Today’s “Homestead Water System Tour” video begins with the motorhome water hookup and ends at the water tank. You could look at pictures, or you could enjoy the experience of walking the lines and climbing the mountain with me and my former husband all the way to the water tank. The video is just over 30 minutes, so watch it when you won’t be rushed.
The Homestead Water System Beginning
My family and I arrived at our homestead and moved into our empty metal building on August 8, 2012. If you missed that blog post you may see it here. Moving Into Our Metal Building
We had no water system at all. We quickly got a water pump so we could pump water from the creek. I explain the first water system in the following link. It covers the setup for the water tank. Starting the Homestead Water System
The Temporary Homestead Water System Completed
It was in November of 2013 that we finally had water piped all the way from the water tank to the motorhome. We had waited a very long time. Previously, we used the water pump to fill a large plastic container. and then the water ran from it into the motorhome. Sadly, I ruined the motorhome water container when I told my son, Isaiah, to put more water in the tank when it was already full. Consequently, it burst at the seams.
Pressure Regulator Needed
We had 100 pounds of water pressure. For this reason, a pressure regulator and gauge were necessary before the water entered the motorhome. You can see it in the above picture. I have had to replace parts of it that started leaking after a freeze. It was intimidating, but I found out the parts I needed by taking a picture and showing it to the helpful guys at Home Depot. Ladies, if your husband sets up your water system, make sure you take a video of him explaining it. Unfortunately, you may lose him someday through divorce or death and you will need to understand it. So don’t be dependent on him. Conversely, guys should learn how to cook and do the things the wife does so that they won’t be helpless if they lose her.
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The Water System Manifold
The manifold is just a fancy name for what I call a craft project. Well, if you ever had to fix one that was broken or to even design it in the first place, you would agree that it is quite a craft project. Seriously, the manifold has the purpose of separating two water systems. In our case, it was making it possible to have high pressure for the irrigation lines and low pressure to go to the house. In the video, my former husband, Gary, explains where the pipes go. I must admit that I had forgotten it all, so it is good to have a video to review.
The Pressure Regulator and Gauges
An important part of the manifold is the pressure regulator. High pressure is not good for the pipes in the house or motorhome. A gauge is needed before the pressure regulator to show what pressure is coming from the tank. (See the picture above. It would be the gauge on the right). In our situation, it was 100 pounds of pressure going into the pressure regulator. The regulator can be adjusted at the top to the recommended safe water pressure. You need a gauge after the regulator to show the new pressure. The ideal water pressure for a house should be between 45 to 65 psi.
Another good use for a gauge is to let you know if you are losing water to the tank or below it. The gauge will start dropping as a warning that someone needs to go check the lines. This was always Gary until he was gone, and then I had to do it. The gauge will it zero when there is no more water in the lines. Causes for water loss would be too much silt at the spring, or the friendly neighborhood bears chewing holes in the line causing water loss.
How to Get 100 Pounds of Pressure
In the video, Gary tells a formula for figuring out the height to get 100 psi. 100/.5 = 200 feet. So, he says that the tank is 200 feet above the pressure gauge. That would be straight up from the ground. That doesn’t tell how many actual feet it takes to walk up to it. I have no idea how he figured out how to get it in the exact spot. Maybe he used a slope formula that I learned once upon a time in my Physics class.
Using Precious Water to Wash a Truck
My son, Isaiah, was thrilled that we finally had water that could come out of a faucet and hose so that he could wash his truck. If I remember correctly, he sometimes left the hose running. Gary was not pleased and made a big deal about it. He said it would take five days to fill the tank. When you watch the video, you will hear me making little comments to help him see that it wasn’t so bad after all. He shouldn’t have gotten so upset, but I can’t blame him for wanting to guard his precious water supply. He worked very hard to make it all possible and I really did appreciate having that precious water piped to our little homestead.
Time to Watch the Video
Okay, it is time to watch the video. Friends, if you are unable to leave a tip today, could you bless me by leaving a comment on this blog. I would really appreciate it if you could click the button to watch the video on YouTube so you can hit the Like button and leave a comment there. This will help the algorithm on YouTube to share my video with others. Please commit to watching the whole video. It is just over 30 minutes.