pressure tank life span

How long do they usually last? Mine is 11 years old, was precharged to 38 and has about 32lb of pressure in it right now but it seems like just flushing the toilet makes the well cut on. I am going to have to check that just to make sure I am not mistaken but and advice on the other question and current air pressure would be much appreciated. Rand

Testing

The air charge in the tank can only be measured after you drain all the water from it.

Life of the bladder will vary depending on what is in the water. I've heard others here say that 8 years is the average life of a bladder tank.

If you have an air pump, the bladder pressure should be set to 2 psi less than your cut-in pressure. Make sure you use an accurate air pressure gage, not many of them are.

Average life of a bladder tank is 7 years. The bladder breaks just like bending a wire back and forth. The fewer times the pump cycles on and off, the fewer times the bladder goes up and down, the longer everything will last. A Cycle Stop Valve will cut your pump cycling by about 2/3rds, which will triple the life of your tank, pump, motor, control, etc.

You probably have a busted bladder and the water is on the air side of the bladder. Let all the water out of the tank. If it still feels heavy or sounds full when you slap it, the bladder is busted.