Whatz dis?

[DonTx]

First time I've seen such a contraption.

Anyone have any ideas?

EDIT: It will probably help to start with the last photo first.

 

[kurt]

Bizarro World pump, cistern/holding tank, & expansion tank?

[crusty]

I dunno but I would put some distance behind me before I disclaimed and deferred it. I wouldn't want it p_ _ _ed it off at me. [:-scared][:-shake][]

[Chad Fabry]

I see thw shallow well pump on the pressure tank. What's the compressor for?

[Steve Knight]

I would guess the compressor is set up to maintain air pressure in the pressure tank. Its a conventional tank and there is no separation between water and air so they need additional air from time to time. If the pressure tank leaks air it may need regular re-charging. I have seen compressors setting next to the pressure tank so its easy for the owner to add air each day.

[Les]

That round black thing is my Rambler's spare tire. Other objects d'art look like a settlement tank. I used to see something like this on surface water wells on islands in Lake Michigan.

[Renron]

I think its a still. Did ya test the moonshine for purity and odor?

Ron

[Richard Moore]

If it were China, I'd suspect a methane gas plant and I wouldn't want to know what is generating the gas!

[Paul MacLean]

I've never seen one around here, but I vote with Kurt. Cistern is my guess.

[Erby]

I don't have any pictures but had something very similar when I lived out in the country southwest of Austin and had a 150 foot well.

The submersible well pump, 150' down, sent water into the holding tank turning off and on based on the float switch in the holding tank. Pumped 50 - 100 gallons each time it came on.

The holding tank fed water to the 50 gallon pressure tank and house thru a jet pump based on the pressure switch on the jet pump. Jet pump came on every 5 or 10 gallons.

Worked well. The theory, as I understood it at the time was to reduce the number of on/off cycles of the well pump, transferring those on/off cycles to the jet pump in the well house. This was supposed to increase the service life of the submersible well pump.

Much easier and cheaper to replace a jet pump in the well house than it was to bring out a rig to replace the submersible pump at the bottom of the well .

[DonTx]

Erby hit the nail on the head.

Did a new construction home out in the boonies a few weeks ago and they had a new set up like this. Only the tank was like RubberMade material.

[Tom Corrigan]

Called a repump system. Often used to vent unwanted gasses or to allow clay to settle. Can also be used to compensate for a low flow well. If you pump at 1/2 GPM from the well for 24 hours/day you get lotsa water. You just gotta store it and "repump" it.

Tom Corrigan