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HOW DO I ADJUST THE AIR IN MY BLADDER TYPE PRESSURE TANK?
Why do I need air in my tank anyway? The air cushion is necessary to maintain pressure on your household plumbing while the pump is not running. Think of the air cushion as a coil spring pushing on the water in the tank. If the tank looses the air pressure or air cushion it becomes water-logged. This will cause rapid cycling of the pump motor and will either trip the circuit breaker, trip the overload relay in the motor or eventually burn up the motor windings.
How often do I need to check my pressure tank? We recommend that you check the air in your pressure tank twice a year. If you notice the pressure switch clicking on and off quickly or if you notice the pressure surging high and low every few seconds you need to stop and check the air pressure very soon.
How do I check the air pressure? You first have to know where your system pressure is set. Watch the pressure gauge in the bottom of the tank and see how low the system pressure goes before the pump turns on and then notice how high the system pressure goes before the pressure switch turns off the pump. The high and low pressure readings (20/40 or 30/50 or 40/60) is the system operating pressure range. If you have been putting off replacing your old pressure gauge this is a good time to install a new one. Once you have determined your system operating pressure range subtract 2 psi from the cut on pressure (the small number). This is the air pressure number that goes in the top of the pressure tank in the air chamber. (If your system is set on 30/50 then your air pressure number would be 28 psi.) Write this number down on the top of the pressure tank near the air fill valve. Turn off the electricity to the pump (circuit breaker) and drain all of the water out of the tank. Open a hose and drain every last drop of water out of the tank. If there is not a hose at the base of the tank then simply use the closest hose outlet and drain the entire system completely. When the tank is empty try to gently rock the tank back and forth. If you can feel water trapped in the top of the tank sloshing around then the bladder is ruptured and the tank needs to be replaced. If the tank feels empty then check the air pressure in the top of the tank with an ordinary air gauge such as you might use to check the air in your car tires. If the air is less than your air pressure number (see previous paragraph) then add more air. After the air pressure is up to your air pressure number wait 5 or 10 minutes and check it again to make sure there are no air leaks into the water chamber. (Keep the water drain valve open.) If the pressure will not stay up at your air pressure number than the tank needs to be replaced. If the air pressure number remains steady, then close the hose, turn on the electricity and everything should be operating properly. Make sure the pump turns off at the high pressure setting. Run some water until the pressure drops to the low setting and the pump turns on. Close the valve and see if it takes about 60 seconds or more for the system to pressure back up to the cut off pressure. If so, pat yourself on the back and you are finished until the next time.
This seems so confusing? If you would like, we will be happy to send you written instructions or send a service man to check your system and go over the procedure with you in person.
If my old tank is bad where can I get a new one? Glad you should ask! Just call us at 318-221-4273 for a tank quote. We have all size tanks in stock ready for installation by our service crews. If you would like to install it yourself, we will be glad to help you size the proper tank for you system and get back home with all the parts you will need. All of our bladder tanks have a five year warranty.
(cheat sheet) 1. Check your system pressure and write it down. 2. Turn off the electricity and completely drain your tank. 3. Make sure the tank feels empty by gently rocking it. 4. Put 2 psi less than you system cut on pressure in the air chamber. 5. Wait a while and check the air pressure again to check for leaks. 6. Close water valve, turn on electricity and test system.
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