Pressure tank Tee

[Brian L Bushay]

I have a cabin in Northern Minnesota. Well has a submersible pump which feeds to a pressure tank in a small enclosure attached to the side of the cabin. I want to increase the size of this enclosure and I need to move the pressure tank in doing this. All the pressure tank hookup diagrams I can find show a specialized Tank Tee screwing directly into the bottom of the pressure tank. This makes for tangled piping to put the tank in the location I would like to have it. Is there any good reason why I can't come out of the bottom of the tank with a 1" galvanized pipe and then into a union and elbow and then threading the pressure tank tee into the elbow.

 

[Reach4]

The pressure tank and the tee to the pressure switch need to have a fairly short low-restriction path. This can be done without using a tank tee.

Otherwise you can do what you suggest. It is usually best to avoid galvanized pipe where you can. Consider PVC, copper, PEX or CPVC.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Brian L Bushay]

The pressure tank and the tee to the pressure switch need to have a fairly short low-restriction path. This can be done without using a tank tee.

Otherwise you can do what you suggest. It is usually best to avoid galvanized pipe where you can. Consider PVC, copper, PEX or CPVC.

I realize that galvanized pipe probably has a 50 year life but given that the pressure tank is also steel and virtually all the installations I see up here in Northern Minnesota have a few galvanized fittings on each side of the pressure tank tee it seems reasonable to use.
It is also rigid and I can not see mounting a pressure switch on a 1/4" pipe stalk to any kind of plastic tee or even on plastic pipe that flexes. Copper is rigid too but galvanized has a bit better freeze tolerance. I am only looking at increasing the resistance of the flow by about 18" of pipe and one 90 degree elbow but if it is better to keep it as short as possible I can add a tee just for the pressure switch hook up closer to the tank

 

[Reach4]

I realize that galvanized pipe probably has a 50 year life but given that the pressure tank is also steel and virtually all the installations I see up here in Northern Minnesota have a few galvanized fittings on each side of the pressure tank tee it seems reasonable to use.

If you are talking about a precharged pressure tank, the water does not touch the steel. If you are talking about a "galvanized" tank that has no diaphragm or bladder, then yes. In that case the water hits the steel.

The main problem with steel is potential for an iron taste and rust coloring fixtures.

It is also rigid and I can not see mounting a pressure switch on a 1/4" pipe stalk to any kind of plastic tee or even on plastic pipe that flexes. Copper is rigid too but galvanized has a bit better freeze tolerance.

Brass is the usual pressure tank nipple material.

Copper is rigid too but galvanized has a bit better freeze tolerance. I am only looking at increasing the resistance of the flow by about 18" of pipe and one 90 degree elbow but if it is better to keep it as short as possible I can add a tee just for the pressure switch hook up closer to the tank

While close is best, I have seen pictures where there were several feet that did not seem to cause a problem. Usually that could cause a problem. But your elbow and short lengths would not be a problem. It is best to maintain the 1 inch in that path, even if you switch to 3/4 elsewhere.

PEX, especially PEX A, is the champ when it comes to surviving freezing. But certainly galvanized will be stronger than copper. So your system depends on draining water from the system before hard freezes.