Water tank FAQs:

Questions & answers about the purpose of water storage and water pressure tanks, how water tanks work, what goes wrong with the water tank (such as water tank leaks, loss of air charge, corrosion, failure to admit water) and how to fix water tank troubles.

These questions discuss the purpose of water storage or water pressure tanks on private well systems. How to diagnose & correct short cycling "on-off" of the building water pump. What is the difference between a bladder type water tank and a glass lined no-bladder water tank? How are well water tanks recycled?

This article series explains the different types of water tanks such as tanks using an internal bladder or diaphragm, bladderless steel, fiberglass, or plastic water tanks, and water tank pressure and air controls and valves.

Water Pressure Tank or Storage Tank Questions & Answers

These questions & answers about water tanks were posted originally at WATER TANK: USES, TROUBLESHOOTING - the home page for this subject.

On 2020-11-04 - by (mod) -

The tank and the pump can be distant from one another but the tank and the pressure switch should be quite close

On 2020-11-03 by nick

Can I locate bladder type pressure tank 100' away from my Grundfos pump and 40/60 psi regulator?

On 2020-08-11 by Bill

Hi I hope you can help me out. I have a well tank with a boost pump that is attach to the wet side if the pressure tank, I think The tank is leaking from the bottom at the fitting, plus water comes out of the schrodier valve at the pressure switch at the top.

Does the tank need replacing and can I just replace with a standard tank and reinstall pump?

On 2019-04-08 - by (mod) -

Probably your system uses a two line jet pump. Those lines work by sending water down the small diameter pipe where it's squirtss through a device to bring a greater quantity back to the house through the larger diameter pipe. Check the ARTICLE INDEX for 2 lines up pumps to see details.

On 2019-04-07 by Sherry

Our water tank broke & we had a Jacuzzi well water tank our old one has the outlet pipe split into 2 pipes coming out of the bottom why is there two

On 2017-11-25 - by (mod) -

You may not need a booster pump I don't know enough about your application to say. But I would start by looking at the flow rate of the well. That will tell you how much time you need to allow for filling your water tank.

On 2017-11-25 by Ron Hughes

I’m adding a 2500 gallon water storage tank to my existing system. I am on a well, with a pressure tank and currently have good water pressure.

Will I need to add a booster pump or larger pressure tank when I plumb in the water storage tank. My plan is to fill the tank during the day when my solar is at its peak and draw from it when I irrigate in the mornings. I’ll be the first to admit that I am no expert in water systems.

On 2017-10-20 - by (mod) -

Judy,

I suspect burned pump switch contacts - I'd have the switch replaced.

On 2017-10-20 - by (mod) -

Terri,

If the water tank is for hot water, and if it is gas or oil heated, having it in a bedroom closet is unsafe and illegal. If it is a water pressure tank, then yes you need the water tank as part of the water delivery system.

WATER TANK vs WATER PRESSURE - https://inspectapedia.com/water/Well_Tank_Effect_on_Water_Pressure.php explains how the presence of a pressure tank or storage tank affects building water flow.

On 2017-10-20 by Terri

I moved into a house with septic and we'll, house built in 2004 or 2009. The garage was converted to a master bedroom. There is a large 81 gal water tank in closet area, do I need that? Can I take it out? If I do need it, is it expensive to move to another area in the house?

On 2017-08-05 by Judy

The control switch on my well water storage tank sticks or something--sometimes it clicks 15 times before it is successful in turning on the pump. After a while, this continuous action roils up the water in the well and we start getting muddy water. This has happened a lot of times. Usually, after a period of days or weeks, the problem will correct itself. Until the next time. Is there some way I can correct it when it starts so I don't have it keep on malfunctioning and pumping muddy water?

Question: clearances required around water tanks, pumps, treatment equipment

(Feb 13, 2014) Anonymous said:

I'm working on finishing my basement, and trying to determine what clearances are required around my water storage tank & treatment system. When the home was built, about 11 years ago, a bathroom was roughed-in (drains & a pump to raise drained water up to the main drain line)- and the water storage tank & treatment system are adjacent to the bathroom rough-in. If I frame an interior wall the standard distance from the side of the toilet drain (16"), that will only leave about one foot between the wall and these components. If there's an access door at the end of the row of water treatment components, is that enough? I'm not sure what my other options are - maybe frame it essentially as a closet with sliding doors to allow full access to these components when necessary?

