Households all over the world deal with water pressure fluctuations on a daily basis. Depending on the amount of water being used within the home at that given time, these fluctuations vary from a small change in pressure to a trickling shower head. Without the proper water system, a family will see disturbances in their lives. Some people deal with it by making constant changes, while others take advantage of unique technology and put water pressure challenges behind them.
Steve Peel, a veteran contractor of more than fifteen years and part owner of Gulfstream Homes, was one of the many that dealt with this exact problem. He’d step into the shower, only to see the water pressure drastically reduce to just over a trickle. The Peel family regularly adjusted their nightly routine to maneuver around the dishwashing, shower, and laundry schedules of a family of four—which included two growing boys. As a builder himself, Peel was tired of something he knew had an easy fix. So the Peel family, with the help of Golden Gate Well Drilling, turned to a proven constant pressure water system that now provides them the feeling of a municipal system, allowing the family to run the dishwasher, both showers, washing machine, and irrigate the lawn simultaneously without a drop in water pressure.
Featured Image: Homeowners Steve and Kacy Peel
Above: Golden Gate Well Drilling came to Franklin Electric looking for a proven constant pressure water system.
WHEN A “HOUSE TO FLIP” TURNS INTO A PERMANENT RESIDENCE
More than two years ago, Steve, his wife, Kacy, and two children were looking for a place in the Naples, Florida, area that would be suitable for the entire family. Hobbies throughout the family included fishing, boating, and ATV riding, so finding a residence near water with a little land was a challenge. He stumbled upon a foreclosure that provided all of these features externally, but with a huge challenge internally.
“We had to basically gut the house down to the drywall,” says Peel. “We remodeled both bathrooms, the kitchen, and added a five-car garage. During the remodeling, we found that the water system was going to be a major issue with the size of our family. The water quality was very poor, which is typical in this part of Florida, and the very basic water system just wasn’t fulfilling our needs.”
Peel called Bob Mast, owner of Golden Gate Well Drilling, to assess the situation and provide his recommendation. Bob has been the main well driller and water treatment system expert for many of the homes that Steve has built or remodeled over the past ten years, so the trust level was very high.
“Steve really cares about water treatment and water pressure in the homes he builds,” says Mast. “So much so that he wants to know the science behind it and the value to the customer. “He’s very knowledgeable about the technology available, but this was an opportunity for me to show him a water pressure solution that was somewhat unique for the Florida market.”
The first order of business was addressing the poor water quality. To do so, Mast started by installing a 2200 gallon Reverse Osmosis (RO) water treatment system that removes approximately 99 percent of the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) from the water. These solids included fluoride, lime, and all of the excess minerals that find their way into drinking water today. A Franklin Electric BT4 booster pump pushes the water through the RO system’s membrane at about 140 psi to a 300-gallon storage tank. The Peel family’s well water contained 560 ppm TDS measured from the well. Applying the RO system to the existing Franklin Electric water well pumping system, Golden Gate Well Drilling was able to reduce the TDS to between 40 and 52. And, no water is wasted because the RO discharge water is then used for irrigating the lawn.
Bob Mast, owner of Golden Gate Well Drilling
With problem number one now solved, Mast turned to the second phase of the project. The clean drinking water sitting inside the 300-gallon storage tank had to be pressurized into the home. Mast wanted to be sure that the previous problems the Peel family experienced would not be prevalent with the new water system.
Similar to families with low municipal (city) water pressure and those with other restricted incoming pressure, the water pressure challenges often led to Steve’s wife, Kacy, having her schedule dictated by a water system. She found herself staying up late to do laundry because there wasn’t enough water pressure to run the washing machine during the evening hours when the kids needed to take showers. These consistent schedule changes can wear on a family and cause unnecessary headaches.
A LOOK AHEAD
Next month, we’ll look at the installation of Franklin Electric’s SubDrive Inline 1100 and how it provides cruise control for water pressure systems. Eliminating pressure drops and maintaining constant pressure, the Inline 1100 allows well systems to have the feeling of a municipal connection. ◆
About The Author
Sarah Baum is the director of communications and marketing services at Franklin Electric. For more information, visit Golden Gate Well Drilling’s website at www.ecowaternaples.com, Gulfstream Home’s website at www.gulfstreamhomes.com, view the Peel’s story recently featured on the TV Series Operation Build at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqQ4Gc4Om-4, or visit Franklin Electric’s website at www.franklinwater.com.
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MODERN PUMPING TODAY, December 2015
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