Congratulations; now you're going to get a half a million critiques. About 20 years ago when I lived in the country, I did a very similar project, you will find that this endeavor is a learning experience . After replacing 3 expensive Gould pumps, one after the one way valve failed, I went to Harbor Freight and bought 4, shallow well pumps. They also had a small pressure tank that fed into the large pressure tank, just like yours'. Before retirement I was a pilot and would be gone a couple times a month for 6 days, that's when things break. It must be a law somewhere. I set up 2 pumps in parallel with valves and circuit breakers, took pictures, printed them with valves identified and instructions for my very capable country wife. The third pump just fed the outside irrigation and bypassed the pressure tank., the fourth was a spare. You will find that the shark bite PVC fittings and sliding couplers work great, much easier when modifications or repairs are needed. In a few years, you may experience PVC failures from pump motor vibrations. What I did different is I used two 45 degree fittings to help with the flow rather than a 90 degree fitting, I don't really know if it makes a difference. I also used rubber mat to raise the pumps off the concrete to keep everything dry, reduce rust and vibrations.The third difference, is I used the 1 inch flexible PVC hose/pipe between the pump and manifold. The expansion tank bladders last around 10 years before the rubber fails. You will figure out what is best for your system, it will likely take a modification or two. Your knowledge and experience will help others that are new to off-grid life.

I love your videos and presentations! Direct & to the Point! No fluff!!

You’re like my Arizona Dad. I appreciate it the opportunity to learn sustainable desert living.

I have a similar system for my off grid water system near Douglas. I use a diaphragm pump instead but use the same kind of tank and pressure switch. One suggestion to improve pump longevity is to install a sediment screen filter before the check valve. It keeps any gunk in your tanks from getting to your pump.

Just complementing you, you do such a great job with your video’s editing, and the way you explain things. Thanks for taking time out of your day to make content like this for others to learn from. Greatly appreciated!

Thank you for the informative video. I do have a request, when you do the filtration and the UV system go into details please.

This was a great video. I am really glad you spoke about how the system works and how the parts within the system work. THAT IS AWESOME! I built my pump house through trial and error. I had a design before I built it, but after putting that design in place I found other parts that would make the system before. The original design worked, but I found it could be better. Thank you for posting this video as I will be sharing it with others around me who are going to build pump houses for their homes.

I had a similar setup in my house when I lived in Alaska, retired now and starting to develop my 9 acres in Pearce, AZ. This is a Great video and nice to “see” the system. I’ll be doing something like yours! Thanks for taking the time to make and share your experiences with us out here!

That hard bypass is a great idea. Serviceability is critical. Thanks for the tour!

After you get the walls built, you could built a small box to cover the inlet pipe. To protect from uv rays. Just an idea.

Another great video sir. Thanks for sharing this insightful description and your thoughts that drove your decisions. Looking forward to seeing the roof and continuing progress. Wishing you and your family a blessed week filled with gentle rain, seasonally appropriate weather and restful evenings together. Peace brother

Always enjoy your videos Sir

i love the way he does things ,, not like any company ((commercial work, will not actually last)) but he does it very clean and elegant , the way everyone likes his home to be

Hey, thanks for showing us around the water pressure system.

Excellent video. You are very professional

Thanks for sharing about the pump house and its workings !!!!

Great video and description coming from an ex plumber! I'm always impressed with the amount of work you do in this AZ heat. Stay healthy and God Bless America 🇺🇸

A well done video on the pump and how things work.

I got tired of replacing those cheap pumps every year or so. Look into the Goulds J5sh pump they run for years and then you can buy a rebuild kit for them when the impeller finally comes apart after 5 years or so. Nice explanation on the parts.

Smart design with the fittings and shutoffs! Thanks for sharing!!!!!

Your presentations are always great and I appreciate the information. I look forward to setting up a similar system in the next house.

It's always great to have an explanation, it helps with the understanding.

This is phenomenal, great work

Great job with your rain harvesting 👌. I have land in Anza, southern California, and I have a similar project

Homesteadonomics fans - KNOW your PSI pressure rating of the plumbing fixtures inside. If you set pump pressure too high the fixtures will fail and flood. 50-60 PSI is usually safe. 90 PSI is asking for faucets to pop off. You can also use a pressure regulator inside the house but it's redundant. 🖖-KJ

Thanks for your videos, I've learned a lot from you.

Very good instructional video. Gives me great set up ideas for my Collection System.. Thanks.. Shared it too..

Good stuff, well thought out. Thanks for taking the time to share.

When you mentioned the possibility of a living roof - I pictured goats on top. 🤣🤣 -KJ

Great video as always. My brother built something similar but it is in a concrete block pit that is 7' deep to try to keep it from freezing. The roof is movable for access with a ladder and a 60 watt lamp provides enough heat to make sure it does not freeze up. You might look into what is called a cold roof. The 1st roof is built to the point you would be ready to put the metal on. But 2x2 or 2x4 boards are screwed down from drip edge to peak and then another layer of sheathing and waterproofing and the roofing is screwed to this. At the bottom you put in screen to keep the birds and insects out and at the peak you put in a ridge vent. In our cold temperatures it keeps the snow from melting and turning to ice. However the Engineer that I know who did this on his house said that it also helps keep the roof cooler as it creates a convection current. Gary did this about twenty years ago and is still very happy with how well it works.

