Internal bladder type water pressure tank troubleshooting:

This article describes the diagnosis and repair of internal bladder type water pressure tanks: how they work, what goes wrong, how to fix it.

We explain how internal bladder type water pressure tanks work, what goes wrong, how to diagnose the trouble, and how to repair it.

Bladder-type Water Pressure Tank Diagnosis & Repair

Private well and pump systems include a well (the water source), piping from the well to the building, a water pump, and a water tank to which building water supply plumbing is connected.

Building plumbing fixtures (sinks, toilets, showers, tubs) are supplied with water from the building water supply piping, and drain into the building drain-waste-vent (DWV) system.

Article Contents

• HOW WATER PRESSURE TANKS WORK
• DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLADDER TYPE & NON-BLADDER PRESSURE TANKS
• COMMON WATER PRESSURE TANK PROBLEMS - what goes wrong with bladder type pressure tanks?
• PRESSURE TANK BLADDER FAILURES - what goes wrong withpressure tank bladders themselves?
• WATER TANK LOCATION PROBLEMS - can cause pressure control or pump switch misbehaviour

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How water pressure tanks work

When water is turned on at a fixture in the building, 

compressed air in the water tank acts like a spring: it pushes water out of the water tank and into the building water supply piping and thus water is sent on to the building plumbing fixtures.

If many fixtures are being run at once in the building, or if the water flow rate produced by the pump and piping and controls is a modest one, the pump may run continuously all while the fixture is being operated.

More typically, if only one fixture is running and if the pump and well can deliver a high water flow rate, the pump may come on and off several times while the fixture is being run.

As water leaves the water tank, water pressure in the water tank drops. 

Since the water tank also contains air, the air pressure drops too. In the tank water pressure and air pressure will be at the same psi. Sketch courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education & report writing tool company [ carsondunlop.com ].

A pressure control switch,

usually mounted on or near the water tank, senses the pressure drop, and at a preset "pump cut-in pressure" (typically 20 or 30 psi) the pressure switch

turns on the water pump.

See WATER PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENTS for details of this control.

The water pump,

located at the tank or perhaps in the well,

pumps water to the building from the well, simultaneously re-pressurizing the water tank and providing water to the building.

See WATER PUMP LIFE EXPECTANCY for types of water well pumps, how they work, how they are diagnosed and repaired.

Because the water pressure tank is connected to the water pump (water in from the well) and also to the building water supply piping (water out to the building) the water tank is said to be "floated on the water line" and when the water pump is running water is pushed simultaneously into the water pressure tank and into the building supply piping.

The pressure control switch turns off the water pump

when water pressure in the pressure tank reaches the "pump cut-out pressure" (typically 40 or 50 psi) - pressure switch turns off the well pump.

Readers of this document should also see

WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT where we describe adjusting air pressure in a bladder type water tank to factory specs,

and also

see WATER PUMP REPAIR GUIDE an specific case which offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost.

The illustration at page top is courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education & report writing tool company [ carsondunlop.com ].

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What's the Difference Between a Bladder Type Captive Air Water Tank and a Conventional Steel Bladderless Water Tank

Bladder Type Captive Air Water Tanks

Bladder type or "captive air" water tanks (shown in our photo at left and in the sketch above) store the water tank's air charge in the upper portion of the steel water tank. Water in the tank moves in and out of a rubber bladder in the tank bottom.

Because the air charge is kept separate from the water in the tank, air is not absorbed into the water and bladder type water tanks do not normally need to have makeup air added.

On some captive air water tanks this design is reversed. For example on the WellMate™ water tank the water is in the tank and air is in the tank bladder.

This difference can confuse the burst water tank bladder diagnosis procedure which we describe below.

For details of the arrangement of the parts inside of a water tank that uses an internal bladder,

see WATER TANK BLADDER CONSTRUCTION

At WATER TANK CAPTIVE AIR vs TRADITIONAL WellMate we provide separate water tank diagnosis and repair advice.

