Our water supply stopped. Are the taps on these pipes correct?

[davidst01]

Yesterday the water supply to our building stopped. We checked a few doors down and they were the same. This morning when I was out the wife turned one of the taps on the tank and thus I think we had the temporary water in the tank being utilized. But now Im confused as to the actual taps- eg whether they are switched on  or off. Please look at the photo below and assist. The 2 parallel to each other are connect to the tank itself. Its the one adjacent to the pump that she turned. I think previously it was turned the other way- the red handle was crossed over the blue pipe. What is the normal position?

thanks

 

[lopburi3]

All 3 appear to be on now - crossed over pipe would be off on any I have used (although i use the one lever type).

[bankruatsteve]

It seems like the valve to the left of the pump should be off with the far left one on.  IE: I'm thinking those two valves should be opposite positions.  Hard to say without knowing where everything goes.

[grollies]

All your valves are in the open position. Looks like you are simply recirculating water from your tank, through the pump and back to the tank. Close the upper valve in the picture..... I think..... The two parallel pipes at the top of the picture, I assume the upper pipe is the supply from the pump to the house, what is the lower pipe?

[lopburi3]

It looks as if you have source water connected to bottom of tank in photo, which makes no sense as loss of city water pressure would allow tank to empty and tank would likely never fill with most city pressure.  Or do you have separate no pump line for use in case of failure?  Do you normally use pump?  Answers to what should be open/closed depends on what/which the pipes actually are (input or outputs)

Edited July 30, 2019 by lopburi3

[eyecatcher]

I agree the top valve needs to be closed.

normally the route would be tank....pump...house.

Both outlets from the tank feed the house and maybe garden or someone elses pump further out of shot.

 

The valve thats incorrectly open is pumping water against the flow from the tank

[bankruatsteve]

6 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

It looks as if you have source water connected to bottom of tank in photo, which makes no sense as loss of city water pressure would allow tank to empty and tank would likely never fill with most city pressure.  Or do you have separate no pump line for use in case of failure?  Do you normally use pump?  Answers to what should be open/closed depends on what/which the pipes actually are (input or outputs)

It could be the tank style that has both out/in at the bottom.  IE: the left one has riser inside the tank?

[Andrew Dwyer]

The top pipe is feeding your home from the pump.
The one below it is incoming water into your tank.
The lowest pipe is the suction line from your tank.

You need to close the top valve ( bypass ) as currently the water from pump is going into tank and just recirculating.
The top valve is used when you have no power or a pump problem, then you can use incoming water pressure.

[Crossy]

If I'm interpreting what you have correctly.

 

With it as you have now you should be using supply pressure with the pump turned off.

 

Turn off the top valve and turn on the pump to use the tank.

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Some tanks have feed and suction lines at low level with an internal pipe, does the same job ( as water going into the top of tank ) just more aesthetically pleasing.

Seems to be an absence of a non return valve in the bypass, therefore the op needs to use the pump and only incoming pressure when pump is down.

[geoffbezoz]

36 minutes ago, grollies said:

All your valves are in the open position. Looks like you are simply recirculating water from your tank, through the pump and back to the tank. Close the upper valve in the picture..... I think..... The two parallel pipes at the top of the picture, I assume the upper pipe is the supply from the pump to the house, what is the lower pipe?

Think you are correct and the valve to be closed as you correctly say is actually a bypass. So only need to opened if a problem with the pump not working.

[davidst01]

16 minutes ago, Crossy said:

If I'm interpreting what you have correctly.

 

With it as you have now you should be using supply pressure with the pump turned off.

 

Turn off the top valve and turn on the pump to use the tank.

 

You are correct!

 

What happened is.... yesterday our electrician was fixing a powerpoint near the breaker for the pump. I saw him turn off the breaker and then he left and I forgot to turn it back on. 

 

This morning the wife goes out there and turns the red tap on that tap valve as depicted in the photo. 

 

Then I just realized that its the breaker and turned it back on. The pump turned on and didnt stop. I just took your advice and turned off the top valve. Now the pump has stopped making the sound. I think its working now and back to normal bc when i turn on a tap inside the pump is activated and turns off when we stop the tap. 

 

thanks again

[Naam]

2 hours ago, grollies said:

Looks like you are simply recirculating water from your tank, through the pump and back to the tank.

bingo!