Reply:

Anon,

You can squeeze in the equipment as you describe, but the problem will be servicing and repairing it; if there is not working space to all sides of equipment its repair can be very difficult. It's common to place a water pressure tank or water softener with one side against or close to a wall, but with several feet of access from the front of the equipment and enough side room to use tools as necessary on pipes, wiring, &c. I'd consider giving more work space by sliding doors as you suggest.

Before making a final decision, take a look at the installation instructions from the manufacturer as often they will specify required clearances.

Question: which floor in a building will have highest water pressure?

(May 23, 2014) Anonymous said:

when water comes from roof tank which floor found high pressure water first among 5 floor

Reply:

Anon the highest pressure will be on the lowest floor unless additional pressure tanks and booster pumps are installed elsewhere.

Question: 37-ring well - channeling used water to nearby dry well

(May 29, 2014) JATHIN SHAH said:

sir, i have newly constructed my house located on a small hill. water is pumped from a well with 37 rings (1.25 ft/ring), i am channeling the used water to a near by 5 ring deep well next to my main water well. is there any harm and if yes what is the remedy. kindly advice. my emai id is jathingkpl@gmail.com.

Reply:

Jathin I'm not sure what harm you are concerned about. If I understand correctly hyou are pumping from a deep dug well (37 rings) to a more shallow dug well (5 rings), possibly as an intermediate storage place.

The concerns that could occur to me are

1. if the shallow well is losing water you may be pumping up to the shallow well but losing some of the water you place therein

2. If the shallow well is not sanitary you could be contaminating water pumped up from the deeper one.

Question: pinging water tank sounds; pressure not stored in water tank

(June 9, 2014) Martha said:

Our water tank has started to make a pinging sound at the end of the fill when the pump turns off. Is this a sign of something?

(July 1, 2014) Anonymous said:

some causes why not storing pressure at water pressure tank

Reply:

Anon if your water tank is losing pressure either there is water running somewhere or there is a leak - on the house side, or in the well piping (such as a bad foot valve or check valve)

Question: air in water pipes spurts out at faucets

(July 6, 2014) Sue said:

I frequently have a lot of air in the lines that spurts the water out if the faucets, etc...If I turn the pump off for several hours the problem goes away for about a week. I have a well x trol tank and a jacuzzi submersible pump. Water not running now but I can hear air or something in the pipe coming into the house. Where do I start?

Reply:

Sue you need a well service company to review your water system. I suspect that your system uses an in-well submersible pump and possibly a snifter valve ( see inspectapedia.com/water/Snifter_Valve.php ) or other air volume control device that is not working properly.

Other possible explanations for air discharge at faucets are cataloged and explained at

inspectapedia.com/water/Air_Discharge_at_Faucet.php

Please take a look at that article and let me know if questions remain.

Question: water blasting out of valve "in" a pressure tank?

(July 27, 2014) Anonymous said:

Why would water blast out of the valve in a pressure tank? I noticed that my shower had much better water pressure. Then shortly after my shower was finished I heard the water being released out of the tank and into the basement.

Reply:

Anon,

If water is coming out of the air valve in a pressure tank,

= if the pressure tank is an internal-bladder type tank then the internal bladder has torn or ruptured and needs replacement

= if the pressure tank is a bladderless type tank then the tank is waterlogged and needs an air charge as well as repairs to its air volume control device.

Question: motel water piping snafu

(July 29, 2014) Anonymous said:

Okay I am doing plumbing repair and it's at an Motel at the moment there is water lines coming up from the crawl space of the motel and to a 2" PVC Shut off valve then it goes down 8 in almost to floor then a ball valve then in a shape of a U like a P trap type shape then up 7 ft into a storage tank in the other building there is water running at the shutoff valves but nothing coming out at storage tanks no water coming out

Reply:

If the water tank uses an internal bladder it may be stuck to itself or ruptured.

Question: no water pressure after replacing a water heater

8/6/14 Colleen said:

Our water heater was replaced recently. Now we don't have water pressure. Before the pressure was fine. Our pressure tank reads 15-35. But still no pressure. Do we need a new pressure tank or is there something wrong with our well. We live in the country and we have a shallow well in MN.

Reply:

Colleen

Normally there would be no connection between replacing a water heater and loss of water pressure, unless the water pressure loss is connected to the installation process, such as

- someone closed and forgot to re-open a water supply valve in the course of installing the new heater

- someone pushed so much solder into a pipe during soldering that a water pipe or valve is blocked

- you installed a new water heater of so much capacity that when the empty heater tank was being re-filled that process disclosed that the well flow rate was so poor that the well ran out of water.

The fact that you see pressure in the pressure tank suggests that a valve is shut or a pipe blocked.

After checking for that

Try waiting a few hours to see if water pressure returns; if it does then the problem is most likely the well.

Question: lost water pressure after replacing a water heater

(Aug 6, 2014) Colleen said:

Our water heater was replaced recently. Now we don't have water pressure. Before the pressure was fine. Our pressure tank reads 15-35. But still no pressure. Do we need a new pressure tank or is there something wrong with our well. We live in the country and we have a shallow well in MN.

Reply:

Colleen

Normally there would be no connection between replacing a water heater and loss of water pressure, unless the water pressure loss is connected to the installation process, such as

- someone closed and forgot to re-open a water supply valve in the course of installing the new heater

- someone pushed so much solder into a pipe during soldering that a water pipe or valve is blocked

- you installed a new water heater of so much capacity that when the empty heater tank was being re-filled that process disclosed that the well flow rate was so poor that the well ran out of water.

The fact that you see pressure in the pressure tank suggests that a valve is shut or a pipe blocked.

After checking for that

Try waiting a few hours to see if water pressure returns; if it does then the problem is most likely the well.

Question: distance between pressure tank and pressure switch?

(Aug 14, 2014) sfurbish55 said:

Is there an actual limitation for the distance between a pressure tank and the pressure switch? I have an artesian well located in a pit about 90 feet from where the water supply enters my house. Currently the pressure tank and pressure switch are located in the pit right beside the wellcap. I need to replace the tank and would prefer to leave the pressure switch in the well pit while putting the new tank in the basement of the house where the water supply enters.

Reply:

SF

Probably there is a practical distance limit but in reading various installation instructions I don't find a quantitative specification. Instructions generally say locate the pressure control switch close to the pressure tank.

I would not mount the well pump pressure control switch remote from the tank.

Question: water suddenly stops, ok after I re-set something

(Aug 28, 2014) Ron said:

After the water has been running for some time(filling washing machine) the water just stops running and the pressure in the tank is near 0. I reset the pressure gage and bingo water. Is this a pressure gage issue or a problem with the pump in the well?

Reply:

Ron

If your pressure control switch includes a safety feature intended to protect the pump from damage (caused by pumping dry if the well flow rate is too slow) then the switch is doing its job. In that case the problem is poor flow rate at the well.

Question:

(Sept 26, 2014) fred mullins said:

I have installed two bladder water tanks, my problem is my water pressure gauge with one tank it would come on at 20 psi and off at 60 psi with 2 tanks it turns on at 10 psi and off at 30 psi. please tell me what is going on and please include some type of drawing so I can make sure I installed the tanks correctly. thank you so much

(Sept 28, 2014) BOBBY said:

MY WELL PUMP TURNS ON AND OFF ALOT,IS THIS NORMAL? CAN SOMEONE HELP ME

(Oct 1, 2014) Mike said:

we have a pressure tank wellXtrol by amtrol model wx202, we have a problem with the faucet strainers and the washing machin filters clogging up with a fine white filament looking trash. A local hardware dealer told us it looked like fiberglass filaments, could this be what it is?

Reply:

Bobby At the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of this article see WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING for diagnosis and repair advice

Mike

I've seen white debris clogging faucet strainers and shower heads when a plastic dip tube in the water heater was disintegrating.

See

inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Hot_Water_Tank_Debris_Flush.php

for details.

Question: clog problems after water line rupture

(Nov 6, 2014) randy said:

line ruptured well ran about 10 minutes before shut down . now removed bleeder valve from tank pressure to 18lbs on a 20-40 lb system have to manually engage points pressure on tank will increase to 35lbs bleed pressure back to 18 and will then go to zero. max shown on guage is 20 lbs no pressure in house and have to manually engage pts.they automatically kick out.

Reply:

Randy

Is the pressure switch sensing port perhaps debris-clogged?

Did the pump run "dry" at any time?

Question: water tank overflows

(Nov 16, 2014) Debbie said:

What causes a well water system tank to overflow? We are experiencing intermittent no water pressure followed by the tank overflowing with water! Thank goodness its outside (Florida).

Reply:

Debbie, some water storage tanks use a float control to stop water from entering the tank when it's full - usually these are not pressurized tanks. If the float valve jams or breaks the tank will be over-filled.

Question: problems even after replacing jet pump

(Nov 22, 2014) Luc Prevost said:

I replaced my jet pump for a new one but have the same problem, when disconnecting the line going to tank with bladder and opening valve the water flows out with full pressure but when reconnecting hose the tank does not fill up but water is coming out at faucette? what is the problem? iis it air lock or might it be bladder in the tank itself that might be defective?

Reply:

Luc it sounds as if your pressure tank inlet is blocked or the tank bladder is stuck to itself.

Question: trouble with Pro-Source water tank

(3 days ago) Mike said:

My pro source water tank is a year old all new valves and gauges piping etc lately when it cycles it shuts of at 60 lbs as normal but the bladder inside the tank makes a popping sound I checked the air pressure at this time in the tank and it's at least 60 lbs. the manufacturer calls for 38 any leads. Thank you

Reply:

Mike it's possible that the bladder is damaged or is sticking to itself. If the pressure changes after the "pop" that's even more likely. Let me know.

Question: fiber debris clogging faucet strainers

12/9/2014 Jean said:

I am finding fiber clogging up my faucet aerator screen. I have a water storage tank and a well. What could this mean?

Reply:

Jean I can't say what the fibers are - possibly mineral crystals from hard water, fiberglass from a deteriorating fiberglass tank, particles from a damaged water filter.

I'd take three approaches:

1. look over the whole water system to see what might be damaged and releasing fibers or debris

2. have the water tested by your local water testing lab: for hardness, debris, contaminants

3. send a sample of fibers to a forensic lab for identification -that may point to a source. You can also send some to me and I'd look -probono - (contact info is at our CONTACT US link) but I won't be able to examine anything in our forensic lab before next year.

Question: where are water storage tank, pump, pressure switch and check valve located in a water supply system?

(Dec 14, 2014) a.sarshad said:
where is the location of storage tank ,pump, pressure switch and check valve in the system

Reply:

A.S.

The water pressure tank and pressure control switch may be located in the building served, usually close to the point at which water pipes enter the building, or they may be located more remotely from the building in a well pit.

The pump is located either in the well (submersible pumps in deep wells) or close to the pressure tank (1 line jet pumps for shallow wells or 2 line jet pumps for deeper wells).

The foot valve, a key check valve in water systems, is located at the bottom of the well pipe.

Some systems such as shallow well jet pumps may instead use a check valve located in the pump itself.

Question: relocating a water pressure tank and switch

(Dec 22, 2014) Kerry said:
Our well system used to serve three houses. Now it only serves one, our house. We have replaced the pressure switch four times as it is stuffed into the top of the well casing. The pressure tank is buried in the yard three feet away from the well.I think the pressure tank and switch need to be in the basement of our house out of the elements. What do you think

Reply:

(Dec 24, 2014) (mod) said:
Kerry that sounds like a smart idea. Unless it was specifically designed to be exposed to the elements, no electrical switch likes to be outdoors in the rain nor in a wet, condenstion-prone well casing.

Question: how do I connect up my water reservoir?

