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Ed Christie
 
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Default Air bound water tank



Some how the water tank loses the air in the tank. After a few months
the well pump starts to short cycle. At this time I remove the plug
that is about halfway up the tank and drain the excess water
out.replace the plug and everything is OK for a few months more.

I can find no where for the air to leak out. It seems like it has to
be at the top of the tank, above the plug that I remove to drain out
the excess water. I don't think that it is the drain plug because as
soon as it gets below the water level if there was any leak, it would
then be water, and I dont see any wet spots.

Any Ideas would be appreciated.

Ed Christie
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Harry K
 
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Ed Christie wrote:
Some how the water tank loses the air in the tank. After a few months
the well pump starts to short cycle. At this time I remove the plug
that is about halfway up the tank and drain the excess water
out.replace the plug and everything is OK for a few months more.

I can find no where for the air to leak out. It seems like it has to
be at the top of the tank, above the plug that I remove to drain out
the excess water. I don't think that it is the drain plug because as
soon as it gets below the water level if there was any leak, it would
then be water, and I dont see any wet spots.

Any Ideas would be appreciated.

Ed Christie


If your tank is a bladderless, there is nothing wrong with it. The air
isn't leaking out, it is being absorbed in the water. A few months is
about the right time. You do have a problem with the snifter valve or
other means that should be adding a shot of air every time the pump
starts.

If it is a bladder tank, your bladder is broken.

The simple fix in both cases is to simply replace the tank with a
bladder type. Cost of tank is reasonable and installation easy for
average homeowner.

Harry K

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Stormin Mormon
 
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The one time I worked on someething like t his, there was a diaphragm gadget
on the end of the tank. From what I could tell, it was deigned to inject a
little bit of air into the tank every time the well pump turned on. Seemed
like a good idea.

Wonder if you can replace that plug with a nipple and an air chuck (like on
car tire) and then just inflate the tank a bit instead of draining it?

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Ed Christie" wrote in message
...


Some how the water tank loses the air in the tank. After a few months
the well pump starts to short cycle. At this time I remove the plug
that is about halfway up the tank and drain the excess water
out.replace the plug and everything is OK for a few months more.

I can find no where for the air to leak out. It seems like it has to
be at the top of the tank, above the plug that I remove to drain out
the excess water. I don't think that it is the drain plug because as
soon as it gets below the water level if there was any leak, it would
then be water, and I dont see any wet spots.

Any Ideas would be appreciated.

Ed Christie


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David Efflandt
 
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On Sat, 21 May 2005 13:06:34 GMT, Ed Christie wrote:


Some how the water tank loses the air in the tank. After a few months
the well pump starts to short cycle. At this time I remove the plug
that is about halfway up the tank and drain the excess water
out.replace the plug and everything is OK for a few months more.

I can find no where for the air to leak out. It seems like it has to
be at the top of the tank, above the plug that I remove to drain out
the excess water. I don't think that it is the drain plug because as
soon as it gets below the water level if there was any leak, it would
then be water, and I dont see any wet spots.


You need more than a half tank of atmospheric air for the tank to function
optimally. During normal operation it should be approximately 2/3rds full
of air under pressure to be most effective. The air will expand to
evacuate most of the water out of the tank about the pump kicks on, and
compress as the pump reaches shutoff.

Assuming a bladderless tank or blown bladder, this means initially
shutting off the pump, draining ALL water out of the tank, close water
valve to tank and pump it up with air to about 5 psi less than the
pressure switch turns the pump on.

But if a bladderless tank or blown bladder, the water will absorb air, so
you need to recharge the air occasionally. There should be a Schrader
valve (like on a tire) somewhere for that purpose if it was plumbed
properly.
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Duane Bozarth
 
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David Efflandt wrote:

....
Assuming a bladderless tank or blown bladder, this means initially
shutting off the pump, draining ALL water out of the tank, close water
valve to tank and pump it up with air to about 5 psi less than the
pressure switch turns the pump on.

.....

Every one I've ever seen has recommend precisely 2 lb differential
(less, obviously) relative to the cut-on pressure.


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TURTLE
 
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"Ed Christie" wrote in message
...


Some how the water tank loses the air in the tank. After a few months
the well pump starts to short cycle. At this time I remove the plug
that is about halfway up the tank and drain the excess water
out.replace the plug and everything is OK for a few months more.

I can find no where for the air to leak out. It seems like it has to
be at the top of the tank, above the plug that I remove to drain out
the excess water. I don't think that it is the drain plug because as
soon as it gets below the water level if there was any leak, it would
then be water, and I dont see any wet spots.

Any Ideas would be appreciated.

Ed Christie


This is Turtle.

If it is a Bladderless tank as it sounds to be 3 to 6 month time between
draining to get the bladder area to fill with air is not out of normal times to
have to do this. Now if you did get a rubber bladder tank for your use as the
tank. It would be a long time between filling air again for the rubber bladder
usely does not leak and last a long time. Now Bladderless is cheaper to have on
cost to buy.

TURTLE


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Harry K
 
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Harry K wrote:
Ed Christie wrote:
Some how the water tank loses the air in the tank. After a few

months
the well pump starts to short cycle. At this time I remove the plug
that is about halfway up the tank and drain the excess water
out.replace the plug and everything is OK for a few months more.

I can find no where for the air to leak out. It seems like it has

to
be at the top of the tank, above the plug that I remove to drain

out
the excess water. I don't think that it is the drain plug because

as
soon as it gets below the water level if there was any leak, it

would
then be water, and I dont see any wet spots.

Any Ideas would be appreciated.

Ed Christie


If your tank is a bladderless, there is nothing wrong with it. The

air
isn't leaking out, it is being absorbed in the water. A few months is
about the right time. You do have a problem with the snifter valve

or
other means that should be adding a shot of air every time the pump
starts.

If it is a bladder tank, your bladder is broken.

The simple fix in both cases is to simply replace the tank with a
bladder type. Cost of tank is reasonable and installation easy for
average homeowner.

Harry K


I should have expanded that a bit. I recommend replacing with a
bladder tank because that fixes the problem and eliminates having to
air up your tank every few months. It also makes your system work
closer to optimum, i.e., minimum number of pump starts. The bladder
tank needs to be aired up to 2 psi below your cut-in pressure. The
bladderless begins with the correct pressure when you first air it up
then gradually goes off optimum untill you are short cycling again.

Harry K

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Backlash
 
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Anytime I have ever had this problem on a pump, a replacement of the air
volume control on the tank took care of it. Quick and easy to do. One of my
Myers pumps ran 23 years before it had a problem, then it was the air volume
control. I think I got my money's worth on that one.

RJ

"Ed Christie" wrote in message
...


Some how the water tank loses the air in the tank. After a few months
the well pump starts to short cycle. At this time I remove the plug
that is about halfway up the tank and drain the excess water
out.replace the plug and everything is OK for a few months more.

I can find no where for the air to leak out. It seems like it has to
be at the top of the tank, above the plug that I remove to drain out
the excess water. I don't think that it is the drain plug because as
soon as it gets below the water level if there was any leak, it would
then be water, and I dont see any wet spots.

Any Ideas would be appreciated.

Ed Christie



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