[NCC1701A]

3 hours ago, davidst01 said:

What is the normal position?

i think the director of Thai highway design was moon lighting as a plumber.

[NCC1701A]

2 hours ago, davidst01 said:

and then he left and I forgot to turn it back on. 

same with me. they always forget. 

[stoicccc]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I'm having issues with re-circulating the water as well.

 

#1 is water going into the tank, #4 is water coming out from the tank.

 

If I shut down #3, the water comes into our house but the pump doesn't work.

 

If all are open, the water is pumping but it feels like the water is circulating and the tank never fills up properly, just keeps on going.

 

Help me with the right setup here please.

 

EDIT: #3 is the only pipe coming out from the pump so makes sense that turning it off doesn't give water pressure into the house.

 

Should they all be on? 
 

Edited July 30, 2019 by stoicccc

[lopburi3]

If understand 2 is line into house and should be open.  1 is using city water directly and should normally be off.  2. 3 and 4 should be on to use pump.

[bankruatsteve]

15 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I'm having issues with re-circulating the water as well.

 

#1 is water going into the tank, #4 is water coming out from the tank.

 

If I shut down #3, the water comes into our house but the pump doesn't work.

 

If all are open, the water is pumping but it feels like the water is circulating and the tank never fills up properly, just keeps on going.

 

Help me with the right setup here please.
 

Something is not correct.  If you close #2, does that stop water from your house?  What does closing #1 do?  iE: It looks like #1 is incomer from the mains..  From the photo you would need to close #1 and open #3 to supply water to your house via tank and pump.  Are you sure #1 supplies the tank?  Maybe a separate pipe before the #1 valve is doing that?

 

The way it is now (photo) you are in "bypass" mode using mains to supply water to your house.

Edited July 30, 2019 by bankruatsteve

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Are you sure #1 supplies the tank?

I take it to mean the same pipe feeds the tank as looks like pipe in ground may go around to tank but valve 1 would not control it.

[stoicccc]

5 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

From the photo you would need to close #1 and open #3 to supply water to your house via tank and pump.  Are you sure #1 supplies the tank?  Maybe a separate pipe before the #1 valve is doing that?

Closing #1 and opening #3 fixed it, thank you.

 

And yes I was very sure #1 supplies the tank...and obviously I was very wrong.

 

Million thanks for help.

 

I have an additional question too, if I may: 

 

For the bum guns in both bathrooms and lately the kitchen sink  (used to work perfectly for 4 years, now suddenly very low pressure), the water is not flowing perfectly, like a river. It comes more like in waves and instead of making the humming sound, the water pumps actually makes this periodic pumping sound. Almost likes it's shooting water to the pipes once per second. The water pressure on these is low. 

 

But right next to the bum guns in both bathrooms the toilet sink and the showers are getting perfect water flow from the tank.

 

Could it be that the pipes are somehow clogged?

 

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

I think #1 is the bypass, water is “ teed “ off to fill the tank before the valve.
Agree, 2, 3 and 4 need to be open and #1 closed.
With them all open, pressure from the pump is going back into tank and recirculating but also going to the house via 2 .

[bankruatsteve]

9 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

I have an additional question too, if I may: 

 

For the bum guns in both bathrooms and lately the kitchen sink  (used to work perfectly for 4 years, now suddenly very low pressure), the water is not flowing perfectly, like a river. It comes more like in waves and instead of making the humming sound, the water pumps actually makes this periodic pumping sound. Almost likes it's shooting water to the pipes once per second. The water pressure on these is low. 

 

But right next to the bum guns in both bathrooms the toilet sink and the showers are getting perfect water flow from the tank.

 

Could it be that the pipes are somehow clogged?

 

First thing to check is the filters at the end of the faucet.  Could be clogged with lime.  Also check filters in the hose and make sure stop valve is working properly.  I've had 3 crap material stop valves corrode on me in 8 years.

Edited July 30, 2019 by bankruatsteve

[Artisi]

6 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

It looks as if you have source water connected to bottom of tank in photo, which makes no sense as loss of city water pressure would allow tank to empty and tank would likely never fill with most city pressure.  Or do you have separate no pump line for use in case of failure?  Do you normally use pump?  Answers to what should be open/closed depends on what/which the pipes actually are (input or outputs)

I believe there are now some tanks available that connect to the bottom, I can only assume there is an internal "pipe" that terminates somewhere near to the top of the tank, possibly with float and valve.