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I live in HPP and have a water pump and a 30 gallon pressure tank to run water in my home. Just recently the pump started coming on alot sooner than usual when demanding water in the house...shower/faucet/dishwasher etc. Usually with a charged 30 gallon pressure tank...it usually takes a few minutes of constant water usuage before the pump turns on.....Now its about 15 to 20 seconds.
Question: Is my pressure tank shot? I tried moving it and its extremely heavy (like completely full of water). Is it suppose to fill with water when running?
Any help would be appreciated
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Good call. I was about to suggest that it might be low on air. If it has a diaphragm that might be leaking.
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a 30 gallon pressure tank should have only about 10 gallons of water, the rest air. If there is an air valve, try adding some air. The bladder is probably bad, but a shot of air every few months may prolong its use.
Dan
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The tank has a bladder in it, like a thick skinned balloon. Turn off or unplug the pump and then open a faucet and bleed all of the water pressure off, it should take a minute or so. The tank will have a fitting just like a car tire and a tire pressure gauge will tell you how much pressure is in bladder. A tag on the tank should say but I think mine wanted 30 lbs. psi of pressure in the bladder. Mine slowly went down after 4-5 years and I just needed to re-pressurize it. An air compressor will pump it back up pretty quickly and it should be fine. If it goes right back down then the bladder is bad, in which case you will have a bunch of air in the system when you turn it all on again.
Jay
Jay
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That was it. Thanks Jay and Daniel P. Bladder was bad.
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Just wondering what does a bladder run these days? Can you replace it yourself? Easy to do?
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4 bolts at the bottom of the tank and comes right out. Seems fairly easy to replace. The problem is getting one. Im pretty sure no one sells them here. It would have to be ordered from the company that sells the tank. And I can only guess at a price. Complete tank cost $147.00 Good guess would be $35.00 to $40.00 plus shipping.
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As far as I know you would replace, or add a new, tank. I see fiberglas tanks at Hawaii Catchment(Reeds) in Shipman but I don't know what they cost. You wouldn't necessarily need to remove the old tank from the sysyem if it's part of an assembly like from Sears. You could just set a new tank next to it by adding a hose and a 'T' to the existing plumbing. If space is an issue it can added anywhere in the house plumbing. It's easy enough to do. Wherever you get a tank will have a hose and then you just need the spot to put it.
Jay
Just to clarify a bit, not all tanks are alike. Probably the most common is the steel/bladder type tank with a vinyl bag inside a steel tank. The water is in the vinyl bag and the air pressure is in the steel tank. If the bladder fails then the steel starts to rust as it wet now and the rust can damage a new bladder as well as the tank. Some tanks use a diaphram that keeps the air on one side and the water on the other, and the fiberglass tanks use air in the bladder and the water in the tank. In some cases, not always, the better choice is to replace rather than repair.
Jay
