water, the power of the device can reach 1 kW, and sometimes exceed this figure. redundantequipment capacity will entail the installation of additional devices such as pressure reducer, pressure gauges, control valves.
The pump is selected with the same section as the diameter of the water pipes, otherwise the unit will work with overloads or not develop full power.
Noise level is an important indicator. For installation in an apartment, you should choose a device with a "wet" cooling of the electric motor, since such installations are not only compact, but also produce less noise compared to conventional "dry" electric motors. In other cases, the equipment is taken out to the basement or outbuilding at the summer cottage.
The price of a booster pump for water depends on the power, type of control, cooling and section. Approximately, it ranges from 2.5 thousand rubles, but with an increase in the digital indicators of the characteristics, the cost of the equipment rises.
