David Efflandt wrote in message ...
wrote:

I am on a farm and I have the old galvanized pressure tank. It's in a
pit to keep it from freezing (not the well, just the tank). The well
has a submersible pump. I dont know what the gallon rating is of this
tank, but it's about 5 feet tall and 18 inches diameter. Compared to
a water heater, I'd guess it's about a 40 gallon tank.

Anyhow, this tank constantly gets waterlogged, and then the pump kicks
on an off continually when I use water. I have to fight my way into
the pit (not easy), and drain the tank. Then everything is ok for
awhile again.

Since this type of tank has been used for ages, was this just
something that everyone had to do regularly (to drain it)?
I have been looking into a way to connect a long rod to the drain
valve so I can open it without going into the pit. (the pit is 15
feet deep). Does anyone know of a valve that has a way to hook a
shaft onto it?

My other question. I checked into one of those Well-X-Trol bladder
type tanks (blue tank). I was going to install one of them to
eliminate this problem, but found out that those tanks only have ONE
pipe on the bottom. My galvanized tank has TWO inlets/outlets. In
other words, the pump goes into one side of the tank (inlet), and the
water to the buildings comes out the other side of the tank (outlet).
I dont see how they can work with only one pipe, unless both the inlet
and outlet can be TEE'd together.

You really need only a tee with single pipe to the pressure tank. When the
pump is off, you draw out of the tank. When the pump is on, any surplus
above what you are using goes into the pressure tank.

True.

For the OP. The only sensible solution is to:
a: Good: replace the tank with a modern bladder type.
b: Best: -Move the tank- replacing it with a bladder type.

Why people install the air tank next to the well is beyond me. These
things need periodic service and they can be installed anywhere in the
system from the well to the end point (within reason). Mine is in the
basement, others have been installed in utility rooms. They don't
take up a lot of room. The biggist idiocy I have seen was my
neighbor. Had a new well drilled, shed next to it. In spite of
advising against it, he just -had- to install the tank in the shed.
Then to keep it from freezing in the winter he had to insulate the
hell out of the room and run a light bulb all winter. Dumb to the max
but then that is him.

AS for your installation, assuming the pressure switch is also in the
pit all you need to do is remove the tank, reconnect the pipe(s), then
do some electical work to move the pressure switch. It could be that
the switch could even be left in the pit but I wouldn't do it.

Harry K