Is my pressure tank bad?

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Chixman64

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Can’t figure it out? I have a 33 gallon pressure tank. Maybe 7 years old. Noticed recently water pressure issues. When I run washer, I have no other water. Nothing but a trickle from sink or shower. Never use to happen. Just put new Switch 60/40, tee and dial on and still having issues. Today, starting at 60 cut off, turned on water and I could only get just about 5 gallons of water until cut in at 40, which took forever. Tried bleeding system, checked bladder pressure is at 38psi and did tank test, which sounds ok. I did notice a lot of sediment when I tipped tank over when installing new tee.

Need help. Don’t know if tank is bad or if something with pump, which is 20 years old.
 

LLigetfa

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I could only get just about 5 gallons of water until cut in at 40
Drawdown for a 33 gallon tank at 40/60 is 9 gallons so it looks like you are 4 gallons shy.

A bad tank would not affect pressure/volume while the pump is running but a piece of rubber from a busted diaphragm could block the outlet and reduce the volume when the pump is not running.

The sediment could be due to a busted diaphragm.
 

Reach4

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Clogged cartridge filter in the path? When you get your trickle, what does the pressure gauge say?
Is the pump running continuously during the trickle?

not causing the trickle, but ... Flush the sediment.
Precharged Pressure tank flush:
1. Connect a hose to the sediment drain valve, and run that to where you plan to drain the water. I suggest filtering the output through a cloth if you suspect the sediment may include sand.
2. Turn off the pump.
3. Open the drain valve, and let it drain until the water stops. It would be possibly interesting to watch the first water that comes out.
4. Close the valve, and turn the pump back on, and let pressure build.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 as needed.
 

Chixman64

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Clogged cartridge filter in the path? When you get your trickle, what does the pressure gauge say?
Is the pump running continuously during the trickle?

not causing the trickle, but ... Flush the sediment.
Precharged Pressure tank flush:
1. Connect a hose to the sediment drain valve, and run that to where you plan to drain the water. I suggest filtering the output through a cloth if you suspect the sediment may include sand.
2. Turn off the pump.
3. Open the drain valve, and let it drain until the water stops. It would be possibly interesting to watch the first water that comes out.
4. Close the valve, and turn the pump back on, and let pressure build.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 as needed.
No Cartridge filter in path.

Flushed out tank..... What I did was turn off valve to house. So just the pump and tank. Hooked up hose and opened drain valve. ***** lot of pressure ****** Filled almost 2 - 5 gallon pails quick. Turned power back on.

Thought about it for a minute and got another 5 gallon pail. When cut in at 40psi the pump kicked in, it went up to 50psi and stayed there until I shut the drain valve off, then went to cutoff at 60. So, my thoughts it is not the pressure tank or pump.

I have 3 units after pressure tank - iron filter, double softener and 1 other. I'm thinking there is something with one of them. All have bypasses but I can not bypass any of them. Not that I can't - I have really bad iron...... I mean if I bypass any of them my white shower turns orange immediately. So it is not an option!!!!

Still at a loss!!
 

Valveman

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- iron filter, double softener and 1 other. I'm thinking there is something with one of them. All have bypasses but I can not bypass any of them.
Ding, ding, ding! Something is clogged up. If you have 40 to 60 at the gauge on the tank yet only get a trickle, something is clogged up.
 

LLigetfa

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Iron can build up inside of pipes reducing it to smaller than a pencil. When that happens, the iron filter does not get adequate GPM to backwash and the media in it also clogs.

When I replaced my old iron filter, I replaced the 3/4" copper pipe with 1 - 1/4" PVC and installed unions so that I can take it apart to flush out the iron buildup.
 

Reach4

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I would run the pressure tank drain hose outside, so you can partially fill and totally empty the tank several times. Buckets make it a lot of work IMO, but nice for monitoring what comes out.

Regarding bypasses, I think you are going to have to use the bypasses for troubleshooting. Figure out one sink to serve as the sacrificial device. How about the laundry cold tap. Only test with cold so no crap into the WH. Short high-volume water use can let you test without a lot of total volume.

How about installing some boiler drains in your piping path as test points? Yes, it is an effort, but gotta do something. You can connect a garden hose, or you can put a garden hose thread (GHT) pressure gauge on that. Maybe use a Sharkbite slip tee https://www.sharkbite.com/us/en/brass-push-to-connect/fittings/tees/brass-push-slip-tee or two to insert taps into pipes.
 
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