Where is the air coming from - news

[AncientHouse]

Hi Everyone,

Finally found out that there is a hole in the diaphram of the pressure tank. I was told that we'd have to change the whole tank. Anyone go through this? When the diaphragm goes, does the whole tank have to be replaced? Kind of like when a compressor goes on an air conditioner, it's pretty well the same $amount as the whole air conditioner.

[Inspector507]

Bladders in some brands are made to be replaced, but from pricing one for mine, I might decide a new tank is not that much more. My tank is too small in my opinion, that's why I might buy a new one, just larger.

[GaryQWA]

Most tanks don't have replaceable bladders and of those that do, once you change one, you usually won't want to do it again. I vote for a new tank that allows the pump to be off for at least 60 seconds or more between starts. That saves motors and electric.

Gary Slusser

[Pat]

With bladder tanks, bigger is usually better. Well spaced longer pump runs are much much kinder to the pump/motor.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[AncientHouse]

Seems the opinions all go towards buying a new pressure tank. How large is a good size for a family of four with 2 full bathrooms? Is a bladder tank the way to go? Or are there other types that are better?

[Pat]

Ancient, Again, bigger is probably better. Bladder tanks have SURGE capacity far in excess of your well pump. You could do without a tank entirely but if more than one or two water users (hose bibs, appliances, shower, etc) asked for water at the same time you would immediately suffer a pressure drop and loss of volume at the using site. You could upsize the well pump to handle the worst case but the pump, motor and the price tag would be realy large and the motor life would be short due to all the starts (short cycling.)

ENTER THE PRESSURE TANK... A small pump running longer to fill the pressure tank is cheaper to buy and operate and lasts longer. The pressure tank prevents short cycling. Bladder tanks do not lose air into the water and require frequent recharging with an air compressor as do non-bladder style pressure tanks.

How big a tank? How high is up and how long is a roll of string? How many applainces and other water consuming devices do you need to support simultaneously? Will you run the dishwasher and clothes washer at the same time, EVER?? Will anyone ever take a shower while a washer is running, flush a toilet, etc etc????

A larger tank will support more water users for a longer time befor it calls for help from the well pump. The well pump will last longer if the pressure tank is larger.

So, in theory, yo cold get by with no tank. Someone may try to sell you a 15 gal... don't buy it! You NEED at least a 40 gal tank and bigger woild definitely be better. Lots of folks skimp on tank size and don't realize how short sighted it is. A bigger tank will prolong the life of your pump and give you more convenient service.

For a rigorous approach to sizing a tank...

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...zing&hl=en

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[AncientHouse]

Thanks. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Makes complete sense.

[GaryQWA]

I think you may find this much easier and more appropriate.
http://www.aquascience.net/tanksizing.htm

Gary Slusser

[Pat]

Ancient, There is one small benefit of the plain tank with no bladder. It takes on disolved air which gives water a better taste. Probably your well water has enough disolved air to be just fine. If you take a fresh drawn glass of water (remove any aerator first) and sit it on the counter and let it come up to room temp and see a lot of bubbles forming on the walls of the glass on the inside then you have disolved air which is a good thing. LIghtly stir the de-aired glass of water and put it in the frige till it cools. Taste it. Pretty flat tasting stuff.

Usually there is enough air in well water (aerator foucets help too) for good taste and the hassle of refilling a non-bladder tank isn't needed.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[CJDave]

Pat... [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ......you are inching ever closer to displacing another individual that I have had on my mental list for years; a person who has repeatedly received the nomination for: Most General Knowledge Concentrated In A Single Person. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] PAT....is there ANYTHING that you can't discuss? Wobble-plate hydraulic pumps? Butyl Isomers? Anti-Lock Brakes? Putting Up Turnip Preserves? Corn Combine Yield Monitoring Systems? Accounting Spreadsheet Basics? Reverse-Rotary Well Drilling? There has to be SOMETHING?? [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]