Pressure tank life expectancy?

[Oldtyme72]

Quick question: There is an 86 gallon pressure tank available nearby.
It's one from Lowes (AO Smith?)
I asked him and it is 8 years old but the last 5 he was on city water & it was used very sparingly to water his lawn (so he says)
New they are $370, he is asking $125 (and wont budge)
Will the bladders on these suffer from non-use? Is it worth it?
I currently have a 30 gallon and even being just me notice the pump runs on a regular basis (when Im using water) (although thanks to everyone here I did install a new pump and acid my well & now it only takes 10 seconds to fill)
Thanks for any help.

 

[Valveman]

That is not a good brand of tank to start with. Then bladders in tanks are designed to take about 7 years worth of pump cycling before they fail. An 86 gallon size tank only holds 20 gallons of water just like your 30 gallon tank only holds 8 gallons of water. Doesn't sound like your 30 gallon tank is any good as it is filling in 10 seconds. It should be taking 30-40 seconds to fill unless you have a 48 GPM pump? Bigger tanks used to be the only way to reduce the pump cycling. But even going to an 80 gallon tank might give you 60 seconds of run time, which still is not enough. Adding a Cycler Stop Valve will stop the cycling and although it will work with any size tank, a little 4.5 or 10 gallon tank is all that is needed. The CSV and small tank will not only reduce the number of on/off cycles, making the pump and system last longer, but it will also deliver much stronger constant pressure to your house.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

That is not a good brand of tank to start with.

From what I can tell, that is not a bad brand. That is based on reading, and not experience. While not top level, it is far from the lowest. It has a diaphragm. I would think it would be a step up from Amtrol Water Worker, because it has a butyl diaphragm. I don't know how the thickess would be. Well-X-Trol would be top level, but a Well-X-Trol WX-302 is over $850 plus tax. It has a butyl diaphragm and multi-dome construction.

But 10 seconds to fill is way too low, and a CSV or bigger tank is called for. How could that fill in 10 seconds, unless your pump is oversized.

Congratulations again on the successful well rehabilitation.

 

[Sarg]

I would suggest you listen to Valveman .... his guidance certainly helped me.
And personally .... I would not expend the time & effort to install used equipment anyway ...... the seller says it's 8 years old ......... at least a half of the tanks lifespan ......... in the best of circumstances.
Just to mention .... my all new system with a new 20 gal. pressure tank and new 3/4 Gould pump takes a couple minutes to cycle. You say 10 seconds ? Something is very unusual. Is there air pressure in the tank ?

 

[Oldtyme72]

Thanks everyone. I have the day off so I can verify the pressure in my tank.
I might have mentioned my well is only 2 inch shallow.
When I say "10 seconds" its usually when I'm at the kitchen with the faucet on...when I hear the pump kick on it's usually very quick to turn off.
The pump is a 1 HP Wayne & when I was testing it it really pumped the water fast.
The Cycle stop valve is definitely an intriguing item. Not only would it be a cheaper option but I like the idea. If my pump can pump that quickly it would be ideal for it (right?)
My question is where I could mount it in my system and which one I would need (its 30/60). I would definitely go with the cheaper thermoplastic version (because I'm cheap)

 

[Bannerman]

where I could mount it in my system and which one I would need

For one mounting option, see Valveman's avatar as it shows a CSV1A mounted directly on a jet pump with a 4.5 gallon pressure tank mounted directly to the CSV. If you wish for the pressure tank tank mounted separately, it could be connected by a flex line similar to your current setup.

Another option for wall mounting:

You said the pressure switch settings are currently 30/60 but the pressure differential for most systems is only 20 psi.

I had planned to suggest to relocate the pressure switch to sense the pressure from the pressure tank, not from the pump but with using a CSV, the pressure switch will need to be relocated regardless.

 

[Valveman]

My question is where I could mount it in my system and which one I would need (its 30/60). I would definitely go with the cheaper thermoplastic version (because I'm cheap)

Then you need the CSV125-3 in 50 PSI. Put it on the discharge of the pump before or in the middle of that hose.

 

[Bannerman]

Valveman, why CSV125-3 vs CSV125-1?

 

[Valveman]

Valveman, why CSV125-3 vs CSV125-1?

The actual minimum flow through a CSV is determined by the differential pressure. When you have a jet pump with a mx pressure of 70 PSI, and you want to run a 40/60 pressure switch, there is only 10 PSI differential for the CSV to work with. As you can see from the following chart, with only 10 PSI differential the CSV125-1 has a minimum flow of 0.4 GPM while the CSV125-3 will have a minimum of 0.9 GPM. While 0,4 GPM is enough to keep a jet pump cool and will work fine, the CSV125-3 will do closer to the 1 GPM minimum, which is just what we shoot for.