Well tank has a little drip...help!!!

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gogi

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Hi,

I have Well-x-trol WX-203 in the hous I moved into about 6 months ago. I have had no problems until this week, when I noticed a small puddle underneath the front of the tank. The leak is a drip about every 5 seconds or so and filled an aluminum turkey pan about an inch and half in about seven days. I checked the valvels at the front and they do not apear to be the problem. The actual drip falls from the bottom of the tank stand. I can not look underneath to see the bottom, but when I put my hand under the tank stand the tube coming from the bootom of the tank feels moist. I assume the link is coming from somewhere at the bottom of the tank and running down the tube and on to the inside of the tank stand where it froms up to drip on the floor. Obviously, little leaks can turn into big problems. I am concerned and would like any advice on how to approach a fix or should I just call plumber? I am also concerned about the cost of a plumber, especially because I am new to the area and do not who is reputable and who is going to take advantage. I am pretty handy and have saved a lot of money over the years through careful research and doing things myself. I also know my limitations and do not want to create a bigger disaster if I could just fork out a couple of hundred dollars.

Any help would be aprreciated..!!!

Thanks Gogi :confused:
 

Leejosepho

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gogi said:
... the tube coming from the bottom of the tank feels moist. I assume the link is coming from somewhere at the bottom of the tank and running down the tube and on to the inside of the tank stand where it froms up to drip on the floor.

In our case here a few months ago, part of the elbow going into the bottom-center of our vertical tank had slowly eroded away, leaving a seeping leak. When I had first noticed the dampness on the floor and the rusty tank stand, I had assumed condensation was the problem. But when moving the tank during some later remodeling, I discovered the gone-bad elbow. If you can first reach under there with some paper towel and dry everything off, next check again with dry fingers to see whether your fitting into the tank and/or which part of it gets wet first ...
 

gogi

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Thanks for the reply

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I did what you recomended and found the leak. The tank was to big to lift so I used a mirror and a flashlight. The leak is coming from the pipe that comes from the bottom of the tank and through the stand. The point just before it comes through the stand appears to have a weld that a pipe to the pipe coming from the bottom of the tank. After drying the area with a paper towel, I can see the water start to form a bead at the bottom of where the two pieces connect. The area has clean paint all around except where the water beads there is a tiny bit of rust.

Next question, how can I fix this? Since this is water we drink, I want to be careful not to poison my family by using the wrong type of adhesive or such. It seems like something I should be able to repair myself, but I also don't want to make a temporary repair that will allow a the problem to fester and one day I have a flooded basement.

Any help would be appreciated...!!!

P.S. - sorry if my posts are too long or I am being redundant. I am new to the forum and just trying to be thorough with posting my questions and problem. Thanks again to the forum for the help!
 

Randyj

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From what I'm reading I have a mental image of an elbow under this tank which is on a stand and it is leaking at the elbow or the nipple going into the elbow. I'd like others to answer this too... If you want to do it, fine. First you need to find a union or some connection you can take the pipe apart at. If there isn't one reasonably close then you need to decide how to put the pipe back together once you cut it. For this you may opt for a compression coupling made out of the same material as the pipe or one that is made for that type of pipe. Once you figure it out you'll have to turn off the electricity, drain the tank and disassemble from the point where you break the line all the way to the offending part. If there is rust in the threads you should use a steel brush such as used for preparing copper fittings to clean up the threads. Use a good pipe joint compound for metal fittings to coat male and female threads then reassemble. You might even want to use a cap or plug to test the fittings for leaks before reassembling. Check with your hardware or wherever you buy your stuff to see if they have a good suggestion. I'm sure there are epoxy and other items that can be used that I'm not familiar with... always a new mousetrap somewhere.
 

Bob NH

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The drawing for the WX-203 shows an elbow at the bottom center of the tank. http://www.amtrol.com/pdf/wxtsubmittal.pdf

If yours is built that way, it should be possible to remove the nipple that goes from that elbow to the base of the tank and replace it with one that doesn't leak. The drawing shows a 1" fitting. A 1" x 8" nipple would extend the pipe to outside the base; a 6" nipple might be just long enough.