At WATER TANK BLADDER CONSTRUCTION you will see that in some water pressure tank designs the water is contained in a con-joined plastic+ rubber area in the tank bottom while air is contained in a con-joined rubber and steel area in the upper half of the tank.

Water pressure or water pump short cycling problems with bladder-type water tanks 

are usually traced to a problem with the pump controls, with well and water piping leaks, or less often, to a failure of the internal tank bladder itself - a component that may be replaceable.

If the water-containing rubber bladder in a "captive air" water tank is defective

 (it can become stuck to itself and remain collapsed), the result can be a rapid on-off short cycling of the water pump.

We test water pressure tanks to see if they're empty or nearly empty of water by seeing if we can gently rock or move the tank.

Details are at WATER TANK BLADDER STUCK to ITSELF

If the water tank is heavy with water

 it does not move easily. Be careful not to jiggle and break a pipe!

Water pressure tanks, their different types, how to identify them, and their repairs are described just above and in more detail

at WATER TANK TYPES.

At WHAT GOES WRONG with an Internal-Bladder type Water Tank? we discuss the combination of well pump short cycling and a burst water tank bladder.

Traditional no-bladder Steel or Fiberglass Water Tanks

Bladderless Steel Water Pressure Tanks (photo at left and sketch just below) use a single steel tank interior to hold both the air charge and the water supply.

Modern steel bladderless type water tanks may be coated internally to increase the water tank life by resisting corrosion. That's what "glass lined" refers to on some water tanks. (A "glass lined" or "epoxy coated" water tank will not be a bladder type water tank which we discussed above.)

Bladderless water pressure tanks, because the air charge and water are in the same container, can lose their air charge over time (air is absorbed into the water) and may need air added.

See WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD for details.

Bladderless Fiberglass Water Pressure Tanks,

such as the WellMate traditional hydro-pneumatic water tank operate similar to the steel water pressure tank, but incorporate a tank-top mounted air volume control and offer the advantage (over steel water tanks) of no risk of rust perforation and leak at the water tank.

At WATER TANK CAPTIVE AIR vs TRADITIONAL WellMate we provide separate water tank diagnosis and repair advice for this water tank type.

Bladderless Fiberglass Water Pressure Tanks,

such as the WellMate traditional hydro-pneumatic water tank operate similar to the steel water pressure tank, that is, no internal bladder is used to maintain and separate the tank's air charge and water charge pressure.

These tanks incorporate a tank-top mounted air volume control and offer the advantage (over steel water tanks) of no risk of rust perforation and leak at the water tank.

At WellMate Diagnosis we provide separate water tank diagnosis and repair advice for this water tank type.

At OLDER STEEL TANKS - Bladder-less Traditional Steel Water Pressure & Water Storage Tanks we discuss this water tank type in detail.

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What Goes Wrong with Internal-Bladder type Water Tanks?

Water pressure or water pump short cycling problems with bladder-type water tanks are usually traced to a problem with the pump controls, with well and water piping leaks, or less often, to a failure of the internal tank bladder itself - a component that may be replaceable.

1. Water tank bladder ruptured

If the water containing bladder in a captive air water tank becomes ruptured, torn, or leaky, the result can be a very short water draw-down cycle before the water pump runs,or rapid on-off short cycling of the water pump.

Water from the tank bladder leaks out of the bladder and into the steel tank itself where it replaces more and more of the air charge until finally the behavior of the water system is much as in the water tank bladder collapse discussed just below.

A water tank bladder might rupture from age, an internal defect, or if the pump pressure control switch is defective or is set so high that the water pressure breaks the bladder but this last cause is a bit unusual since the air pressure and water pressure on the two sides of the tank bladder's are normally the same.

Details of burst or ruptured water pressure tank bladders are at

WATER TANK BLADDER BURST / RUPTURED

How to diagnose a leaky or burst water tank bladder

If you remove the cap from the air valve on the top of your water tank and momentarily depress the pin in the center of the schrader valve.