(Apr 11, 2015) david brown said:

i have a 250 water tank. how would i connect to resevoir to get water to pump threw the house

Reply:

David

I'm sorry but I don't have much of an idea what you have installed: what water source, what pump, what piping already exist. It sounds as if you need a plumber on-site.

Question: cloudy water diagnosis & cure

(Apr 24, 2015) Charles Patridge said:

We have lived in our home for 35 plus years and our water has been very good. This past fall, we started getting cloudy water and I flushed out the water storage tank until the water was clean again.

However, we are still getting cloudy water. We run the water in the house until it becomes clear and then some days later, the water will get cloudy again.

Looking for suggestions as to what to look for the cause of this problem. Everything else with the tank seems to work as expected - no frequent cycling, no air bubbles, pressure is fine.

Email: Charles_S_Patridge@prodigy.net

Reply:

Charles,

I would start by taking a water sample to your local water test lab. By knowing what's in the water one can make a more useful decision on what treatment or repairs are needed.

Question: relationship of water pressure tank setting and pressure control switch settings

(June 7, 2015) Harry said:

I don't understand the relationship of the pressure tank setting ex. 20psi. & the control switch 30/50 psi. What is pressure is the control reading to cut in or out?

The pressure tank? Will the pressure in the house be controlled only by the tank setting & it should be constant pressure whether the pump. S running or not? Thanks. Harry

Reply:

Harry: a 30/50 psi pressure control switch turns the pump on when pressure in the system - sensed by the switch - falls to or below 30 psi and turns the pump off when pressure reaches 50 psi. Typically we set the air pre-charge in the pressure tank to 2 psi below the cut-in pressure setting.

Question: pressure booster pump and large water storage tank

(July 10, 2015) DavidCoffee said:
I'm forced to drill a well to replace my water delivery system PG&E just yanked out from under us with no warning--but that's a different story.

I want to fill my existing 2,500 gal storage tank from the well, continue to gravity feed this to my home and continue with the jet pump/bladder tank pressure system I have in my home. Do I need another bladder/pressure tank between the submerged well pump and storage tanks?

Reply: include a pressure tank

David if you are using a pressure booster pump you'll need a pressure tank as well (though there are tankless pressure booster pumps sold in some locations).

If the tank location is high enough a gravity feed works. If you try to fill the tank too rapidly and your well flow rate is not stunning you'll be sorry as you'll risk burning up a pump.

Question: drain the pressure tank to avoid freezing damage to AMTROL WX-202 pressure tank

3 Aug 2015 Tim Coffey said:

Just installed AMTROL WX-202 pressure tank at seasonal camp in northern Maine. Can drained tank be left in place or must it be removed and stored at above freezing temperatures?

Reply: Amtrol Instructions for Protecting the Well Ex-Trol Tank from Freezing & Damage

Tim:

Here is what Amtrol says about their Well Ex-Trol water pressure tanks and freezing

The Well-X1® is designed for indoor and outdoor installations. The NEMA 3 enclosure can be installed in direct weather. If installed outdoors, be sure the following conditions are met:

Do not install where ambient temperatures can drop below freezing or exceed 120° F.

Watch out: Here is what Amtrol says about exposing their heating boiler expansion tanks to freezing:

RUPTURE OR EXPLOSION HAZARD. Do not expose product to freezing temperatures or temperatures in excess of 240°F.

Do not adjust the pre-charge or re-charge this Product except during installation or regular inspection.

Replace the Product and do not adjust the pre-charge if corroded, damaged or with diminished integrity.

Adjustments to pre-charge must be done at ambient temperature only.

Failure to properly size the Product or follow these instructions may result in excessive strain on the system and may lead to Product failure, serious or fatal personal injury, leakage, and/or property damage.

I take this to mean that you'd have to be sure that all water is drained from the tank before leaving it exposed to freezing. Even a small amount of water left in a valve or control could cause damage.

Tim said:
Thanks. It appears that the conservative approach would be to remove tank and store it in an above freezing environment.

Reply:

Amtrol says don't install tanks where they're exposed to freezing. I think if I were going to have to remove a tank annually to store it in a warm place I'd be sure to do my plumbing with some flexible hoses and quick disconnect fittings.

