Is my expansion tank dead?

Users who are viewing this thread

Pigrew

New Member
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
West Lafayette, IN
Hi,

I've noticed that (1) Air doesn't come out of my expansion tank when I press in the valve core of the Schrader valve and (2) When I try to pump up the tank with a hand pump, no air goes into the tank. I was doing the pumping while the water pipes were pressurized. The water in my house has about 25 grains of CaCo3 (and I installed a water softener last month). The system pressure is around 60 psi (no pressure reducing valve that I've found).

I think that the tank is about fifteen years old. Do I need to replace the tank? Or am I improperly operating it?

Thanks,

Nathan
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,770
Reaction score
1,190
Points
113
Location
New England
At 15-years, it may be dead. If you knock on it and it sounds solid (klunks rather than rings), it's full of water. As said, to adjust the air in the thing, you need to shut the water off, and drain the pressure from the pipes, then pump it up to around the static water pressure (in your case 60psi). If it doesn't hold or water comes out, it's shot.
 

Pigrew

New Member
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
West Lafayette, IN
bladder or contact tank? you set the air pressure in a bladder tank when it is empty.

Bladder tank; It is a ST-5.

I wonder if my pump is just incompatible with the tank's valve, the plastic of the pump's head bumps into the tank, and perhaps prevents the valve to be opened enough for it to be pumped up.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,602
Reaction score
1,040
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
1. as long as water does NOT come out of the valve when you depress it, the tank is intact.
2. You have to remove ALL water pressure from the system AND leave a faucet open while you pump air into the tank.
3. You cannot overcome the water pressure when adding air.
 

Pigrew

New Member
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
West Lafayette, IN
The tank was quite dead, and has been replaced. I think that some rubber, or perhaps sediment, was blocking the Schrader valve and the inlet, so that I could not pump up the tank, but also water had not entered the tank. Once I depressurized my water lines and tried very hard to inflate it, the whole mess broke apart and I heard water filling the tank.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,602
Reaction score
1,040
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
Your diagnosis could be faulty. The diaphragm may have been stuck to the top of the tank because of no air pressure. When you "popped it loose" it woud have gone to the other side of the tank. Then when you turned the water on, it WOULD have entered the tank pushing the diaphragm back. UNLESS air came out of the water inlet when you pumped air into it, the tank may NOT have been defective.
 

Pigrew

New Member
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
West Lafayette, IN
Your diagnosis could be faulty. The diaphragm may have been stuck to the top of the tank because of no air pressure. When you "popped it loose" it woud have gone to the other side of the tank. Then when you turned the water on, it WOULD have entered the tank pushing the diaphragm back. UNLESS air came out of the water inlet when you pumped air into it, the tank may NOT have been defective.

Good point, however I think that I misspoke slightly. As I was pumping in air, there was a point that the pressure went back down to zero..... and then I gave up at turned on the water. I hadn't taken it off of the plumbing at that point, so I can't say if it had been filled with water or not. Probably it had been, and the trickle was when the water was replacing the air that I had pumped in.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,602
Reaction score
1,040
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
quote; As I was pumping in air, there was a point that the pressure went back down to zero

That could have been the point when the bellows became unstuck and thus the pressure dropped, until you started to fill the entire tank.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks