Pressure Tank plumbing

[Cobble Hill]

I have a pressure tank in a crawl space that floods seasonally. Can I plumb the tank to the top 2-3 ft above tank inlet to avoid submerged electricals and air inlet? I will relocate tank soon, but the bottom just blew off the old tank and the wife is day 1 without a shower. Help me Obi-wans.

 

[Valveman]

The pressure switch needs to stay within a few feet of the inlet to the pressure tank. Sounds like you need a new tank anyway if it has been submerged. With a Cycle Stop Valve you could wall mount a 4.5 gallon size tank high enough to keep it out of the water. Or with such a small tank it may fit upstairs in the water heater closet or somewhere else.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I have a pressure tank in a crawl space that floods seasonally. Can I plumb the tank to the top 2-3 ft above tank inlet to avoid submerged electricals and air inlet? I will relocate tank soon, but the bottom just blew off the old tank and the wife is day 1 without a shower. Help me Obi-wans.

Yes, but to avoid a problem, put a tee at the base of the tank. Then run a new pipe/tube/nipple from there to a tee that mounts the pressure switch and pressure gauge. The pipe to the house can still be 1 inch, while the new connection can be smaller if you like. If you wanted to, that could be 1/4 inch tubing, for example. The attached drawing tries to illustrate this. One non-obvious thing is how would you sanitize this dead end when sanitizing your well and plumbing? One way would to temporarily unscrew the pressure gauge, and flow treated water. Another would be to add a small valve for the purpose.

They actually make tanks made to be buried, but that is not what you want.. Those cost more, and their output comes out at the bottom to be more easily connected to a pipe below the frost line.

But with a regular tank, you could dig the crawlspace dirt down, and then you could fit a bigger tank into the crawlspace if your access would let you move it in.