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Water pressure challenges in high-rise apartment and commercial buildings are a common problem. Sometimes, water pressure can be too low to allow water to flow through the pipes properly, making it difficult to ensure steady water supply at the top floors of tall buildings. Some facility types, such as hotels and hospitals, consume a very heavy volume of water in all areas of the building, putting a strain on the water system.
Your facility will need a customized commercial water booster pump system to solve your specific water pressure challenges. Some other common water pressure challenges include:
- Multiple floors with varying water pressures.
- Many water outlets and hundreds of taps that need to be serviced regularly.
- Water pressure that is too high for lower floors and too low for higher floors.
- Clogged or undersized piping.
To address this problem, here comes the question of "How do you get water to all the floors in your building?" Is it beneficial to install water reservoirs on the building rooftop so it's easier for water to descend using gravitational force? Or do you install a mechanical room midway through the building to power the climb of water all the way to the top?
Installing reservoirs on rooftops or installing a mechanical room midway through the building come with serious drawbacks. When you service your building using the top-down water supply model (reservoirs on rooftops), floors at lower levels of the building experience overly high pressures, leading to plumbing leaks and causing appliances like dishwashers, water heaters, and washing machines to fail prematurely.
Then comes the problem of space and cost effectiveness. Any of these two methods can easily consume lots of space in the building and add significant cost. For example, the reservoirs on rooftops can add tons of unnecessary weight to your building, requiring additional special reinforcement. Plus, you'll have to install pressure reducing valves and incur pumping costs.
The ideal solution for high-rise buildings is to use the municipal water supply and install a water pressure booster system to address the poor water flow by allowing more water to flow at once and raising the pressure on demand. You'll need to get customized water pressure booster pumps & tank systems to meet the specific size and challenges in your building or facility.
Installing a Water Pressure Booster: The Importance of Customization
A water pressure booster is used to overcome low water pressure issues in tall buildings by increasing the pressure (or flow rate) in the building’s supply pipes.
The ideal water pressure for buildings is 30 to 70 psi. If the water pressure is less than 30 psi, the pressure will not be enough to supply water adequately, and if it's over 70 psi, there may be water wastage and plumbing damage.
Here's the challenge: municipal water mains supply water at ground level at about 45 psi to 58 psi. But as water goes higher up the building, water pressure drops (as it rises against gravity) and becomes too low at about the 8th floor of the building.
Water pressure booster systems play an important role in fixing water pressure problems in a high-rise building by boosting water pressure and ensuring an even and adequate supply of water throughout the building. The best solution to your water problem is not a one-size-fits-all booster system. Therefore, there is a need to customize your water pressure booster to address the unique challenges your building or facility is facing.
Take, for example, a hotel like the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, with 52 floors, at 682 feet tall, with 368 rooms. Here, guests in every room and on every floor of the building must have access to adequate water at all times—day or night. Your approach to solving the water pressure problem here will differ from a much smaller structure with 8 floors at 75 feet, or a significantly taller building like the World Trade Center with 109 floors standing at 1,776 feet.
For example, smaller booster water pump systems may be suitable for a large apartment building with fewer restrooms but will not be sufficient for a large state hospital with restrooms and faucets in every room. In addition, variable speed systems may be a more beneficial solution for commercial buildings where demand for water is lower at night or after closing hours, rather than the fixed speed system alternative.
With customization, you can tailor your solution for water pressure booster pumps to the exact problems facing your building with a single end goal: to make sure that on demand, water can instantly reach any part of the building at normal pressure. A customized solution might include a system that boosts water pressure in every part of a building at a given time, or one that does so at the faucet level, or for each floor.
Basic Components of Pressure Booster Systems
Booster pumps operate as a go-between for water sources and the end users, boosting the pressure of water as it flows from the source to its final destination. But what are the basic components of a pressure booster pump? A water pressure booster system contains several components, with the following main parts:
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Impeller and impeller blades
The impeller in pressure booster pumps is the rotating component with multiple fixed blades. The rotation of the impeller (when powered by the motor pump) increases the speed of the water.
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Motor
When water pressure or flow rate drops, the control board senses it and turns on the motor. The motor moves the impeller (just as fan blades work) and propels the water faster.
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Pump
The pump is used to move the water under pressure through the pipes. Sometimes, there's a booster to further increase the efficiency of the pump by improving flow rate (see bel
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Valves
Valves regulate the flow of water through your booster system. Valves can be opened and closed as needed and can reduce the amount of water lost through leaks. They also make water supply more efficient by keeping a certain level of pressure or flow within the pipes. The valves are positioned on the inlet pipe (before the pump) and on the outlet pipe (after the pump).
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Controls
Controls are used to set up an automation system that manages the operation of your booster water pumps. This includes turning them on and off, adjusting their settings, or adjusting how often they open and close.
