ComputerGuy Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 I've lived in one house in Riberas for four years now. The water pressure is simply gravity-feed from the tinaco, and "enough", but it's not very good. My last place I installed a pressure system and filtration system. Here, I don't relish the thought of spending that kind of money, not just on the gear, but the monthly electricity bills to run the pressure system. So the other day, thanks to a friend in Riberas, I uncovered a solution. I now have a small pump on the roof that kicks in when I use water in the house, and has easily doubled the water pressure. My morning shower is a whole new experience. The bathroom and kitchen faucets are now "normal" in terms of the time it takes to fill a cup. Because of the sediment in the water system in Riberas, my washing machine filter gets clogged within two days of a cleaning. The bigger problem is that the filter is located behind the backsplash of the washer, which means it has to be pulled out and the aluminum plate removed from the back, just to get at the filter. Needless to say, that doesn't happen very often, and the result is a piddling dribble of water that takes at least a half-hour to give me a small fill. So today we are installing an external filter, a large one, similar to what you would find in a proper system filtration installation. I will be able to get at this because it will hang on the wall. The filter is a washable type, and will do a much better job of catching the silt, which will also result in cleaner laundry (I've had occasions where the silt bypassess the screen-type filter and turns my clothes brown). Add the new pressure to that, and my laundry days might even be something to which I look forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo1 Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 What size pump on the roof did you put in? Did you use solely a pump or also a pressure tank? I presume you put the pump between the outflow pipe on the tinaco and the house. When I lived in Riberas I finally took off the filter on the intake hose to the washer. I didn't notice an difference in my laundry being less white. I learned early on not to use bleach with the hard water as it would cause brown splotches on my whites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 It's a very small 1/8 HP (maybe 1/6?) motor. No pressure tank; as I explained, I didn't want any of the expense. When the tinaco float senses water in use, the pump comes on and pushes the water, so yes, betewen the outlfow and the house. Even with the mesh thimble in the cold water hose going to the washer, I've had occasions where there was so much silt that my stuff had to be taken to the cleaners. First time was on beige pants, no bleach involved. Well, you can tell of course, by putting a cup under the waterfall, or even your cupped hand. You can also tell by looking at the clothes under the waterfall: that's where the brown is, before the wash cycle starts. It seems to happen infrequently, and perhaps on days when there has been a water surge from the street when maybe the aljibe was low, which stirred things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 http://igoto.com.mx/pumps/ http://igoto.com.mx/pumps/presurizador.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcscats Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 I use a similar pump in my casita to pump from the underground tank. Its been very reliable, small, quiet. Can't ask for more. It senses a drop in pressure when you open a tap and turns itself on. Mine has three setting on, off, and auto. Auto works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis clark Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 On 7/21/2016 at 5:52 PM, ComputerGuy said: old topic CG when you added that pump, did you need to run a new electric line, or can you use power coming off the tinaco float switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted April 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 There was already power to the roof for the tinaco... and it is still one of the cheapest, best investments I've made concerning plumbing in the several houses in which I've lived here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis clark Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 the only power going to the tinaco is for the float switch.can I tap that? my plumber was making bad faces. wants to run power across the roof. love to hear your story. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zerbit Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Our Ajijic house has the pressurized tank system, noisy and inefficient. Our Guanajuato house has the inline pressure detecting pump, like you just installed. Quiet, efficient, less costly and takes up little room Also works great with the on demand water heater. So much better than a tank system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Very interesting. I've never hear of a inline pressure detecting pump. Maybe just what I need. So this pump uses a fraction of the electricity that a pressure system would use? If you were to use one with a water purification sustem I wonder if you would put it before or after the filters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 I cannot see any difference in my electric bill. I can hear it coming on, far off in the distance on the roof (in the loo, it's right above my head), but with the water in the tap running, or the toilet flushing, I can no longer hear it. Can only tell you, dennis, that yes, that's the only electric I have on the roof... just a wire going to the tinaco float switch. I can give you the name of the guy who did it for me. Another great find from Ferret on this board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis clark Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 CG,Thanks. that would be great. I'take you up on that. can't have to many arrows in the quiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo1 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 I agree with ComputerGuy. I used the same installer he did and I'm very happy. And no increase in the electric bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Adolfo. 331-229-9842. Yo1, I'm curious... do we have friends in common? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 I did the same thing on a house in Riberas and it worked very well. This is an inexpensive fix for the common problem of low pressure from Tinacos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 28 minutes ago, Mainecoons said: I did the same thing on a house in Riberas and it worked very well. This is an inexpensive fix for the common problem of low pressure from Tinacos. Question. Why is it better than a pressure system? Can you use it with a purification system (filters and UV) and where to put the pump-before of after the filters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 17 hours ago, dennis clark said: the only power going to the tinaco is for the float switch.can I tap that? my plumber was making bad faces. wants to run power across the roof. love to hear your story. thanks That line to the float switch is probably a single line, up and back, interrupted by the float switch contact. It cannot be used as a power source, which requires two lines, + and - that your electrician might install across your roof. No wonder he made “bad faces“. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis clark Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 3 minutes ago, RVGRINGO said: That line to the float switch is probably a single line, up and back, interrupted by the float switch contact. It cannot be used as a power source, which requires two lines, + and - that your electrician might install across your roof. No wonder he made “bad faces“. I thought so.. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 You may be right... I didn't pay much attention. He told me he could make do with what I had, which I believed to be only power to the float switch. My apologies; it was almost a year ago and I only recorded a handful of details. As to why it's better? It's not better overall as a system, but it is a far-less costly alternative. It doubled the water pressure in my house, which was a massive improvement, considering how weak the pressure was before. I would say it is not strong enough to use with purification filters, as it merely pushes water down from the roof to assist with the gravity feed. That's about all I can tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 13 hours ago, ComputerGuy said: Adolfo. 331-229-9842. Yo1, I'm curious... do we have friends in common? His name is Alfonso. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis clark Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 4 minutes ago, Ferret said: His name is Alfonso. thanks guys. am meeting with him this afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Whoops. An added note; I had mentioned in my OP that I installed a large filtration system filter behind my washing machine; this certainly comes after the pump, and works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 1 hour ago, cedros said: Question. Why is it better than a pressure system? Can you use it with a purification system (filters and UV) and where to put the pump-before of after the filters? Much cheaper and simpler. It should go at the very end where the water enters the house, after filtration. The system I referred to had the exact same setup as in CG's picture. The pump to lift water to the Tinaco first pushes the water through a filter located on the ground floor next to the pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 I kinda think we're mixing apples and oranges here because we all have different types of systems. I do have an aljibe but that is strictly back up emergency water. My regular water from the street arrives with such pressure that it fills the tinaco located on my roof (one story) and then it gravity feeds to the house as needed. It is on that gravity fed line that my "go to pump" is installed. So that provides increased pressure to the house where previously it was all gravity fed. Under my kitchen sink, I have a small purification system... two filters and a uv light. Works just hunky-dory. I know when it's time to change the filters because the stream of water from the spout on my kitchen sink won't come out with force at a 45 degree angle. The uv light is coming up (in June) for its one year replacement. And my last electric bill was 256 pesos. Anything to do with water that requires a pump and a pressure system will put your electric bill through the roof. That's why I wanted a tinaco again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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