[creahands]

Hi all

What is life expectancy of a pressure/bladder tank?

What percentage of tank should have water in it?

Thanks ahead of time.

Chuck

[hkstroud]

Don't know about the life expectancy of a bladder tank. I have a pressure tank (1800 gal) that is about 40 years old.

The usable volume of a pressure tank is about 1/3 its total volume with a 40/60 pressure setting. Filling the tank to 1/3 its total capacity generates the 40 lbs minimum pressure. Filling to 2/3 total capacity creates the 60 lbs. maximum pressure. Hence, you have 1/3 total volume for usable water storage. Lower pressure settings would give you a slight increase in usable storage.

Note that when you go from 1/3 full to 2/3 full, you reduce the pressurized (40 lbs) air to half its volume to create the 60 lbs of pressure.

Therefore, if you pressurize a bladder tank to 40 lbs. you would have half its total volume for water storage with a 40/60 pressure settings.

Of course we are talking about air pressure at sea level.

[creahands]

Thanks Harold

Now maybe u can help me with the problem.

Pressure switch set at 40/60

Pressure in tank set at 38 empty. Checked pressure when full. Pressure was 43.

Tank is 36'' high. Water in tank 6''. The 6'' is read when pump shuts off at 60.

Get about 5 gal water and then start losing pressure. Water stops at about 7 gallons. This was measured in a pail.

Thought I had a leak somewhere. Checked all faucets and toilets. No leaks. Am at a lose.

The only plumbing done was to install a water save in one of the toilets. Have checked that for leaks by sound and lose of water in toilet tank. Checks out good.

Could the pressure tank be bad?

Thanks

Chuck

[hkstroud]

Checked pressure when full. Pressure was 43

when pump shuts off at 60

I see an inconsistency in those two statements. How did you take pressure readings. If from reading pressure gauge, gauge could faulty. If readings taken with tire gauge I would tend suspect pump switch is faulty. A faulty pump switch would be consistent with the pressure readings and with the volume of water you are getting (I assume with the pump turned off).

Height of tank not a factor, the volume of tank that matters. Sounds like about a 30 or 40 gallon tank. Really sounds like a faulty switch.

[creahands]

Thanks Harold

Will change switch in morning. Let u know how that works

Chuck

[hkstroud]

Switch may just need adjustment.

See this web site
How to adjust water pump pressure, pump cut-on pressure and pump cut-off pressure - private pump and well system do-it-yourself repairs

[jlisenbe]

All the switch can do is cut the pump on at 40 and cut it off at 60. Is it doing that??

We get this question about pressure tanks frequently. It can come down to this. There is, at first, air both under and above the bladder. The air under the bladder prevents the tank from filling as it should. However, after several weeks, the air under the bladder will dissolve into the water and be gone. So, as you continue to use your tank, the problem will diminish. As long as you are getting at least 5 gallons of water before the pump has to cut back on, I wouldn't worry about it.

[speedball1]

What is life expectancy of a pressure/bladder tank?

Bladder tanks have been known to last for over 25 years.

What percentage of tank should have water in it?

If the tank's charged correctly, and here's how it's done. Your air setting on the tank should be 2 pounds UNDER the cut in point in the pressure control box. If your pressure control has a 20 PSI cut in and 40 PSI cut out the tank pressure should read 18 PSI. The bladder tank setting MUST be made with the pump off and the system bled down by opening a cold water faucet after you shut the system down at the breaker box.
The tank should look like this, (see image) Good luck, Tom

[creahands]

Thanks all for answers.
And now the answer to my problem.

THE WHOLE HOUSE FILTER.

The filter was install 3 weeks ago and is already clogged. Did not expect it to go that fast.

It is always the last thing u check.LOL

Again thanks all

Chuck

[hkstroud]

OK, great but which pressure was real, the 43 or the 60?

[creahands]

With the old filter cartridge the pressure switch shut off at 60 PSI. The reading from the tank was 43 PSI.

With the new cartridge in both readings were the same, at 60 PSI.

Chuck

[speedball1]

Have yon checked the small tube that runs from the pump to the control box ?
It sounds like the water table has lowered and you're pulling dirt into your system.

[hkstroud]

I agree with Tom that, for whatever reason, you are getting a lot of soil or sand in your water. If that continues I'd think about installing a sand trap. I'd also think about moving the filter to the house side on the well tank. That way the sand will have a chance to settle in the tank, which you could periodically flush.

[creahands]

Filter is on house side of tank.

If this continues with have to pull pump up some. I'm down almost 500 feet so should have no problem if I raise it a little.

Chuck

[hkstroud]

If filter is not between pump switch and tank, how could pressures be different?

[creahands]

Harold

If I knew the answer to that I would not have had problem knowing what was wrong.

What finally got me to the filter was that the pressure gauge was reading 55 PSI and had no water.

Chuck