Bladder setup procedure

[Gpace1]

Sooo, what is the correct, step-by-step procedure to fill and/or adjust air pressure in a bladder pressure tank.

I have a challenger 85 gal. I would like to set my switch at 40/70. Assuming the pump is still powered off, do I then drain the water from the tank and adjust the air pressure?

I know how to adjust the switch. It's the filling of the tank where I am having difficulty.

What should the status of the pump be at while filling tank? Powered off?
Should tank be filled with water? If I were to create a step by step:

1. Check switch settings:
a. open faucet
b. watch gauge drop til motor kicks on (40psi)
c. close faucet
d. watch gauge rise til motor quits (70psi)
2. Adjust air in tank:
a. Just adjust air at this point ?????? OR
b. drain water in tank, then adjust air ?????? OR.....

Any help will be apppreciated

THX

Gene

 

[Rancher]

Assuming the pump is still powered off, do I then drain the water from the tank and adjust the air pressure?

Yes.

What should the status of the pump be at while filling tank? Powered off?
Should tank be filled with water? If I were to create a step by step:

You drain the tank, check the pressure in the tank, adjust to 2 psi less than cut-in pressure, you then must turn on the pump to fill with water, maybe watch it thru a couple of cycles to make sure it is working ok.

Rancher

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gpace1]

Thanks Rancher

Bear with me:

Do I just drain the tank by powering down pump, then opening a faucet??

 

[Leejosepho]

Do I just drain the tank by powering down pump, then opening a faucet??

The tank does not have to be drained in the literal sense, it simply must have no pressure on the wet side of the bladder, and a faucet should remain open somewhere so no pressure can build on the water side of the bladder while the air side is being checked and/or charged. So, turn off the pump and let all the pressure out of your water system, then charge the air side of the bladder with the appropriate psi, then close the open faucet or spigot and turn the pump back on.

 

[Jadnashua]

The tanks (as I understand it) are designed for a 20-pound differential. By making that 30-pounds, you are likely to decrease the life of the tank's bladder. It will extend the run time of the pump to fill it back up. This has both good and bad ramifications.

 

[Raucina]

Is that so about the 20psi diff? Whats the concensus? If the tank has a internal dome the bladder cant over extend- right?

This is where the plain glasslined tank comes into play. You could have a 20 to 100 switch setting, with a compressed air precharge [requires maintenance] and have a HUGE drawdown and no bladder issues. Not the norm, however, and hard to make a stock switch run that differential.

If you are lucky enough to have a floating disk standard tank and pre-charge it, you will have the very best of both worlds. I guess they stopped making the disk tanks because they were too reliable.

 

[Speedbump]

Have you ever seen what comes out of a galvanized tank that had a floating rubber disc after someone added a chlorinator? Not a pretty site. Plugs up lots of things down stream too. Of course their was the fact that I never saw one that kept a tank from waterlogging. That probably had a lot to do with their demise. I guess the reason you don't see the disc or the glass lined tanks anymore is because they didn't work.

I think you will find the reason that items being used today are still in use and recommended by pro's is because they have been proven to be reliable. This is the jet pump, submersible pump, bladder tank and the Cycle Stop Valve. It's that simple.

bob...