Depending on the kind of fitting you have, there might be a replaceable fitting at the location of the leak.

Sometimes the piping has been installed so that you can't easily remove the tank to work on it. In that case, I usually cut the pipe and insert a union when I put it back together.

You should try to determine if the nipple is replaceable before you cut the nipple under the tank, because if you have gone that far and can't replace the nipple, you may need a new tank.

I know it is not code to use PVC in a residence, but the easiest material to work with in this situation is PVC. You can get a 1" PVC Union at HD.

Brass is much better but it is harder to fit up and is much more expensive. You can also get galvanized parts such as a 1" galvanized nipple and union, and work from there.

Assuming the nipple is replaceable and you want to use PVC:
If you have access to Grainger (or know someone who has), or a good plumbing shop, get a 1" x 12" Schedule 80 PVC threaded nipple (6MW13, $2.13) and a 1" SLIP (cement) union (6MW68, $4.63). You can cut the nipple to length to fit the tank and cement the union on. Then you can use the other end of the nipple (cut to length) to adapt to the rest of your system. If you need more fittings, Schedule 40 fittings from HD will fit the Schedule 80 pipe.

You will need cement and "purple primer" (or some other kind of primer) to cement the pipe.
 

Raucina

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Another solution is to get a little bigger turkey pan and keep it there. Leaks that small usually seal themselves up from some sediment in the water. I have several that come and go and cause no concern. Of course if it increases in volume consistently then you will need to operate.
 

Leejosepho

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gogi said:
The leak is coming from the pipe that comes from the bottom of the tank and through the stand. The point just before it comes through the stand appears to have a weld ... I can see the water start to form a bead at the bottom of where the two pieces connect. The area has clean paint all around except where the water beads there is a tiny bit of rust.

So then, you are saying your leak is at the bottom of a horizontal pipe and a few inches away from the center of your tank?
 

Speedbump

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If this WX-203 is more than 10 years old, it's very possible the water is coming through the metal itself around that elbow at the weld. If so, all the epoxy in the world will not stop the leak for long. It's probably time to replace the tank.

bob...
 

gogi

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The model is actually the wx-203 pro access

This model has the pipe that extends through the tank stand versus the wx-203 that just has the elbow and the installer connects it. Before the horizontal pipe extends through the tank stand it is welded to a larger diameter pipe (coupler???) that extends through the tank stand where it is connected to tee/pressure guage, etc.

I called Amtrol today and talked to a technician (extremely helpful, a welcome suprise) who told if the tank is less than 5 years they will replace the tank. If it is older, I am going to have to pony up the ~$550 for new tank of the same model I have or ~$500 for the standard wx-203 without the extension from the elbow joint. I asked why the weld would fail if it wasn't a manufacturers defect, he said that something is in the water that corroded it from the inside probably. I asked if it could be repaired, he told me that you try to seal it, but it would likely not last too long. I hope I am not going to buy a new tank every 6-7 years:eek:

So long story short, I am probably gonna have to pony up for a new tank. I know quotes will vary, but can anyone give me an idea about how much it will/should cost to have the tank installed?

Again thanks to the forum all the help..!!!
 

Leejosepho

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gogi said:
This [wx-203p] model has the pipe that extends through the tank stand versus the wx-203 that just has the elbow ...

I asked [the technician] why the weld would fail if it wasn't a manufacturers defect, he said that something is in the water that corroded it from the inside probably. I asked if it could be repaired, he told me that you try to seal it, but it would likely not last too long ...

So long story short, I am probably gonna have to pony up for a new tank ...

That corrosion or erosion at the weld on your present pipe is not actually the result of a defect, but of a design flaw. Pipe can certainly be welded, but not without compromising its integrity unless some post-welding considerations are made.

Your actual tank, itself, is still fine, and if it was mine, I would cut that pipe just short of the weld and use the best method available (other than welding) to connect a new pipe to the existing one, and likely for less that $20.00. But, you will probably have difficulty finding someone to do that for you. So, and if/when you do end up buying a new tank, be sure to get one with a threaded connection at the tank so your piping can be easily replaced or repaired in the future, if necessary.
 
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