Watch out: Don't keep holding this valve pin down or you'll lose the air charge. If water comes squirting out the is torn or leaky, and repair is needed.

See details now at

WATER TANK BLADDER BURST or LEAKY

2. Pinhole water tank bladder leak

If if the tank's internal bladder has not burst but has a small leak the tank air pressure will (or might) increase above standard air charge pressure as water accumulates in the air space, also leading to pump short cycling and an apparent water-logged pressure tank even though only air comes out of the tank top air valve

Details are

at PINHOLE LEAKS in WATER TANK BLADDER

3. Water tank bladder collapsed

If the water-containing rubber bladder in a "captive air" water tank is defective (it can become stuck to itself and remain collapsed), the result can be a rapid on-off short cycling of the water pump,

A stuck tank bladder prevents water from entering the pressure tank. There will be no appreciable water draw-down quantity and the water tank will remain "light" if gently shaken in place.

Details are at WATER TANK BLADDER STUCK to ITSELF

Watch out: We check water pressure tanks to see if they're empty or nearly empty of water by seeing if we can gently rock or move the tank.

If the tank is heavy with water it does not move easily. If the water pressure tank is empty or nearly so, it will be very light and easy to move. Be careful not to jiggle and break a pipe!

4. Water tank bladder sticks to itself

Sometimes when an internal bladder type water pressure tank is emptied completely the collapsed bladder can stick to itself so securely that when the pump cycles back on no water enters the pressure tank. A symptom of this problem is a rapid cycling on-off water pump and a water pressure tank that by weight or by absence of condensate on its exterior, is found to be completely empty.

Details are at

at WATER TANK BLADDER STUCK to ITSELF - water tank bladder stuck to itself: diagnosis and repair

Why don't we just look at the water tank pressure gauge

to see if there is water in the tank? Well we do.

But because debris or other failures can cause a water tank pressure gauge to read pressure even when there is none in the tank (the gauge can get "stuck"), we don't rely on just tank gauge readings. For more about water tank pressure gauges,

see  WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY and

see WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT.

If the water tank is empty or nearly so,

then water is not entering the tank. If the water pump runs but no water is entering the tank, the problem could be a collapsed bladder that is stuck onto itself, not admitting water - as we just described above.

There could also be another problem such as a defective water pump, a well line leak, or other cause for water not entering the tank - so you may need to also

see WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR.

If the water tank is "full" or nearly so,

then if there is still no water pressure, the tank bladder could be also burst but the tank may have lost its air charge (over time air is absorbed into the water - the burst-bladder water tank is acting like a bladderless water tank discussed just above). In this case you might observe that the well pump (or pump control) is switching rapidly on and off when water is run in the building -

see WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING.

Bladder type or captive-air water pressure tanks and their repairs are described just above and in more detail

at WATER TANK TYPES.

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Water Tank Not Properly Located can Also Cause Improper Pressure Switch Operation

Iif you place the water pressure tank too far from the pump pressure switch, or at a different elevation from the pressure switch, the pressure switch control may not operate properly. Here is what Amtrol™ says about tank location:

The Well-X-Trol should be installed as close as possible to the pressure switch. This will reduce the adverse effects of added friction loss and pressure switch bouncing, and the difference in elevation between WELL-X-TROL and switch.

Really most pressure tanks will work if placed almost anywhere. But if you have a problem such as pressure switch bouncing (the switch turning the pump on and off rapidly at the start or end of a pumping cycle) you can relocate the pressure switch to the new larger tank and run a longer wire to the pump or pump control relay.

Other causes of pressure switch bounce and well pump short cycling are explained at WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES.

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Water Tank Internal Bladder Problem Types

Water tank pressure set improperly

can cause the pump to not turn on or off when it should. Be sure to review

WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT

if you are adjusting, tuning, or replacing the air pressure in your bladder-type well tank.

Our sketch at left, courtesy of Well-Rite water pressure tanks [Flexcon Industries] [2] Illustrates how air in the upper portion of the tank compresses water in the flexible tank bladder, acting as a spring to push water into the building water supply piping system during the draw-down cycle.

You'll note that at the end of the 40/60 psi draw-down cycle illustrated, the volume of water in the tank is nearly zero.

Water tank sticks to itself and won't fill.

Fixing or getting rid of a waterlogged collapsed-bladder water tank:

as we mentioned above, it's also possible that the torn bladder will stick to the water outlet opening, blocking water from leaving the water tank. The result will be short cycling of the water pump.

We discuss water pump short cycling at WATER TANK REPAIRS. In any case the drawdown volume will be reduced and it's likely that this misused water tank will rust through soon.

Water tank bladder leaks: bladder replacement:

Water tank bladder tears, holes, or leaks

cause the water pressure tank to become waterlogged, leading to pump short cuycling.

On some water pressure tanks, the water tank can be disassembled and the bladder replaced. You might want to ask your plumber to try this repair before replacing the entire water tank assembly.

Bladder replacement will involve draining water from the system and removing the water tank pretty much as if the whole tank were to be replaced. Suppliers such as Wessels offer replacement bladders for some models of expansion tanks and hydropneumatic tanks. In general, if you're going to hire a plumber to do this job, we recommend replacing the whole tank.

Details about how to repair or replaced a water tank bladder are

at WATER TANK BLADDER DIAGNOSE, REPAIR or REPLACE.

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Problems with an outdoor faucet installed between well and pressure tank

I have an odd situation, my neighbor's set-up is this:

She just had a new well and pump put in 5 years ago. She called me the other day fearful that her well was dry. (the problem with her first well!)

I checked the system and the problem was, as she turned on an OUTSIDE faucet, one that is between the pump and the house, the water would run for 5 minutes then stop.

After 2 or 3 minutes the pump would come on and pressure would build back up.

I replaced pressure switch and pressure gauge and inside the house the system works great! Ran all faucets inside, pressure dropped to 40PSI, switched turned on the pump, back up to 60PSI and shut off.

This ran for several cycles with no problem. Then we turned on the OUTSIDE faucet again, same thing happen. Ran FULL BORE for 5 minutes, pressure dropped to 40 then ZERO and nothing for 2 or 3 minutes until it kicks back on.

I feel like the pump is shutting itself off to prevent overheating but not sure why the pump is not kicking on at 40PSI. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks Gary 5/26/2014

Reply: check for pressure switch sediment clogging

Gary,

Nice going on the debug work done so far.

If you can take a look at the water for sediment or debris level and find that it's high, it's possible that even the new pressure switch is being debris-clogged.

Reader follow-up:

Thanks Dan. We live in a high sediment/iron area (Triad of NC). She has a whole house filter plus a backwashing iron filtration system. She just had (three months ago) the iron system cleaned/regenerated. Of course is all 'post' the pressure tank.

However, when I replaced pressure gauge and switch, I opened the shut off valve from the house ever so slightly to allow water to drain back toward the tank it flowed well through both stems off the line. Also, after turning on the outside faucet and the switch NOT cutting on as it should we retested the system from the inside, flushed toilets and opened faucets and it worked like a charm.

I feel it has something to do with that outside faucet. It is not attached to the house, as it is a frost proof faucet 50 feet from the well near a plant bed which is 50 feet from the house. Is it possible that the outside faucet is creating a pressure issue? Thanks again.

Reply: water pressure control switch too far from pressure tank?

Undaunted by the warning not to speak beyond one's competence I note this as a working note not an answer: the water pressure control switch companies tell us to install the switch as close to the pressure tank as possible.

Readers have wondered what difference it makes - thinking that water, not very compressible, should transmit system pressure uniformly through the system regardless. I haven't yet found the reason for the "close to" advice but your report might be a clue.

What if, for example, a check valve on the house side is preventing the water pressure drop in the outside faucet line from being transmitted to the control.

I need a schematic: what are the relative locations of

Well, piping to building, pump, pressure tank, pressure control switch, outside faucet.

