Inspected this house today. Listing says its rural water supply. But the picture shows a pump? The pump wasn’t on and water service was still accessible. There are two main pipes coming out of the slab. House is built on slab and is an earth contact home. What gives?
rural to me means “something outside of city”…
I believe the Blue Well-X-Trol by Amtrol, is the expansion tank, for pressurization and prevention of overcycling of the pump.
Possibly a central system supply?
i.e. the neighborhood provides water from a central well…
The green object at the bottom of the picture appears to be a pump. The two pipes could indicate that it is a jet pump, but they appear to be only 1/2" pipe, which is awfully small for that.
Jim King
I’m thinking that maybe it used to be well service because it was unplugged and I was getting water pressure. Then switched to rural water at a later date. Or could this pump be used for a public water supply?
lawn sprinkler system perhaps
Have seen a supply boost pump on municipal water systems in new homes in one of our mid-high end semi-rural housing developments (McMansions). When the city water pressure drops, due high numbers of users in the maorning, the pump gives a “local” pressure boost for those in the house.
Booster pumps on a municipal supply willl typically only work if the supply is present, as in the case with a storage tank. You cant suck water from a dry line. If the pressure from the street is not there, a booster wont help. Maybe there are pressure problems within the dwelling internal plumbing system .Hard to tell. It is a possibility though. To me, the X-trol is a simple expansion tank, similar to what is used on a hydronic heating system. Not for storage.
It’s kinda hard to figure it out without being there to run the water and see if that pump actually has a purpose. If you run the pressure down and the pump cycles then it’s there for a reason.
All that we can see in the picture is the discharge side of the pump. 3/4 and 1/2" would be expected here.
You need to follow the intake piping. It will take you to the well cap (if there is one).
Is there a tank in the lower right of the photo?
These things can run for a long time before the pump cycles.
What is the elevation of the house compared to the water supply (if no well cap found)?
Booster pumps are found in houses where the house is up there with the public water tanks.
If you find a lot of these in your area, you may consider the “Well & sampling course”
Pressure guage appears to be showing low pressure also.
That is a Meyers shallow Well jet pump, the intake lines are on the end of the pump under the air bladder. The system will still have flow and pressure for a short period without the pump running. All of the pipes in the photo are the supply pipes.
Brian, I see that quite often down here in this part of MO. They installed a well with pump and then Missouri American Water came through with a rural water supply so the pump is then used as an irrigation pump for the yard. Often EPA required the Rural Water because of high lead or cadmium.