Does anyone have any tips or additional instructions? We're replacing the bladder in our Flotec FP7110T-04 42 gal. water pressure tank. We have the new bladder, expensive !@#$%^&*! That it is. No instructions came with it. The old one ruptured. Water came out the air valve. The plan is to: shut down the power, close the main valve (house side of the tank assembly), drain it down, water & air, remove the nuts on the flange with a socket wrench, support the flange, lift the tank straight up off it, somehow remove the old bladder through that little hole, dry the tank interior somehow, stuff the new bladder in the little hole without damaging it, again somehow, carefully lower it all back on the flange, sandwiching the bladder's lip/seal between the flange & the tank, screw the nuts finger tight & then torque them to the spec's in the limited instructions in the tank manual PDF, charge the tank up to 38 lb. (switch is set 40 to 60), power up, let it build to shut off (60 lb.), inspect for leaks, slowly open the main valve, let it build to shut off (60 lb.) again, inspect for leaks again, & then go have a beer or something. Have I missed anything? Again, any tips or additional instructions to make this go more smoothly or safely would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
~ W ~

Keep your "!@#$%^&*!" quote handy. That is not an easy task. I think you covered everything. If you had asked before you bought the bladder, I would have suggested a different brand tank altogether. That bladder is just not very durable in that brand of tank. It is just a thick "balloon".

Now my advice is... if you can get the bladder replaced okay, check the air frequently (once every 6 months on that one). Having incorrect air pressure is critical to the life-span of any bladder tank, especially that one. One other thing... if you have chlorine on your system, the manufacturer says that the bladder will not hold up to it.

Down the road when you need to replace it again, look for Flex-Con, or Amtrol tanks. Use a diaphragm type instead of a bladder type. You'll get a lot better service out of it. You'll pay a little more up front, but it will save you the "!@#$%^&*!"

Good luck!
Al

Thanks for your reply. It supports what I've suspected & learned so far. The six month check as opposed to yearly is interesting. As is the chlorine problem. Fortunately, chlorine is not a problem unless we add it. (Thanks again.) I'm not looking forward to the job but, it needs to be done, & a new tank & an outside plumber just aren't in the budget right now. The old bladder held up for a long time until a "user error" (mine) blew it so, if we do it right, it should last a while.

~ W ~

You probably know this, but just to verify... this is how you check and adjust the air in the bladder tank.
1. observe your pump cycle pressure that it comes on and turns off at
2. after you have made a note of the pressure that the pump comes on at, turn off the power to the pump
3. totally drain the pressure by running a faucet, or a flush valve until there is no pressure left on your gauge
4. check the air on the bladder tank with a tire gauge... it should be 2 pounds lower than the pressure your pump came on at. If your pump comes on at 30, the pressure in the tank should be 28. If not, adjust the air in the tank.
Note- if you get water out of the valve stem when checking the bladder tank pressure, the bladder is leaking.
After you have adjusted the air pressure, turn the pump back on. You should be set for another 6 months.
Good Luck.
Al

Ever thought about using the tank like a pressure tank. Loose a little volumn on pump cycling, have to drain once and a while because of "water logging".

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you put it so, I'm posting that as a check list next to the tank. Thanks.

~ W ~

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If I'm understanding you correctly, you mean using it like the old style pressure tanks with no bladder nor diaphragm. That's pretty much where we're at for the time being & the water quality has suffered dramatically. Coffee tastes okay, I think due to the water filtering through grounds & filter paper but, porcelain is stained, tap water is unappetizing for drinking & cooking, & I don't think we need the extra iron. However, if this doesn't work out, it is an option... Thanks.

~ W ~

Don't know why water would taste different unless there is corrosion inside. Maybe it wasn't "user error" that damaged the old bladder. "!@#$%^&*!"

Hey guys,
The reason why it is staining is that the steel inside of a bladder tank usually has no coating. Most traditional style tanks have either epoxy or galvanized liners. Another reason is that the bladder is actually trapping water against that untreated steel causing it to develop buildup. Traditional tanks generally have flow through them, but with a bladder tank, it uses the same pipe in and out. The water can actually get stale in them without any flow-through. Especially above that torn bladder.

W... make sure you get the rust off the inside of that tank before you put that new bladder in. A bunch of rust particles could rupture that thin bladder. Especially wire brush it at the top and bottom connections!
Al

Do yourself a favor. Spend a couple hundred bucks and buy a new bladder tank.

