Xtrol Water Pressure Tank Slowly losing pressure throughout the day

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Shaun091382

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Hello

I have an Xtrol water pressure tank that seems to be losing psi throughout the day every two maybe 3 hours kicks back on.

The tank was installed when I added a well to my property in 2006.

The pressure being lost baffles me as this seems to be occurring when no water is being used.

I have done some tests.

- Drained the tank properly and small shakes no water is heard sloshing around inside

- I honestly did not know I was supposed to be checking air pressure regularly on these tanks and when I did the psi was around 20...where it should be 28 for the 30/50 switch. I have since topped this up but the problem persists.

- Also when filling up the pressure tank ..as soon as it hits it's 50psi cut off and the switch turns off...I close the valve between the tank and the house and it seems to be holding at 50 psi with no drop.

I have switched the house plumbing over from copper to pex within the last year...almost all plumbing is exposed in the basement...I have checked the connectors and nothing seems to be leaking into the basement from what I can tell.

Recently I have had to have a plumber change out the pressure control switch as the old one was leaking water..I dont think this could be the issue.

I also have a water softener and iron filter (tanks) in the house that seem to be functioning with no leaks.

I do have a tub upstairs that has a minor tap leak..but nothing more then a 1/2 cup all night..(I did put down a plastic container to measure)

The Xtrol pressure tank does sweat along the bottom 1/3 of the tank sometimes and I have noticed there is some rust forming around the bottom seam of my pressure tank but dont feel any air or see water leaking from it or under it.

I dont have proof right now..but I do believe my well water to be a little acidic and have some sediment...my old copper piping at every joint was virtually corroded with numerous pinhole leaks over the year throughout the plumbing and I am on the verge of replacing my old washing machine as it is rusting out badly.

pump1.jpgpump2.jpgpump3.jpg
 

Valveman

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Also when filling up the pressure tank ..as soon as it hits it's 50psi cut off and the switch turns off...I close the valve between the tank and the house and it seems to be holding at 50 psi with no drop.

Then you have a leak after that closed valve. That tank holds 8 to 10 gallons of water so three times a night is a pretty good leak. Maybe a leaky toilet or something wrong with the water softener.
 

Shaun091382

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I'll have get someone I guess.....dead silent in the house and I don't hear any water going down the waste pipes....the guts of both the toilets are old but I don't see them running or leaking......not even sure what to look for with the softener....
 

Shaun091382

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*Update*

I've been trying to do more investigating on the loss of pressure in my pressure tank as per above post. I will try to provide as much detail as I can.

To try and track down the source of the pressure loss I have trying to inspect plumbing from every valve I have access to open and close, I have attached some new pictures to help maybe illustrate more

From the water pressure tank the cold water line is 3/4'' dia and goes vertical about 10 feet up the wall and then about a 25 to 30 foot run to the first (small) blue tank which is then fed into the larger blue tank (Iron Filtration system)

Then from the Iron Filter tanks into the white water softener tank on the right.

From there it goes out into the house main branch for cold water and into the hot water tank.

Pictured in one of my supplied photos I show the location of two 3/4'' ball valve valves which cut hot and cold to the house right after the hot water heater and cold from the softener.

As mentioned before with the house main turned off near the water pressure tank the tank the tank will hold 50 psi.

With that main on feeding the house and the 3/4'' ball valves closed show in the included picture I assume the only section limited to the pressure now should be the main line from the pressure tank to the softener, iron filter and hot water heater and nothing else.

With those valves closed in about an 1hr 30 min time the pressure gauge has dropped 12 psi from 50 to two ticks under 40psi

I still cannot find any leaks in the main line and or around any of those tanks pictured.....

Anyone else have any thought?

Thank you all!3.jpg4x.jpg1.jpg
 

LLigetfa

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Check the drain lines on the softener, iron filter, and HWT to see if one of them is flowing to the drain.
 