Sometimes, such as in a well pit, if we think that electrical power will be both on and reliable, we can add a small heat source, even a 75W incandescent light bulb may be enough to protect from freezing; of course loss of power (or bulb) means trouble.

Question: could low water pressure be caused by a malfunctioning pressure tank?

(Sept 15, 2015) Anonymous said:
I have been experiencing low water psi (have a submersible well pump) for the last few weeks. Consistent, but low. About 8-10 years ago, I experienced my water psi spitting (higher then lower, a lot of fluctuation).

Ended up being my bladder tank, but I didn't repair before it fried my well pump also. This time is different. Consistent but low psi. Today I checked my bladder tank air psi and it was basically empty.

I noticed a sticker with 38 psi on it, so I pumped it up to approx. 36 psi with hopes that would fix my low psi problem. Turned my well pump back on and nothing had changed.

Water pressure would not go above 20 psi, then about 20 mins later while washing my hands in my kitchen sink the water just stopped. I went back under my house (where my psi tank is) and my water psi gauge showed 20 psi, but still no pressure at kitchen sink. I have a drain valve at psi tank, when I open that I get water psi, but not in house.

Also sounds like no psi is entering the bladder psi tank. Could it be clogged or not allowing water to flow into tank? I'm stumped. Would the malfunctioning tank cause my well pump to not build adequate water psi. Any ideas?

Reply:

The pressure tank controls the frequency of the pump operation but not the pressure to which the pump can deliver water.

Question: pressure drops to zero before pump turns on

(Sept 25, 2015) Anonymous said:
I have a captive air water tank and recently the pressure has been dropping off to almost zero flow when the pressure switch kicks the pump on.

Normal pressure seems ok. The pump is cycling between 45 to 65 PSI. When the pump kicks on, the pressure is dropping almost to zero. I don't believe it did that when the system was installed 3 years ago.

I turned pump off and let water drain so tank pressure was zero, then checked bladder pressure and it was reading 42.5. When tank fills up, bladder pressure increases to tank pressure. Any ideas on why the extreme loss of pressure when tank is refilling?

Reply:

Check for clogging at the pressure switch sensor port or tube. Replace those parts.

Question: 2 water tanks, one just has air?

(Sept 25, 2015) Dennis said:
I have two tanks, one seeems to be filled with water and one seems to be filled with air. both have 30#s of pressure. Is this the proer way for them to work?

Reply:

Dennis I don't know the piping arrangement you've got but normally each tank needs an air charge if water is to exit the tank.

Question: heavy concentrations of iron and manganese in the water and sometimes water turns orange.

(Oct 7, 2015) MtnWater said:

We have a bladder type tank. We also have quite heavy concentrations of iron and manganese in our water which tend to leave silty deposits.

Our water occasionally runs orange because of this. We were considering flushing the tank to remove anything which has settled out.

We can't find any specs on this and the manufacturer doesn't respond to requests for info. Anyone have comments or suggestions on how to do this- or even if we SHOULD do this?

Reply:

Orange water may be a different problem: bacterial growth (iron-loving bacteria) or silt, mud, rust. I'm not sure flushing the tank would address the issue. I'd start by discussing more broad water tests with your local water test lab.

Question: well pump not working right after a power outage

Nov 13, 2015) Ron R. said:

We had a power outage this morning and now have very low pressure, the pump goes on but only for a few seconds, goes off then repeats after 10 min. or so,

I took the cap on the tank and bled the air, seemed to help a little but would only last a short time, should I drain the tank,or maybe fill it back with air from a compresser ? CONFUSED HELP!

Reply:

Your system may have had a bad foot valve or check valve all along, but during the power outage your system lost prime. Before that the pump would run by itself on occasion - before losing prime. Try re-priming the system. If that works you probably will need to replace a foot valve or check valve.

Question: Old steel water holding tank, pump switch not cycling.

(Feb 5, 2016) Lee Riggs said:

I have a submersible well pump, a Gould. The holding tank is a very old steel tank. Wired for 220v, the pressure switch won't cycle as it should.