Clear explanation thanks. Looks like there’s enough room for batteries and panels on future roof.

Great video and another example of why i subscribed.

Thank you for another excellent informative and interesting video.

Always good information on your channel! 😊

I used a quiet submersible pump inside holding tank then to the pressure tank. I have to place my ear on holding tank to hear the pump running. No need for pump house and with it being submerged will not freeze in southern AZ.

Very well done.

Lots of good planning went into this, nice work!

Just a suggestion, replace the pvc pipe and fittings with a flexible hose connection from the pump to the first pvc connection. This will help on vibration with the pump do it does not put stress on the pvc fittings.

I had a similar setup in a 12' deep pit at a farmhouse I was renting, shallow well jet pump... ran heat lamps inside the pit in winter with hay bales covering the pit cover to add insulation

Again, well thought out and executed. Also appreciate the "green" perspective.

Good work.

Thank you for thinking of your subscribers, way easier and clearer without the "pump house" in the way. Nice fore planning because sooner or later .....

Great video bud I love projects like this.

it's been a long time since you im form 🇱🇰 srilanka

We were just on vacation in southern AZ near Tucson. Would be awesome to meet you sometime when we are out that way and maybe help build a project, if it wasn't too far away! I think I've seen all of your videos, well done!

Thank you, very informative.

Well done. Great content. 😎👍

Thanks for the tour! How do you cut off water to the pump? The couplers are great idea. Need them for my AC condensing line so it’s easier to clean.

my only comment: i'm not sure if you're already planning on it, but you should consider having both filtered and unfiltered water outlets. it'll help extend the life of your filtration system.

Outstanding

I'm glad that yours is gravity feed.

As long as the roof is grey it'll look good!😁

Great video😮 If you can, place a water filter (not the type for drinking water but just for micro sand ecc) before the pump for a higher pump lifespan. Saluti from Italy 😎

If you slip in one translucent/clear panel on the roof it gives you some free daylight in there if you ever have a power issue.

Move over Byron Donalds, there's a new speaker in town! Nice presentation Joe. Super clean set up and best of all, demystifies the whole process. 👍🏻BTW, I like the amended logo.

Regards Joe 🙋This is a great download of excellent content 👌✔️This installation is excellent and I imagine that you will have to protect it, right? Excellent Sunday friend 🌵🌻👩🏻‍🌾🇲🇽

Looks good im redoing ours again cause we are building a bigger cabin ... It would be nice for a huge metal tank but to expensive I will stick to the big polys... Keep it up brother

Man, be careful working outside down there. It hit 118 up here near Camp Verde yesterday and 115 today. I don't generally mind the heat but as much as I wanted to get some stuff done outside this weekend, I decided to stay indoors. That's almost just too hot to breathe!

Your videos are extremly helpful. Can you say if the pressure tank is rated for outdoor use and which model do you have thanks

Nice job

Super Review

Well Done, for me this video is very timely, as I am approaching that part of my build soon. You had a video about your culvert cistern, are you still using it? Also Backwood Homes reprinted your original article in the J/A/S edition.

From afar, your garden looks like a 1 in 1,000 scale model of a refinery...

Do you do tours? Crazy question. My husband and I bought acreage in Avra Valley and I would love for him and my kids to see what is possible on our property.

Great video on how all this works.. I wonder though, would you still need the pump if the water tanks sat higher than the pressure tank? I also still can't wrap my head around the "back pressure" from the pump, to the water tank then to your house. Why does the water from the pump go to the pressure tank (after passing through the T) instead of just straight to the house?

Thank you!

Nice setup. Similar to our (deep) well pump. Our submersible pump works well for 14 yo, but takes a lot of juice to run. How much power does your pump use? We'd like to expand our rain harvest system for house use, but have Midwest cold winters with potential for frozen pipes. Really like how you've got things setup for yourselves. Well done!

Great design. Mine is similar to yours but is galvanized pipe which is starting to rust out. I plan on going PVC like yours, what schedule did you use? 20,40 or 80? I also like the idea of a filtration system installed, will be waiting to see your completion on that.

Great video…got a bunch of info from it. Doing 5 acres in Apache County and have a few questions. From other videos, it looks like your tanks are top fed, how do you balance them…are they bottom balanced? My well pump is rated at 9 gpm, but the water heater is at 4 gpm, will the pressure tank control the difference? Any suggestions would help a lot. Thx.

I am looking for more information on this what you were in a cold climate paraphrasing in your tanks still have to have water for everything 5 stop Garden Greenhouse & house

Brass ball valves are much better than the plastic ball valves. Last much longer and fewer broken handles. Cost a bit more, but worth it.