See the diagnosis and repair advice at WATER PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH LOCATION

Reader follow-up:

Gary said

Let me work on that schematic. I am by no means a plumber so I ask this question from a "ignorance is bliss" perspective.

But, is it possible for the faucet to exist and work BEFORE the pressure tank?

As I understand the workings of a well system, I thought the water ran from the well to the pressure tank with aid of the pump and that the pressure in the tank 'pushed' the water though out the house.

If the faucet is off the 'main line' from the well to the house, how would that even work?

Reply & Reader Comments:

Let's see if we can just write down the sequence of connections or figure out the piping by some tests.

Tell me what's incorrect in the following:

1. Your actual pump is in the well - a deep well pump, either a submersible or a 2 line jet pump (as I don't see "pump" in the aboveground components list)

Correct. A deep well pump. (maybe 200+ feet, with excellent flow)

2. The pressure tank and switch that control the pump are remote from the well, presumably indoors

Correct. Yes the tank and switch are in the basement approximately 100 feet from the well

3. The pressure tank supplies water to the building through a water filter and iron filter

Correct. The water enters the house through the wall of the basement right at the tank/stitch.

4. We are not sure how water is delivered to the remote outside faucet

Correct. It is between the pump and tank in the lawn.

4.1. look indoors for a shutoff between pressure tank and outdoor piping that you can confirm (by closing it) shuts off the outdoor faucet

There is a shut off valve right at the tank for controlling flow to the house. If I shut that off and water still comes from the faucet it must bypass the tank. I will try that over the weekend.

4.2 If there is none then possibly in an odd piping arrangement the outdoor faucet is floated on the line between pressure tank and well

This is possible. I can determine by shutting off the in-flow valve to the house. I will try that over the weekend.

If 4.2 is correct then if there is a check valve near the pressure tank, that would make the pressurized water flow just "one way" from well into tank and on to building. If this were the case then if the pump is not running (pressure switch says it's at cutoff pressure or pressure has not fallen to cut-in pressure) you will see only a brief burst of water at the faucet (from what's in the piping) before flow will drop to zero.

But flow should continue again if enough water is run in the house to cause the pump to turn on.

If this is the case it's a troubling set-up.

Reader follow-up:

I believe there is a check valve right as the well pipe comes into the house just before the tank. It looks kind of like the attached image, except longer and more rectangular in shape. This sounds like the possible culprit.

If the faucet ‘floats’ between well and tank and there is a check valve preventing back flow, where does the pressure come to force the water from the outside faucet? Could the check valve need replacing?

Reply:

all of item 4 makes me suspect the faucet is on the well line between well and house. That would have worked in the past if there were no check valve in the house, just in the well (which is a common design).

But if someone replaced parts, added a check valve in the house (say because the foot valve in the well was losing prime) that would or could result in the snafu you describe currently.

If you get no water at the faucet and then do get water when use of water in the house causes the pump to turn on, that'd be confirming.

Reader follow-up:

I’ll do that check over the weekend. If it looks like the faucet is floated between the well and pump, should the check valve be removed? Just wondering what the fix might be.

Reply:

Removing the check valve at the pump will probably let the faucet work again, but if the check valve was added to counteract a failed footvalve in the well you'll find that the system loses prime.

Still, going back to your initial remarks, you have water running "full bore" for several minutes, then pressure drops down, then pressure stops entirely, then after a "rest" the pump and pressure appear to recover.

To me this sounds like a debris-clogged pressure control switch, with the effects showing up more severely at an outdoor faucet floated on the line between well and pressure tank. That's because the volume of water in the well piping would not be likely to be enough to give 4-5 minutes of water at the outdoor faucet.

What chemicals are leached into the well tank water from bladders

What chemicals are leached into the well tank water from bladders versus fiberglass lined tanks? On 2021-03-11 by Karen Prater

by (mod)

@Karen Prater, I haven't seen any research that confirms that either type of water tank or bladder is leaching chemicals into the water supply with some rare exceptions I will cite below.

