View Full Version : Balancing two bladder type water pressure tanks
guddaddy
Feb 2, 2012, 09:08 AM
I am going top replace my 1 - 80 gallon bladder tank (bladder is blown) with 2 - 80 gallon tanks. The idea is to get twice the draw down of one tank... i.e if the one tank has a draw down of 25 gallons at 40/60 psi, you should get 50 gallons draw down with 2 tanks at the same pressure setting. I will have one pressure switch installed between the tanks and also install a pressure equalizing line on the top of the two tanks (using the chrging valve fittings) so the air pressure is always the same between the 2 tanks. In an extended period of no power, I want the extra draw down capacity so I can run my generator only once a week to top off the water tanks. That is why I would add additional tanks to the system.
speedball1
Feb 2, 2012, 03:49 PM
Hi guddaddy and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com. You're responding to a 5 year old dead thread so I gave you one of your own. Look in then upper left hand corner of the first post form the date before you post, Thanks,
It sounds complicated to me. Why not simply install a 80 gallon galvanized pressure tank and keep it simple? Regards, Tom
jlisenbe
Feb 2, 2012, 06:25 PM
I'm with Tom in thinking you are making this much more complicated than necessary. I would be fairly certain that the pressure in the two tanks will be the same whether you run a line between the two tanks, though you would want to set the initial pressure the same in both of them. An 80 gallon bladder tank is not cheap. Might make more sense to keep several 5 gallon containers around to fill in case of an extended period of no power. Or just plan on running the generator twice a week. I would think your pump could refill your pressure tank in a matter of only a few minutes. But, your plan will no doubt work if you want to spend that kind of money on it.
chambermaid
Jul 16, 2013, 08:44 PM
I have the same case with this. If ever you replace the existing bladder tank with 2 bladder tank, will it save electricity?
hkstroud
Jul 16, 2013, 09:01 PM
No. The tank is an inert object. Your well pump must run for a certain length of time to pump a gallon of water. Therefore there is a specific cost per gallon no matter what the size of the tank. There would be some slight increase in efficiency in having the pump run longer but less frequently because of the motor starting amperage. What a larger tank will do is increase the expected life of the pump. The starting of a electric motor is much harder on the motor than the running time.
chambermaid
Jul 16, 2013, 10:23 PM
But which is better? With 1 tank or with 2 tanks? Or with 1 tank but same capacity as that of 2 tanks?
Our system has 3 pumps:2 primary pumps and 1 jockey pump. During peak use, our pumps are always running. We're looking for a way to have our pumps kick in less often. We're thinking of increasing the capacity of the bladder tank. So can we have 2 or 1 with larger capcity?