Shaun091382

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Roger....im about to head out to work for the night...may have to call someone in to check this out....I hate messing with that stuff.

I can't hear it running in the waste drain pipes...but just by lightly tapping on the drain lines from the softener and the iron filter I can confirm there is definitely water in those lines.....

The iron filter drain line is clear in appearance (1/4'' maybe) and I can see water all the way up to where it is tapped into the waste drain.

And the softener drain line is a black hose almost like a garden hose (1/2'') and when i tap on that hose were it is plumbed into the waste drain pipe I can hear water all the way up to the end of it as well

HWT drain valve is dry...looks good

You can see a good look at these two lines in my 2nd picture the brownish small line going vertical is the iron filter hose and the black hose going vertical is the softener hose
 
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LLigetfa

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The iron filter drain line is clear in appearance (1/4'' maybe) and I can see water all the way up to where it is tapped into the waste drain.

That sounds like maybe an air separator. Any iron filter I've ever seen needs a larger drain for backwash and they don't stay clear looking. They foul up with iron.
 

Shaun091382

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Sorry..it would be helpfull if I gave more information...umm I dont much about the equipment itself.

If you take a peak at my first photo in my second post above see the little blue tank...there is a small 1/4'' hose coming from it going up vertical to the nearest waste drain pipe..you can see in the photo it is reddish brown..but it is clear right at the end where it goes into the waste drain.

Also in the same photo coming out from behind the black box on the iron filter there is a 1/2'' hose which is also reddish brown (almost black actually) that goes from the iron filter and goes into a tee with the drain from the water softener.

Maybe the little tank is something else but I was told it was part of a iron filtration system.
 
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Shaun091382

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I will check this when I get home from work in the AM.....I do recall though the drain hose going into the waste drain from the softener and iron filter was somewhat cold, just couldnt feel anything run through it...although I guess I may not if it's small steady drain/leak

Will double check again
 

Shaun091382

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Well I got up again on my step stool and grabbed the drain hose from the softener and iron filter.....and it is as cold as a cold water line in the house....I can hear water in the line when I jiggle it...but can't hear it draining into the waste pipe....it may be a small but steady leak inside I assume.

I will have to have some come check it out....I had no idea because of the fact the drain hose goes up...that such a leak may still occur.
 

Shaun091382

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I definitely know how to put them into manual by turning their dials, but unsure what you mean as to how by doing that I can determine which one may be constantly draining?
 

LLigetfa

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I was assuming that your systems had bypass valves that... umm... bypasses the system so that it is essentially off. The bypass is a tandem pair of valves that close to/from the unit and opens between the in and the out.

Maybe you don't have bypass on your units.
 

Craigpump

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Do you have a check valve on your tank? Are you getting bursts of air when you run the water? If so, you may have a leak in the drop pipe or the offsets to the well.

A good way to check for a leaky toilet is to put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, if the water in the bowl turns color without flushing you have a leaky flapper.
 

Shaun091382

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Thanks for replies

I had the original installer of the iron filter come out

Pulled the drain hose off and water poured out non stop.

Pulled the tank piston and replaced the seals but the piston is still leaking and he doesn't have replacement till next week.

So he has put the filter into bypass which has stopped the leaking and psi loss.

He said I should be good for the weekend in bypass till early next week till he can get a new tank piston
 

Masterpumpman

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If the pressure drops with the line between the house and tank is turned off, then there is a leak on the pump system side. If the pressure remains the same when the line between the tank and the house is turned off, then the problem is on the house side of the system. Only you can decide which side is leaking pressure! If it's on the well side it could be a leaking vheck valve or a leak in the drop pipe in the well!
 

LLigetfa

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Porky, it was made clear in post #1 that closing the valve held the pressure.


- Also when filling up the pressure tank ..as soon as it hits it's 50psi cut off and the switch turns off...I close the valve between the tank and the house and it seems to be holding at 50 psi with no drop.
 
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