How to get water in to bladderless pressurized irrigation tank?

[ggnancy]

Hi there. I am trying to understand my old steel pressurised tank for my irrigation system and have a question. Okay so I recently had a leak in the pipe that runs to my tank. When we fixed it I had to let all of the water out of the tank because I could not close it off adequately to keep the area dry for the fix. My irrigation system is now running but my pump will not shut off and water does not appear to be getting back into the tank. When I open the faucet on the pipe at the base of the tank, no water comes out, only a little burst of air. How do I get water back into the tank? Can I attach a hose to the faucet on the pipe at the bottom of the tank and run water in? How would I know when to stop? Cheers!

 

[Reach4]

I think you are saying that your irrigation system is getting water and spraying or whatever is normal for it to do with the water. So there is pressure there. The pipe that separates that system to your tank would seem to be blocked.

Is this a pressure tank, or is a water holding tank? If it is a pressure tank, and if you have a pressure switch, the pressure switch would be at the pressure tank. The blockage would keep the water away from the pressure switch too. So the switch would keep the pump running.

I am not a pro.

 

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[Valveman]

Since your irrigation system is running I am guessing that you have good flow and pressure. Most likely you have too much air in the tank because your Air Volume Control (AVC) is not letting the excess air out of the tank. The AVC is the fitting screwed into the 1 1/2" outlet about 1/2 way up the side of the tank. Then I am guessing the pump will not shut off because all the draining and things you did to the tank got some crud in the little nipple going to the pressure switch, and the switch cannot shut off the pump.

 

[ggnancy]

Since your irrigation system is running I am guessing that you have good flow and pressure. Most likely you have too much air in the tank because your Air Volume Control (AVC) is not letting the excess air out of the tank. The AVC is the fitting screwed into the 1 1/2" outlet about 1/2 way up the side of the tank. Then I am guessing the pump will not shut off because all the draining and things you did to the tank got some crud in the little nipple going to the pressure switch, and the switch cannot shut off the pump.

Okay awesome thank you. I will try to let air out of the tank as the pump is running and see if water comes into the tank.

 

[ggnancy]

I now have water back into my pressure tank and the pressure is up to 30 but the pump is still running even though the irrigation system isn't on. Any guess what the ideal pressure for the pump might be? How does a person figure that out?

 

[Reach4]

I presume this is an irrigation system rather than a house plus irrigation. The pressure required will vary with the type of irrigation. Running one or more impact sprinkler heads with a 50 ft radius would normally take more pressure than using a soaker hose.

You say the irrigation system is not on. Does that mean that no water is being used, and still the pressure only gets to 30 PSI?

Sounds to me as if your pump is not up to the job. Tell us about your pump. Above ground or below ground? If above ground, you may have a clogged jet.

 

[ggnancy]

I presume this is an irrigation system rather than a house plus irrigation. The pressure required will vary with the type of irrigation. Running one or more impact sprinkler heads with a 50 ft radius would normally take more pressure than using a soaker hose.

You say the irrigation system is not on. Does that mean that no water is being used, and still the pressure only gets to 30 PSI?

Sounds to me as if your pump is not up to the job. Tell us about your pump. Above ground or below ground? If above ground, you may have a clogged jet.

Yes the system pump is under ground but must be close to the surface as I can hear it humming. I have a separate pump and pressure tank for my house system but from the same well.
Just now I used an air compressor to get the pressure in the tank up to 50 which is what I discovered to be the turn off level in the grey box by the pressure tank. Sprinklers working great but the pump still won't turn off when the sprinklers are off even though the tanks is reading 50. Grrr. Might be time to call in a plumber. Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[Valveman]

Post some pictures. How can both pumps be in the same well? And where are you reading the 50 PSI that should shut off the 30/50 pressure switch?

Call a pump man, not a plumber.