Is buying a well water storage tank worth it in 2024?
If you are on a well that is underproductive, or if you are wanting more water pressure and output than your well can keep up with, you may be interested in learning about adding a well water storage tank for your home or business. This solution can come with many benefits, but you may be wondering how this option stacks up against water well drilling or possibly having the well hydrofracked. You also may have wondered if a storage tank is the right solution to this problem and is it worth the investment? Today we will look at the benefits of a water storage tank and how it compares to these other options. We will also look at the best way to implement a well water storage system in your home or business.
The problem.
Oftentimes, people who are interested in a well water storage tanks are dealing with a low-yielding well of some sort. This is a water well that cannot produce enough water for household or business demands. This can be a well that has very little output. Many times, those living with a low production well can only use very few water appliances at a time without losing too much water pressure because the low-yielding well cannot keep up with the demand. For others, this can be a well where the water pressure drops and periodically runs out of water. This can be frustrating as there may not be enough water in the well to keep up during those peak usage times, and it may run out from time to time.
There’s more…
On a low producing well, not having enough water is not the only problem. If your well is low-yielding, the well pump is probably overpumping your well. If your well pump is trying to pump water faster than what is available, this can lead to overpumping. Overpumping is a common cause of premature well failure. It can destroy the well pump and well over time. If you have a low producing well, the desire is to keep your well as healthy as possible. Let us take a look into how a water storage tank can help solve this problem.
The benefits of well water storage.
The idea of a water storage tank is quite simple, really. When the well has water available, the pump will fill the water tank throughout the day or night. When you need that stored water during peak times, it is available in that accumulated quantity for you to use. If you wanted to be able to take a shower in the morning, start a load of laundry, and use a faucet, on a low producing well this may not be possible as you may run out of water or not have enough water pressure to do all these things. With having installed a storage tank, the well would be filling the tank up overnight and in the times when you aren’t using any water. You would have all that water then available to you to do all those things that need to be done, all without worrying that the water may run out or that you lose pressure.
Households and businesses will benefit from a storage tank by having plenty of water pressure and output. If equipped with a good booster pump to supply the water from the water tank to the house, your house will be pressurized at high pressure and have enough output to be able to run multiple water appliances at the same time, all while maintaining that high pressure.
With keeping the well health in mind, a storage tank can greatly aid in keeping your well running healthfully, but only if it is done right. An overpumped well can occur when the submersible well pump is running really hard to try and pump water to keep up with water demand for the house. The pump will keep pumping even when there is no water available. To keep a low-yielding well healthy, the well pump needs to be able “sip” that water from the well, and only when there is water available, overpumping should never occur. If the well pump sips the water from the well when it is available, stores that water in a water storage tank, and then shuts off before the well runs out of water or the tank is full, the well will be protected from overpumping. If protected from overpumping, the likelihood of premature well failure drastically decreases.
Well water tanks can be much cheaper than any other solution. With an all-in-one well water storage solution for low-producing wells they can be really easy to install and store. Is this the best solution to this problem, and is it worth the investment? Let’s stack it up against two other options available, and see what comes out on top.
How a storage tank compares.
It is possible that if you talk to a well driller or well professional about your low well water, that they will tell you that you need to drill a new well to get the water that you want. Sure, there is always a possibility when drilling a whole new well that you will be able to get the water that you need. But, this can also be a large unknown outcome. You don’t have to look far to encounter stories of where people have had to drill several wells on a property or have had to drill very deep to find enough water. Drilling a new well is expensive even when it is routine, but if you need to go deeper than average, or try a few different spots it can be very expensive. The issue is: you won’t know until they drill. You won’t know how deep they will need to go, or if the amount of water you need is even there. Drilling a new well can be an expensive gamble. When a storage tank is compared against drilling a new well, the storage tank wins. With a storage tank, you already know your current well’s output, and you can calculate how much water per day you can have stored up to use daily. It is not a gamble and it is much less expensive.
