Drawing from pressure tank.

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cols

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Hello. I am so happy to have found this forum.
We live out of town on a small acreage and have our own water.
We recently replaced our pressure tank, which was an expenive, but relatively easy job.
When we bought the house, things were set up so that the irrigation water bypassed the house's filtration system, which makes sense.
However, in order to be able to water my horses in the winter, we moved the hose down (we have a very nice cinder block pump house) to the pressure tank and attached it to the "faucet" that one uses to drain the tank for maintenance.
Now that we have a brand new tank, I want to be sure to do everything "right". I'm not sure why, but it just seems like a bad idea to be drawing water this way.
So, my question is: Is it ok to use this method to draw water from our well via our pressure tank? We don't need it in the winter anymore, just for irrigation.
Thank you in advance for any advice.
 

Raucina

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You can draw the water from anywhere in the system after the pump including and maybe especially from the pressure tank. No problem, unless your horse is not refined enough for filtered water....
 

cols

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The pressure tank is "before" the filter system. That's why we want to use it for irrigation, etc. The horses are fine with unfiltered. :p
So, why "especially" from the pressure tank?
I'm glad to hear that we can draw from that point, though.
It's a good system for us, as we can easily use an electronic timer down there to have the irrigation turn on in the wee hours of the morning.
Thanks ! :)
 

Valveman

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Valveman

You can draw water from anywhere in the system as long as you use enough water to keep the pump from cycling on and off. This is probably what destroyed your first tank and will also destroy the pump sooner than necessary. Unless your tank is three to five times the size of the output of your pump, or you have horse tanks and irrigation demands that match the pumps output and do not make the pump cycle on and off, consider a Cycle Stop Valve.
 

cols

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Valveman;
Thank you for your reply.
I have no idea what you are talking about. :eek:
Sorry to be blunt, but there's no sense in beating around the bush, the way I figure it.
I don't get how I "destroyed" my first tank.
My understanding was that it lived about as long as expected for it's type.
Can you elaborate in more "layman's" terms?
 

Valveman

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Valveman

If you have a bladder tank, the bladder seperates the air from the water. Everytime your pump cycles on and off the bladder goes up and down. If you are not using as much water as the pump will deliver, it cycles on and off, on and off, bladder goes up and down, up and down. The bladder in the tank will break like bending a wire back and forth. Cyclinig on and off also destroys pump motors.
 

Jadnashua

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That's where either a bigger tank helps, since the time betewen cycles is longer, or a cycle stop valve which, once you start to use water, the pump runs constantly to maintain pressure.
 

cols

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Yes, I have a bladder type pressure tank. The new one is a bit larger than the one we replaced.
I guess I'm just not getting what you mean by "using enough water".
I "thought" I understood how the system worked, but maybe I'm missing something.
So,,,,,back to my original question:
Should I hook my hose up to the same "faucet" that you use to drain the pressure tank for maintenance or not?
I don't get the "depends on how much water you are using" answer. :confused:
 

Valveman

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Valveman

Will this hose let out enough water to keep the pump running? Usually not, so the pump cycles on and off. That's what causes the problem. Replace the faucet with a ball valve and use a bigger hose, then maybe the pump will continue to run as needed. Or use a Cycle Stop Valve on the pump and the pump will continue to run even though you are not using as much water as the pump is designed to produce.
 

cols

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OK !!! Now I get it.

Thank you !!! I get it (finally :eek: )
Ok, so BEFORE we started using that "maintenance faucet", the irrigation was set up as you suggested. There is a big ball valve and large pipes. SO ... we need to go back to using them.
Thank you for your patience with me. You answered my question. It sure is a bummer that we probably wrecked that pressure tank. There's a $700 lesson I could have done without. :(
 
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