The switch is a month old. The switch might work for 45 minutes then stops. I have to mànually rest the thing and then an hour later, do it again. I have no idea what is wrong. Do I need a whole new system.

Reply:

Check the well flow rate - your system may be going off due to loss of water. Also Check for debris clogging in the pressure switch mounting tube that carries tank pressure to the base of the switch.

Question: pump stopped working, now just runs 3 seconds.

(Feb 23, 2016) Christian A. said:

Had a second hand water pump installed two years ago. Was working fine. Stopped usage for three months or so and when reactivated, pressured water doesn't come out.

When reset button is pressed, it works for roughly three seconds and stop again. Any clue, please !

Reply:

I can't diagnose your pump from a brief e-text Christian, but I'd start by seeing if the pump has lost prime. Also a check of the motor for free rotation might tell you if the pump is seized.

Question: bladder tank has no water in it

(Mar 11, 2016) Cynthia said:

My bladder tank has no water in it, I grew up believing that it was suppose to, is there something wrong here?

Reply:

Cynthia

At the point at which the well pump turns OFF there will normally be water in the pressure tank. Perhaps your tank is not working- e.g. if the bladder has collapsed and stuck to itself it may not be letting water into the tank. If the pump is cycling on and off rapidly (short cycling)_ that'd add weight to that guess.

Question: pressure tank won't hold pressure

(Mar 15, 2016) Steve carpenter said:

The well I'm working on been off for 3 years PVC pipes broke off inside pressure tank should that pressure tank hold pressure why is not connected to nothingI prime it it holds pressure until I turn the water on to house it loses all pressure

Reply:

Steve,

When you open the valve to send water into the home and the water tank loses ALL pressure, that sounds to me as if the pump control is not turning on the pump. Start there.

Question: how to test the bladder in a water tank

(Mar 16, 2016) Anonymous said:

How can I tell if the bladder in my water tank is bad

Reply:

Anon:

If water cannot enter the pressure tank the bladder may be stuck to itself.

If the water tank is waterlogged (full of water, pump short cycling) then the bladder has probably burst;

If you see water discharge at the air pressure adjustment valve near the top of a tank that uses an internal bladder, in most cases the bladder has burst.

Question: can you use a pressure tank that does not have an internal bladder?

(Mar 20, 2016) amanda pope said:

Can you use a pressure tank without a bladder ?

Reply: yes

THere are water pressure tanks that do not use an internal bladder but if YOUR water pressure tank is a bladder-type model, no, you need the bladder in that tank.

Question: why air pressure goes up in the water tank after the pump runs

(Apr 12, 2016) Dale Martin said:

I have model V60 Gould water tank. Water psi 40/60 air at 38 psi. After pump runs air pressure goes up two 55psi. Why?

Reply:

Dale: I don't know either - but if you really mean that AFTER THE PUMP STOPS the tank pressure continues to increase, I can guess that the pressure gauge may be partly debris clogged, causing it to delay in reading actual pressure.

Question: uneven water pressure causing the shower to run too hot or too cold

2016/05/11 Pat said:

We are having an issue with our water pressure changing (which changes the water temperature) while we're taking showers. We're on a hill. We use city water that feeds directly into a tank. From there our pump feeds it to the house. Our pressure tank is at the end of the line (water goes through the house before getting to the tank).

There is a sixty foot elevation change from our water tank, which is where the pump is, to the house.

is this too much for the pump to try to push the water up 60 ft in elevation, plus another 120'(when it gets to the top before reaching the house), and keep a reasonably consistant pressure so the temperature doesn't change while taking a shower?

Reply:

Pat:

Have you considered installing a point-of-use anti-scald valve that will regulate water temperature regardless of pressure changes? That's what I'd do. Searching InspectApedia.com for "point of use anti scald valve" returns this article that may help:

POINT of USE BUILT-IN FIXTURE ANTI-SCALD VALVES at

inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Anti_Scald_Mixing_Valve_POU.php

An alternative would be to install a much larger pressure tank closer to the point of use of the water (in the house). I think the POU anti scald valve is a better idea.

...

Continue reading at WATER TANK: USES, TROUBLESHOOTING or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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