"Thanks for your support." It worked! The project went much much better than I expected. The biggest hassle was getting the old bladder out. I ended up pulling at the old bladder with "ViseGrips" clamped on one side of the rip, pulling at that with both hands, & pushing at the tank with both feet. It was pretty silly looking I'm sure but, it worked. Once it started to move I found that if I kept clamping deeper into the folds in the middle of the "roll" that was forming, it would move easier. The old bladder appears to be thick white vinyl while the new one is thicker, translucent, & more rubbery. The "rust" was like red clay slip & it dried to a fine chalky powder. It wiped right off. I don't know what to make of that. I rubbed a little vegetable oil around the lip of the tank hole to reduce snags. I found that if I rolled the new bladder tight it was fairly easy to work into the tank hole then grab it by it's opening, move it into position, & work it's lip over the edge of the tank hole. I could've used two more hands getting the bolts to line up with the flange's holes but, it wasn't too bad. I couldn't use the torque wrench available as it was for foot pounds & this needed inch pounds so, I snugged the flange against the tank where was a little resistance, went another 1/4 turn & prayed. So far "no leaks, no runs, no errors." However, the switch has gotten sluggish now & lets the pressure drop to zero & sit for a while before cutting in the pump. I guess that's next... Ha!...

["However, the switch has gotten sluggish now & lets the pressure drop to zero & sit for a while before cutting in the pump. I guess that's next"]

I could sense the feeling of victory in your words. Way to go! That's pretty much my same experience with that tank. I tried to take it on as a favor to a friend. That always gets me in trouble. In retrospect, I would have actually bought a new tank and put it in since they couldn't afford it at the time. That tells you how bad I hated it! For very few dollars difference, I could have put the new tank in and saved a lot of aggravation.

For your pump issue... you probably have some of that iron clay-like goo in the pickup pipe, or tubing. Or, you may have a snubber, aka pulsation dampener on the pressure switch or pickup tube. Take the switch off and see if you see some build up in the bottom of the switch, snubber (if equipped), or pickup pipe or tubing. Since you are going to all of that trouble, you might spend $15 and put a new switch on. If the gauge is very old, spend $5 more and get a gauge too. You want it to be accurate since that is how you adjust the air in the bladder tank. Even if you put on a new switch, you still should check to make sure the lines are clear.

Don't wait too long to fix it. It is hard on the bladder to collapse every time the pump cycles.

I'm sure you know to turn off the power, check with a voltmeter to be sure it's dead. Drain all of the pressure off the pump if you don't have a valve to isolate it.

Glad I was able to help!
Al

Is a 30 gallon tank large enough for 2 baths, 3 sinks, dishwasher, washer? Also how can you make the water pressure more than dribbles? Clueless,could use the help.

Took apart leaky flotec fp7110t cleaned , tested both pieces .no leaks static. Reassembled works fine many cycles later still has 20 psi,pump shuts off and it holds 40psi . Where was the leak that got h20 on top of bladder?

I had one of these tanks bladder lasted 5 years. Replaced it with a Well X-Trol diaphragm lasted one year. So I don't see the benefit of these highly rated 7 year warrantee Well X-Trol tanks. Emailed the manufacturer for a warranty replacement. They said I had to talk to a local distributor which is 45 minutes away from me. Called them they said I have to deal with my plumber to get the warrantee since they are only wholesalers. Big run around still no waranty replacement.

I have to change one too, but if its expensive I will just get another tank.. 1st if its been leaking long the tank may be starting to rust and another problem is just down the road. 2 and take it outside and with a water hose wash the mud out, it's a black gooey mess in there, if you don't get the crud out well you will have it in all your faucets, and in the valve of your softner. Get a hose bib washer with a screen in the incomeing line to it anyway, and deffenitly after you disturb all the crap in the pipes. I think I will just use this old one on the irrigation pump at the creek, I just talked myself out of trying to fix it.

I just replaced the bladder on my Flotec 7130 tank and it wasn't easy, but not quite as bad as I expected. The hardest part was getting the old bladder out. I finally cut it in small pieces with a utility knife and took it out in pieces. Putting the new one in, I rolled it as tight as I could by hand and still couldn't get it in. I then took a ratcheting tie down strap and wrapped it and tightened it up. I could then wiggle it in about 2 inches and then move the strap and get it in a little at a time. If you do this, be sure that there are no sharp edges on your ratchet. I also cleaned up some rust around the opening before I started installing it, to make sure of a tight seal. I took the flange off with the tank, figuring that it would be difficult to get it back on in place. I agree with the comment about cleaning out the crud and drying the inside of the tank. One of my tanks also had a defective air valve. You might want to replace that while you are at it. My tanks have lasted ten years or so, so I can see why they only guarantee them for five.