Trouble-shooting a WX 202?

[gram]

I have a 19 year old Well-X-Trol WX 202 pressure tank and have experienced no problems with it until today. This morning when no water came out of the faucet or other household taps I checked the circuit breaker -- ok -- then went to the tank. Pressure gauge read "0" and customarily reads "50" when no taps are open. After jostling the tank a bit pressure rose. After a short amount of time and another gentle jostle or two of tank, water availability at faucets/taps throughout house [basement and 2 upper stories] was back to normal. Gauge has since returned to customary "50" and tank appears to cycle as expected with a tap open. Tank along with water heater and softener is out of the way and wiring to Pumptron is secured. Not sure what gently jostling the tank did, but it seems to have worked for now. Would appreciate such insights as to trouble-shooting or thoughts as to what might be the problem as the community might provide.

[Mike Swearingen]

The tank bladder may be leaking in which case you willhave to repalce the tank.
With the pump power off and the water pressure crained down, check the tank pressure with a tire gauge. If water comes out, the bladder is shot. The tank air pressure should be two psi below your cut-on pressure.
Good Luck!
Mike

[sammyhydro11]

If you shook that tank and all of sudden you have water, the pressure switch is more than likely your issue. Take the cover off the switch and look to see if the contacts are worn. A bad diaphragm would also cause you to have no water if the pump motor went into thermal overload due to short cycling. I would run a faucet in the house and see how quickly the pump turns on and off.

Sammy

[hj]

IF the gauge read 0, then there was no water in the system, which means the pressure switch did not operate the pump. The tank has nothing to do with that, and the jostling must have jiggled the switch and turned it on.

[gram]

HJ, Sammyhydro11, Mike:

Thank you for the advice.

No problems since I jostled the tank yesterday to include everyone getting up and and out the door to school and work this a.m.

My [uneducated guess] is it was the switch and a case of intermittent contact which the jostling of the tank fixed.

With the power supply turned on to the tank and no demand on the system the system gauge continues to read "50". A check of the pressure via the valve atop the tank reads "44" which is within a degree or so of where tank cycles on at 45-46. No water escapes or present in the pressure check of the valve atop the tank. With a demand for water on the system, tank appears to cycle on and off ok.

Based on your notes, the only other thing I have done is to sweep cobwebs and dust away from the switch and tank-tee and to wire brush the portions of the Pumptrol switch I could get to [in my initial note I referred to it as Pumptron] such as the pressure adjustment spring device which I did with the power supply to the tank turned off at the circuit breaker.

Again, thanks again for your assistance. I count myself lucky this time in at least two ways: the jostling seemed to work and my uncertainty as to how to proceed prompted me to find this board where assistance was readily provided.

Regards,
gram