Pressure Tank

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Hi,

My bore has the pump submerged, and at the top of the bore there is a pressure tank.

Of late, when having a shower, we have noticed that our water appears to be thrusting/pulsing.

I assumed ( no technical knowledge) that perhaps the tank needed air pumped into it.

The tank itself is made of some sort of fibreglass, and at the very top there is a black plastic plug type thing, that seems securely attached to the tank. I thought that the valve may be placed underneath it. Trying not to appear to being crude, it is similar to a thick erect nipple.

I tried to turn it, unscrew it, pull it up, but without too much pressure, in case I was doing the wrong thing, and damaged it. I could see no valve elsewhere.

Even if I did find it was under that spot, how do I determine what amount of air should be in it, or whatever. I could see no markings on it, perhaps over the years the old label has come off or deteriorated away.

To the side of the fitting, under it, there is a round pressure guage attached to the pipes. I have never touched this, but note the needle rises up and down showing different pressures when it is in work.

Should I try prize off the black stumpy plastic type fitting from the top of the tank?
 

Reach4

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Are there markings for the tank? You might try posting a picture that shows that cap.

Pressure tanks are normally pressured with a pre-charge air pressure that is 2 PSI lower than the turn-on pressure for the system. That way there is a small amount of water available to be supplied before the pump can deliver water in reaction to the pressure switch calling for water. That difference also allows a small allowance in the difference in calibration between your air and water pressure gauges. I see in the installation manual for the Wellmate fiberglass tanks, they recommend a lower precharge level:
http://www.wellmate.com/Files/Knowl...esidential-captiveair-tank-install-manual.pdf


The precharge is set with the pump off and the water pressure at the tank at zero on the pressure gauge. Then air is added (or rarely released) to set the precharge pressure. Then air valve cover is put back on, and the pump is turned back on.

Many tanks have a cover over the air valve that you unscrew CCW.

Now the pressure tank pre-charge could be the problem if a fluctuation occurs when the pump first turns on. If the fluctuation continues after the pump is running, the well may be running out of water, or there could be some other problem with the pump. If your well is in danger of running short of water, you should protect your pump from burning up by putting in a device to shut down the pump if the water is too low. http://www.cyclestopvalves.com/prod_sensor.html is one such product.

It is also possible that the bladder in the pressure tank has a leak, and this unit is not able to give the normal draw-down of water. That would cause the pump to cycle more frequently. You can test for that by stopping all water use except for one faucet that you can control. Run that faucet until the pump turns on. Then shut the faucet. After the pump turns off, turn off the power to the pump. Turn on your faucet, and measure how much water comes out. The faucet should produce about 25% of the volume of the pressure tank before running out of water. If it produces much less, the bladder has probably failed. The fiberglass tank may have a replaceable bladder.
may be of interest, even though it is in Spanish.

In http://www.wellmate.com/pdf/Residential_AirCell_Replace_Instructions.pdf they call the cover a dust cap, and it looks like it lifts off. Of course we don't know that is what you have. So the markings should tell what you have.
 
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Thanks Reach4, very informative, as always.
Fortunately today it is streaming down with rain, and getting down to the well/pump area is out of the question to provide the photo, but will do as soon as possible and I can report back.
 

Craigpump

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You haven't lived until you tried to replace a "replaceable bladder"....throw the damn thing out and buy a REAL tank from Amtrol.
 

Valveman

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You haven't lived until you tried to replace a "replaceable bladder"....throw the damn thing out and buy a REAL tank from Amtrol.

Yeah replaceable bladders are a real pain and they are made is such a way as to fail and need replacing often. Even a good tank can only take so many pump cycles before the bladder fails. (planned that way) When the pump cycles the bladder in the tank is bent back and forth like bending a wire until it breaks. 100 cycles per day will bend the bladder back 36,500 times, and forth 36,500 times per year.

Stop the pump from cycling and you not only make the pump last many times longer than it was designed, but even a cheap tank will last a long time.

When you replace that tank use a CSV with a little 4.5 gallon size tank. The CSV will make the pressure stronger in the house, the pump, tank, and everything in the system will last many times longer than normal, and it will save you a lot of money. Is it any wonder that many pump guys don’t recommend a CSV?
 

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My wife was away and had the camera with her.

Here are the photo's
One is the top of the cylinder, the next a control box of some sort, and last is the cover of the control box.

I hope this may help to indicate what to do?
Thanks...
 
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Craigpump

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I'm inclined to think that your tank does not have a replaceable bladder. It may have a bladder that has gone bad and the entire tank has to be replaced, but without a brand name or model it's hard to be sure, especially in Australia.

That's a pressure switch of some sort in the second picture and it sure isn't like the Square D type we use here in the states.
 

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The company I emailed never responded..oh well.

I finally got the top off of the tank, and it was like everyone said, "just pull it off". It took a lot of pressure to pull it, and had to be aided by a screw driver prised under it to do so.

I googled more and found that I think I have the XMX unit that is in the pdf's, which is adjusted by turning the disc to the right to increase the cut out pressure, and to the left for cut in pressure. Other reading seems to indicate that settings are normally set to 40/60 with 38 psi in tank, or 50/70 with 48 psi in tank. My pressure guage has a crack in it, and the glass has blackened...I tried cleaning it to see, but not successful, so I will need to buy a new guage and fit it, and then see where it is currently clicking on/off on the guage, then set my air in the tank.

I will report back again when we move to that phase...as it is, what with local rain and a full water tank, we have switched back to that source, as well as utilising the standard water pump it is attached to under the house...naturally we have no fluctuation in temperatures and pressure on this one...phew..
 
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