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Lay out the water and pump room

The water room holds the parts of the water system you touch most: filters, UV unit, pressure pump and pressure tank, and often a day tank. It must be easy to reach, dry, frost-free and laid out so filters can be changed without spilling water on electrics.

How

1. Size the room from the equipment list in water-13, water-15 and water-16, plus clear working space in front of every filter housing and valve.
2. Arrange the equipment in the order water flows: inlet, sediment filter, fine filter, UV, pressure tank, then distribution. Label every valve and pipe direction (water-21).
3. Leave room to reach the pressure tank's air valve. UNL Extension says bladder tanks should be pre-charged to about 2 psi below the pump-on pressure, and treatment units need at least 30 psi, so the gauge must be easy to read.
4. Fit a floor drain or a tray and a raised plinth so a leak or filter change does not flood the floor.
5. Keep electrical outlets and controls above splash height and on the dry side of the room. The pump and UV circuits belong in the power design (power-18).
6. Fit a wall rack for spare filter cartridges, O-rings, UV lamp and test kits, with a laminated schedule from water-23.
7. In cold climates, keep the room inside the insulated envelope or heat it enough to stay above freezing; UNL notes above-ground jet pumps need frost protection (water-17).

Safety: Keep electrics away from water and fit a drain or tray.

Do these first

• water-15
• water-16

Sources

1. Private Drinking Water Wells: The Distribution System (G2152). University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, accessed 2026-11

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