• Sauer, Richard L., and David Jefferson Calley. Apollo experience report: potable water system. No. MSC-07508. 1973.
  Excerpt: LM  water tanks. The primary cause of this depletion was the diffusion of iodine through the bladder … , was found to be a curing agent that was used in the polyisoprene tank bladders.
• Tomboulian, P., L. Schweitzer, K. Mullin, J. Wilson, and D. Khiari. "Materials used in drinking water distribution systems: contribution to taste-and-odor." Water Science and Technology 49, no. 9 (2004): 219-226.
  Abstract:
  In order to assist drinking water utilities with identifying the possible sources and causes of taste-and-odor conditions associated with materials used in distribution systems, we evaluated information from case studies and a database from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), International.
  
  This database identified chemicals that had leached from drinking water system components during testing of materials under ANSI/NSF Standard 61, which provides information to water utilities on potential taste-and-odor and health concerns from the use of new materials.
  
  The data were arranged to provide a process for locating the potential source of a taste-and-odor event. After a sensory analysis is conducted on the drinking water samples, the descriptor can be matched with categories on the "Drinking Water Taste and Odor Wheel 2000" in order to suggest the candidate material.

 

High pressure in the water tank but low water pressure in the house

I am experiencing very low water pressure and bladder pressure was near 50 psi. Sound like it has equalized? Needs replaced? On 2020-12-16 by Chris

by Mod - look for a leaky tank bladder and waterlogged pressure tank

It's possible that the bladder has a leak and the tank has now trapped water out of the bladder and in its air space.

Turn off the pump, drain the system water pressure and gently rock the tank; if it's still heavy it's water-logged and needs repair or replacement.

How much pressure should be on a 20 gal. horizontal water holding tank

How much pressure should be on a 20 gal. horizontal water holding tank well is 300ft deep under ground pump On 2020-07-02 by Larry

by (mod) - water tank air pre charge set to 2 psi below the CUT IN Pressure.

The tank air pre charge is set to 2 psi below the cut in Pressure.

Typically the pressure is set to 20 or 30 psi cut in and 40 or 50 psi cut out.

New water pressure tank won't fill and won't turn on the pump when it should

I installed a new holding tank and new switch and the tank is not filling up with water the way it should.

The holding tank is completely emptying before it fills with water; so I have to wait 10 minutes or so before I get water again. What do you think I should do? thanks, Jeff

sorry e-mail for Jeff is catbaker25@outlook.com On 2020-06-04 by Jeff

by (mod) - Check the water pressure tank air pre-charge

Jeff

Check the water pressure tank air pre-charge when there is no water pressure in the building and the pump is off.

The pre-charge should be 2 psi below the pressure control CUT IN pressure setting.

If the air pressure in the empty water tank is higher than the pressure control switch CUT-IN pressure, then the pump won't turn on. - Daniel F

Why is it taking a long time for the pump to get up to the cutoff pressure after installing a new tank bladder?

Having just drained my system and installed a new pressure regulator and bladder on my pump and pressure tank, the pump is taking more than half an hour to get to the 50 PSI cutoff. It may indeed have taken a while to refill the bladder, but I was getting concerned and so unplugged the pump. The new regulator is a 30/50 cutoff, while the old one was 40/60.

If I had, say, 38 PSI in the tank, what effect would this have with the new 30 PSI cut-on? From your previous answers, I'm guessing it would just be lower water volume and cause more frequent cycling. I can't see why it should be taking so long to charge. (Aug 31, 2014) Carl

Reply:

Carl, look for

a damaged or clogged foot valve or strainer, a damaged pump impeller, low voltage, or leaks in the well piping

See WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING

 

Water pressure starts strong but quickly falls off to nothing - what might be wrong?

When we first turn on outside faucet near well house we have alot of water pressure, then it goes down to a trickle in a few minutes. Also when we have this outside faucet on, we don't have any water in the house. Our pressure tank feels empty, could the bladder be collapsed? If it is collapsed, is there a way to get it un collapsed or do we need to replace it? - Jorg

We were also wondering if the pressure switch could be causing the drop in pressure?

