Pressure tank shot ?

Hello all ,

I am new here and been reading around the forums for the past couple of days GREAT info, my problem is the pressure tank I think its shot when I bought the house a couple of month back there was no pressure and the pump would come on every single time someone opens water ( we are not living there just yet )

asked a friend he said the tank should have 28-30psi at all times so I got my air hose and compressor and filled it with 30psi of air after draining all the water than was there then went ahead and opened the water up so it fills up pressure gauge reads somewhere between 40-60psi and pump does not come on every time water is opened in the house


the tank is sometimes holding 60 psi ( reading with a tires gauge off the valve stem on top ) and some times its just at 30psi, when tabbing on the side it feels like its not full of water

is my tank shot ? I was told by the servicing company that I need a new tank because my tank does not hold pressure when all it needed is to be drained and filled with air then water ( which I did )

they want me to pay $1050 installed for a 82 gallon tank installed the tank is a flotec which is in home depot for $200 don’t see why I have to pay all that much in labor when reading around the forums here looks like it would take less than a couple hours from the regular home owner

sorry for the long story

thanks for all your help
Mo.

Assuming it is a bladder tank- with only 1 pipe hooked up to it?

The tank should never be full of water. The air pressure should be set to 2 psi lower than the start-up pressure of the pump. (If the pump kicks on at 40psi, the tank should be set to 38psi). The pressure can only be set or properly checked when the tank is completely empty. After you restart the pump and the tank fills with water, the pressure will go up. If the bladder is leaking, the tank will eventually fill with water.

If you again drain the tank and the air pressure is not the same as you initially set it, then it is leaking. If when the tank is pressurized you get any water spray out of the schrader valve, that is also a sure sign of a leaking tank bladder. Water should never be behind the schrader valve.


Oh, and the Flotec is cheap because you get what you pay for.

Oh, and the Flotec is cheap because you get what you pay for.

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How true. I can't believe a professional (assuming this person is) would sell you a Flotec which is a HD product that homeowners buy not professionals. And then want to charge you another $800.00 to cut one pipe and glue it back together.

Wow, if only I could make money like that.

bob...

If flotec is real junk what should i buy and where do i look for it then ?

I would use a PC 66 tank with a CSV1W. You can find them at the following links. The tank is $135.39 and the CSV1W is $127.99.

http://secure.mycart.net/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=4826118&showprevnext=1

http://secure.mycart.net/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=4951238&showprevnext=1

I will go ahead and order the bladder tank, but should I get the 82 gal like what's in there already ?


sorry if I ask too many questions I am new to this home owner life all together

That depends on whether your going to use a CSV with it or not.

bob...

speedbump said:

That depends on whether your going to use a CSV with it or not.

bob...

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so I can get away with using a 66 tank if I am using a CSV right ? I would like to use a CSV to save my pump and to get better pressure what I am running now is pretty low pressure once you open a second faucet the pressure drops dead

If your pressure drops like you mentioned above, you may need more than a new tank and a CSV. Unless the tank is shot and it's causing the pump to cycle itself until the overload trips.

If you can monitor the gauge (and you know it is working properly) have someone turn on one faucet and watch it for a while. Does it come on than off repeatedly? Now turn on another faucet. What does the pump do now? What are the pressures?

bob...