Types of Water Pressure Booster Systems
Water pressure booster systems can be divided into two main categories: single-stage pumps and multistage pumps.
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1. Single-stage pumps are equipped with one pump unit, which is located in the water source and moves water from the source to the tank. This type of system is most commonly used in residential applications.
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2. Multistage pumps have multiple pump units that work together to move water from the source to the tank. These systems are usually found in commercial applications such as hotels or apartment complexes.
Choosing a Flow Control Method for Water Pressure Boosters
There are four common types of pump flow control methods.
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Throttling control: is a commonly-used method that controls the speed of the pump by varying the amount of water it can move. This method is the least energy efficient.
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Bypassing control: involves using a bypass valve to allow water to flow around an obstruction without affecting the flow through the rest of the system.
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On-off control: uses an on-off valve to control how much fluid flows through a system at fixed intervals. With this option, the pump is either running or not.
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Variable speed drive (VSD) method: controls the flow of fluid using an electric motor to change its speed at set intervals. This is the most energy efficient method for pumping applications.
The Benefit of a Variable Speed Drive System
Variable speed systems use electronic devices to control the speed of water pump motors. They are designed for commercial buildings, hospitals, and hotels. These systems are automated to adjust the system speed according to your needs. This way, your engine can stay idle when there isn't much demand and vice versa.
There are great benefits that come with variable speed systems. These include:
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Requires less maintenance
A variable speed system requires less maintenance because it can control water flow by adjusting its rotating speed. If the water pressure demand is low, the controller speed will adjust. As opposed to other control methods that are manually controlled with an on-off switch, VSD can be automated, so that the system’s pumping is responsive based on need.
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Saves energy cost
The energy costs associated with maintaining a constant flow can be drastically reduced when you use variable speed systems. If your goal is to reduce energy usage, wear and tear, and the overall cost of your booster system, you should consider getting a water booster pump with a variable speed system.
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Extends the lifetime of the system
The more the system is overused, the greater the wear and tear of the body parts. Heavy or long-term usage consequently leads to the breakdown of your booster pump. With a variable speed system, your water booster pump system will last longer because much of the energy and usage time is conserved when not in use.
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Improves guest experience
The variable speed system also improves guest experience due to its ability to deliver water at high enough pressures at all times—day or night. This way, plumbing, fire sprinklers, and air conditioning systems can work properly at all times.
Edison Parker Can Solve Your Water Pressure Challenges
Edison Parker & Associates, Inc. is a leading commercial HVAC service company that provides you with commercial booster pumps for water pressure, quality motors, and water booster system services. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, our team of experts is ready to discuss your system upgrade needs and to customize water booster systems to solve your facility challenges.
We are a quality HVAC company with experienced specialists and technicians. We are dedicated to providing you with the highest quality service for all water booster system repairs and installation. We use only the best and highest-quality boost pumps and can teach you how to manage the risks associated with old and new water pressure booster pump systems. If your water booster pumps are faulty or not performing as expected, we can diagnose and get to the root of the problem.
How We Customize Your Water Pressure Booster Solution
The size of the commercial water pressure booster system we build depends on the demands of your business. Here's how we customize a water pressure booster system for your facility:
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We calculate the flow rate, or gallons per minute (gpm)
It's important to calculate the flow rate of your pump system to determine how many pumps you will need. The number of gallons of water that flows out of your shower head every minute is measured in GPM. Each pump has a flow rate, and this can guide you in choosing or configuring your commercial water pressure booster system.
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We determine your total dynamic head (TDH)
Total dynamic head (TDH) is the total equivalent height that water is to be pumped to, taking friction losses in the pipe into account. The higher the TDH, the more likely it will be that water will flow back into your booster pump system, reducing its effectiveness, and damaging its components over time.
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We match the number and size of pumps to the demand
Choose the number of booster pumps you'll need based on how much water the building needs. Finding the best pump for your building's needs will help your system work as well as it can.
For example, the amount of boost pump needed for a 5-story building is not the same as for a 20-story building. So, when setting up your booster system, we consider the number of pumps you need. Where you place the booster systems matter too. The best place to put a booster pump is directly where you need it to transport water. Installing the pressure pump on the main water line in a facility with low water pressure is a good idea.
Get Water on Demand in Your High-Rise Buildings!
What distinguishes us as one of the top-quality HVAC engineering companies is that we understand that your water booster system is an investment, so we make sure it's one you can trust. Our team of experts are ready to discuss your system upgrade and customization needs, from how many pumps you need to how much storage capacity you will need in your booster system. We build a customized system for you, designed from quality parts with expert workmanship.
A better water pressure booster system can make all the difference, give you smooth operations, and water on demand without frustration. So, why wait? Get in touch with us now for your commercial or industrial water booster pump systems!
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