Reply:

Jorg:

Jorg about the water pump pressure control switch, a bad switch will fail to turn the pump on or off at the proper time; if it were improperly adjusted it might appear to work but lead to lower water pressure.

take a look at the article

titled WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE

Often when water pressure and flow are good at first but then fall off quickly, either the piping is clogged or the water pressure tank is water logged.

 

How to troubleshoot air in water lines - collapsed water tank bladder as a cause?

Hi, What a helpful site. We have been experiencing intermittent air in our water lines, and yesterday had the well company come out.

They repaired a couple things: pinhole found in pipe just above the submersible pump (which is 24 years old but appears to be running well). Also a weird bleeder valve arrangement that is no longer needed, and which he replaced with a brass check valve.

Put everything back down in the well and ran the water, seemed okay. However since then we notice very low water pressure, and when the water is on the pump is short-cycling. From reading your articles, I checked the water tank (well-x-trol) and am able to rock it with gentle pressure, leading me to believe there is no water in it.

The pressure gauge is at 60%. My question is, is a collapsed bladder a common result of draining all the water from the system? And I guess the real question, is this repairable or do we need a whole new water tank? Thank you. - Sara

Reply:

Sara,

I haven't run across collapsed water pressure tank bladders due just to emptying the system of water, though I could imagine that if a tank were left empty for some time, the bladder might stick to itself.

Bladders in at least some water pressure tanks are replaceable - some readers have reported success in doing so. Replacement involves shutting down and draining the system, and most likely disconnecting the tank to upend it to gain access to a removable panel through which an OEM replacement tank bladder is installed.

Amtrol is the producer of Well X Trol water tanks. Looking at their list price catalog I don't see replaceable bladders for their water pressure tanks.

See AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES for help in diagnosing and fixing the air discharge in your water piping and fixtures.

Water tank removal: how do I abandon a well and water pressure tank when switching to municipal water supply

I have had a water well plumbed and changed to a public water. the blue tank i was told was not in use,,though there was a leak from it. eventually it got rusted and at the end and let away the water from my public connection out. i had to turn mains off..what is going on if this belly tank only belongs to the water well, which is not in use. - Reosemary

Reply:

Rosemary, if you have switched from well water to municipal supply, ALL of your old water input/supply equipment should have been taken out of your water supply system. That's because the municipality worries that contamination in a private residence's equipment could back-contaminate the public water mains.

So typically the plumber connecting up the municipal water supply would connect it at a point in your house cold water supply piping past the original well water supply pressure tank outlet, and the plumber would also cut off your equipment piping from your house plumbing.

If s/he failed to do that, that would explain why a leak in your old water tank meant you had to shut off your municipal supply to fix it.

There are exceptions to this rule if a water pump and pressure tank are in use in a home to BOOST municipal supply. But even if your old well pump and pressure tank were being used to boost municipal supply pressure, your well line can no longer be connected up to that system.

Finally, some homeowners keep the old well, well pump, and pressure tank, but keeping completely separate from the house water supply piping, they connect it just to an outdoor faucet for watering lawns and plants

Why is my well and pressure tank water draw-down cycle only giving me 2 gallons of water before the pump has to turn on - short draw-down cycle troubleshooting

I have a private well with a new 7-8 GPM pump set at 300ft installed last year. I have been trying to test our 15 year old pressure tank. It is a WellxTrol WX-202 20 gallon that states it should have a draw down of 6.8 gallons. I have no pressure or flow problems and my pressure switch is set to 30/50.

I ran a draw down test with my garden hose and nozzle hooked up to an outside faucet and only got 2 gallons before pump turn on (at 30psi) into a volume marked pail, but the draw down time was about 1 minute 30 seconds. Time from cut-on to cut-off (50psi) is about 15-20 seconds. There is no short cycling, at least from cut-off to cut-on and we get consistent pressure and flow.

