Well pressure tank Air VENT?

[sheadmike]

Anyone know what this is called and where to order it from? Not the gauge but the thing I think is a air vent to release air from tank after micronizer

 

[Reach4]

It is called an Air Volume Control (AVC).

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

There are two styles of AVC, one that puts air in and the other that lets air out. The style you have lets air out.

 

[sheadmike]

Thanks guys. You'll answered super fast. Helped a lot!

 

[sheadmike]

Another question, this AVC is leaking. I think it needs replacement. Seems easy enough. Could there be another problem causing the AVC to leak, such as the micronizer not working properly and may need replacement also?

 

[Mliu]

Looks like you have an old steel bladderless water pressure tank. I'd replace it with a captive-air (bladder) tank. You can eliminate the micronizer and the new tank won't have an AVC.

 

[sheadmike]

Thanks, Is the micronizer used to remove the sulfur smell from the water? If the tank is changed, what alternative is there to remove the sulfur? The steel tank is only about 4 years old .

 

[Mliu]

Thanks, Is the micronizer used to remove the sulfur smell from the water? If the tank is changed, what alternative is there to remove the sulfur? The steel tank is only about 4 years old .

I don't know the full details of your system, but a micronizer is typically used to inject air into the water for charging the pressure tank. Micronizer puts air in, AVC lets excess air out. The whole purpose is to have a large, properly-sized bubble of compressible air in the tank to maintain pressure and to minimize short-cycling of your well pump. A bladder tank uses a rubber bladder to separate the "air bubble" from the water so it maintains the correct amount of air charge. Since there is no need to add or remove air with a bladder tank, the micronizer and AVC are not needed nor desired.

There are other products & solutions for eliminating the sulfer odor from well water.

 

[LLigetfa]

A micronizer is seldom used just to maintain air volume in a HP tank. They are most often used to mitigate smell and/or precipitate iron.
Most HP tanks use a snifter/bleeder/check valve to make air.

 

[Valveman]

You would need some other kind of system to stop the sulfur smell is you switch to a bladder tank system. I like the Sulfur Eliminator to do this, then a regular bladder tank can be used as with a PK1A system.

If the water is leaking at the AVC the micronizer may not be adding enough air. They tend to need some maintenance. But the AVC should not be leaking water anyway and needs replacing.

 

[Mliu]

A micronizer is seldom used just to maintain air volume in a HP tank.

Someone really should inform the Micronizer manufacturers...

"The Micronizer is designed to be installed in the water line just prior to the inlet of the hydro-pneumatic tank it serves. This mechanism is a venturi that draws air into the water line through the air inlet.check valve combination to continually charge the tank with air. The excess air in the tank is relieved through an AVC assembly installed in tank."

"The Pentair Wellmate Micronizer installs easily to any hydropneumatic tank, drawing air into the water line through the air inlet. When properly installed and adjusted, the Wellmate Micronizer by Pentair will continually charge the tank with air for 30% to 50% of the pump’s run time. Excess air is relieved through an Air Volume Control assembly installed in the tank."

 

[Valveman]

A bleeder orifice is more common for adding air to a bladder-less style tank. Micronizers are used when air needs to be added while water is being used like when there is iron or sulfur. But I am sure the manufacturer would prefer micronizers be used instead of bleeders as that would make them used 100% of the time instead of just 5% or the time like when there is iron or sulfur.