I hope you cover your filter system when you do it.

Great set up! What size is the pressure tank?

Where is your video for installing your water pump and forming and pouring the well cement? What brand/model well and pump do you have? What size motor do you have?

What are your thoughts on a recirculating pump?

What size pipe is that being used? And how many liters does the pressure tank hold and does it maintain the same water pressure all the way down till when it is empty? For example - if you were having a shower - would you have to adjust the cold water tap because less and less water was coming in per second?

5:01 I would use standard electrical wiring for the pump, rigid wiring can break due to vibrations.

What size of pipe did you use? What does the connection to the tank look like?

Curious, what size pressure tank and HP pump are you using to service your home?

You may want to make certain all your PVC joints between the pump inlet and intake pipe in your tank are tight if you chose not to glue them, because air is being introduced into the water inlet side. That constant cavitation we hear may cause early failure of the impeller, check valve and/or pressure switch or pressure gauge. For future consideration, to minimize risk of constant cavitation vibrating your pressure gauge's working parts, install a liquid filled 0-100psi pressure gauge. and maybe make sure to keep a spare pump, check valve and pressure switch if you live remotely and FedEx only delivers once a week.

Pump up the jam, pump it up while the pump is pumping.

Do you have a filter between the holding tanks and the pump?

I just need one for my fish tanks. Im trying to figure out do i need to connect the sump pump from the water tanks and connect them to the reverse osmosis system for soft water for fish? Do you recommend this or? Do i need a small pressure tank for 100 gallon tanks? 👋🏾

So, what do you use to filter your water now?

Tip: keep two pressure switches and one extra of everything else except pressure tank.

Good simplistic description but that pump sounded horrible! Are the seals failing?

Very nice simple design. My brother lives in Vail AZ, and hauls water every 2 weeks from a municipal water supply to his house storage tank. How much square footage of collection area and storage volume would you need for six months usage assuming 35 - 50 gals/day consumption?

I'm curious, you seem to be out away from town and with all the wild natural land around you, do you have a way to use your collected water with a pump for fire suppression? The fire department near us is a minimum of 15 minutes away and a burning creosote bush or mesquite, or just dry grasses, ignited by lightning could become a 1/2 acre wildfire by the time they get here. I keep the area around our house and shop building clear of brush but there is wild land all around us that I don't own. I've been considering buying a pump and hose to take advantage of our small above ground pool and some additional storage tanks I'm planning to buy. I have no illusions of being able to fight a raging wildfire but if I'm able to put out a small one, or at least keep it at bay, until the fire department gets here, that beats fleeing and leaving the home in peril.

Can this system work on solar panels?

I’ve been getting my ram pump back up and running and l I’m amazed at how quickly PVC degrades in the sun. What do you do to project external PVC?

Good stuff. I do plumbing system design if you ever have a question.

Check valve shpuld never be on the inlet. Potential for cavitation.

Did you consider an elevated water tank on a stand or tower to provide water to your place? And what other options did you have available to you that provided pressurised water?

That will be a nice pump house. Looks like plenty of room to to move around and do maintenance. I know you don’t get much freezing temps. Do you have a plan for those freak times?

👍💨

Is it possible to do your exact setup, but on 12V solar, or would a 12v pump not be sufficient ? This would be an alternative solution to a power outage, not full time setup.

?? Can I just by the bladder? And where ? It's not holding air. Great presentation, as always

Just an FYI, lithium mining is a very minor problem with production of batteries. Lithium is generally "mined" from salt flats or deserts where there is no life. Cobalt is the main problematic component within lithium batteries, but not all lithium batteries use cobalt (ex. LTO, LiFePO4). Generally for electric vehicles they use lithium cobalt batteries, but for home/commercial energy storage, LiFePO4 is commonly used due to increased lifespan.

👍👍

The little screw on the pressure switch is the gap spread and it's not suggested to be moved in less you can recalibrate it it's usually about 20psi spread from factory the main screw is the on and off more pressure less pressure on at 40 off at 60 factory settings this can go down or up not lower then 30 not use over 70 to small for application and as long as your not maxing out the pump at shut off and the pressure stay at l lest 7 psi blow the max it will be fine the amount of pressure life of the pump depends on quality of water and your system quality . The union by the 90 wasn't needed and could of used it for the pressure tank that way nothing would be needed when it came time to replace the tank and the best check valve is a flowmatic brass check valve it had to go wrong and I would put anything else in less I. Had to or temporary. LoL and the air tank pressure 35 factory but can be lower and higher in air pressure depending on on what the pump turn on is. always make sure there no water pressure in the tank when adding or letting out air it will interfere with your pressure reading if water pressure in the tank so water system must be drained off when doing this . Great video nice work IV done this for over 20years now and have done quite a bit off system I basically do anything pump work system and trouble shooting ag and residential. 💦💯👍🛠️✌️🍻