Why am I getting only 2 gallons on draw down? Is there a problem? - Peter

OK, new information after an additional test this morning. I flushed a low volume toilet and the water tank pressure immediately went from cut-off (50psi) to just above the cut-in pressure of 30psi, then as the volume of toilet flow slowed the pressure slowly went down to cut-in pressure. I'll test the tank air pressure later but it looks like I need a new pressure tank. - Peter

Reply: check for a waterlogged water pressure tank, check the air volume controls, add air to the pressure tank

Peter, your description sounds as if the water tank is waterlogged - has lost its air charge.

See WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING DIAGNOSIS TABLE for help in confirming and diagnosing both short water draw down cycle (too little water before the pump turns on) and frequent pump on-and-off cycling.

And see WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD for help in getting air back into the pressure tank.

Reader follow-up: trying to get air into the water pressure tank

I drained the pressure tank from the well head so that the pressure gauge showed zero. Then tested pre-charge and found it to be less than 10psi. I added enough air to get 28psi (cut-in 30psi) then tested the performance.

From zero to cut-off took much more time than before, at least double (guesstimate), and when I flushed the same toilet the pressure went to 42psi, not the 32psi I got before. So defiantly the problem was too little air pressure.

I don't know where the air went though? One thing I noticed was that as I was filling the tank with air the water pressure gauge also went up and I found I had to open the well head tap to get back to zero. This seemed to clear out and I can only assume that the bladder did not fully collapse until air pressure was added.

I re-checked the tank pressure after I had opened the well head tap and the pressure held at 28psi, so I think my bladder may be OK and not (at least completely) ruptured. I'll check the pre-charge in a couple of weeks but I think for a 15 year old tank I'll just replace it anyway. The original plumber only used the smallest marginal tank so I'll go bigger for more draw down. - Peter

Reply:

Peter if you drain water out of a pressure tank down to low or "zero" pressure, that does not alone assure that you've actually gotten air to enter the tank. It could be still nearly full of water but at little or no pressure. You should be able to see at least 30 seconds of draw-down at a typical faucet before the well pump has to turn on.

Or taken another way, a water pressure tank is rated for an "equivalent" draw down volume of water, typically 10 gallons or higher, if the tank is properly installed and air-charged.

What to do if the water tank full of rust and lime

My badder type tank seems to be full of rust and probably lime. I put on a whole house filter but in two weeks I am getting gray water in the dish pan again. Can a bladder be cleaned out? my pressure is good until the filter gets plugged (Jan 18, 2012) linda F.

Reply:

Linda:
an internal bladder type tank can be cleaned out but with difficulty - just trying to run water in from the well and out through the tank drain can be tedious and slow to have effect; Disassembly of some bladder tanks is possible;

I'd look into where the debris is coming from; perhaps you need a water filter.

 

Thank you to our readers for their generous comments

Thank you so much,this site very very helpfull in finding my well water problem. I had to replace tank,but thanks to you i knew what to test befor doing so. Thanks Again so much Dale in Ohio (Sept 4, 2011) Dale Gigwh

Thanks to your article I replaced the bladders in my 2 craftsman tanks with craftsman bladders, $180. First one failed at 3 months, 2nd one leaks. bought xtrols to install. problem solved. (Oct 30, 2012) roy

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Continue reading  at WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see WATER TANK BLADDER REPAIR / REPLACE FAQs - diagnosis & repair questions for water pressure tank bladders

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• NO WATER PRESSURE - if you have no water at all.
• WATER PUMP & TANK I&O & REPAIR MANUALS - installation, operation & repair guides for all brands
• WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES
• WATER TANK AIR CHARGE LOST
• WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR TANKS
  • WATER TANK BLADDER BURST or LEAKY
  • WATER TANK BLADDER CONSTRUCTION
  • WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
  • WATER TANK BLADDER DIAGNOSE, REPAIR or REPLACE
  • WATER TANK BLADDER STUCK to ITSELF
• WATER TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - home
• WATER TANKS, STEEL - tanks that do not use an internal bladder

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