Another route that can be tried to solve your low-well water issues is to have your well hydrofracked. Like drilling a new well, hydrofracking is a gamble. Depending on the depth of the well, and the work needed, it can be expensive, but there is no guarantee that hydrofracking the well will get you the water output that you wanted. Like with well drilling, you won’t know until you do it. Hydrofracking uses high-pressure water to try and clear any blockages in the crevasses and perforations in the ground. This isn’t very environmentally friendly, as it can malign the ground structure and can possibly affect neighboring wells. When comparing hydrofracking to a storage tank, the storage tank wins again. With a storage tank you know exactly how much it will cost and the results that it will give. It is also an environmentally friendly option as it uses the same well without any changes.
How to implement.
Hopefully, you will agree that a well water tank is the best solution and that it is worth the investment. The next step is to understand how the best way is to implement a tank, and how you can be confident about the results. First, we will look at what can be commonly recommended versus what we recommend.
Big Tank + Pump Protection Device
One common recommendation that can be made by a well driller or well professional is to drill a new well if the old well is insufficient. If this is not advised, the next most commonly recommended advice is to install a very large fresh water plastic or concrete tank to be put into the ground. After the tank is placed, a pump protection device will then be installed along with some float switches. This device runs the well pump, and will shut off the pump when the well runs out of water. There are many reasons why this is unnecessary, and can actually be very detrimental to your well’s health. First, there is usually no need for such large underground holding tanks. On average a person uses 80-100 gallons of water per day, so a 1,000-2,000 gallon water tank is just not necessary. A lot of room is needed for such a large tank, this can take up valuable space or property, which, in our opinion, is not necessary. As water is being used, the tank will be refilled from the well at a constant rate., and depending on your water usage per day, we recommend that you only need 200-400 gallons of water storage. The pump protection device is made to turn your well pump off only after your well has run out of water. To keep your well from being over pumped, the well pump needs to be shut off before the well runs out of water. If your well is allowed to run out of water your well is still being over pumped, this can bring in silt and plug up those perforations in the ground. Over time, this can result in premature well failure.
The Well Harvester
At Epp Well Solutions we have spent many years developing a solution in response to the problem of low producing wells. Our all-in-one Well Harvester is the best solution for your low well water issues. It is manufactured to be fully plug-in-play with very easy installation. When installed, it will automatically harvest water from your well while using high-tech sensors and logic to stop your well pump from pumping before you are out of water. This protects your well from over pumping while harvesting the most water available from your well, day and night. This system uses patented technology to run seasonal optimizations. It will learn more about the current water levels in the aquifer to get you the most water. It is fully automatic so that you can have the most water available to you without having to adjust clunky timers or watch pressure gauges to get the right amount of water. Our system comes with a high output constant pressure booster pump for the high demand of a household, business, or irrigation systems. The Well Harvester is very compact and completely replaces your old pressure tank and pressure switch to save on space. It comes equipped with a touchscreen interface. This is to show you how much water is available in the tank(s), what the status of the pump systems are, how much water you have used over the week, and much more. Our system is environmentally friendly, as there is no harsh impact to the ground.
Customization and Scalability
Another key benefit of the Epp Well Solutions system is its customization and scalability. The system can be tailored to fit specific water usage patterns and well characteristics. For instance, the amount of water storage can be adjusted based on the household's water consumption needs by using additional tank kits. This customization ensures that the system is both efficient and cost-effective, avoiding the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all approach.
Conclusion
For those dealing with low-yielding wells, a well water storage tank is a worthwhile investment. It offers a reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution compared to drilling new wells or hydrofracking. With the right system, like the Well Harvester, users can enjoy consistent water pressure and supply while protecting their well from overpumping. Furthermore, the added convenience and peace of mind from having a steady water supply make it a valuable addition to any property reliant on well water.
In addition to addressing water pressure and availability issues, well water storage tanks also contribute to better water management practices. By storing water when it is plentiful and using it judiciously during peak times, homeowners can ensure a sustainable water supply. This is particularly important in regions prone to droughts or where water conservation is a priority.
Investing in a well water storage tank not only solves immediate water supply problems but also enhances the overall efficiency and longevity of the well system. By preventing overpumping and reducing wear and tear on the well pump, homeowners can avoid costly repairs and extend the life of their well infrastructure. This makes well water storage tanks a prudent long-term investment for anyone dependent on well water.
Contact us to get your low well water issues solved today!
