dewaterlogging water pressure tank

[Ron Hardin]

I got to try a new way of emptying a large waterlogged water pressure tank.

There's no bladder, and I empty it just by opening the drain and letting the water glug out, which takes about 24 hours after it falls to zero net pressure.

Putting a twisty-tie end in the faucet sped that up to about 6 hours, by shaping the glugs to more efficient large ones.

The new way, a drill pump sucking the water out, shortened it to a half hour. On the other hand, you had to be present to do it.

After it goes to glugs, pump as much water out as you can (about a minute of pumping); then undo the hose and let a huge suck of air pull into the tank; then repeat the drill pumping. That makes it drain in about half-gallon glugs, rather than dribbles.

So anyway, that idea worked, more or less. I have to do it once a year, not a real problem.

[John W]

If you have an air compressor or portable air tank, it is very simple. Just turn off the power to the pump, open a tap somewhere higher than the pressure tank and pump air in until it starts to blow out the tap. The air has now pushed all the water out of the tank.

Close the tap and restore power to the pump. When it clicks off, you're good to go.

The whole process only takes a few minutes.

You may get some bubbles in the water for a while until the tank equalizes.

John

[Michael Moss]

Ok, I guess I'll show my Ignorance, I'm new at all this (married last spring to a widow who also knows little about our house) I didn't know that draining the pressure tank was something that needed doing, let alone how to do it.. Why does it need draining? And I wonder how many other things around here need doing as "preventative maintenance". Is there some kind of "checklist" of things that need attention, or a book? I'm not being silly, I've lived my whole life as a renter.... ;-)

[Bob]

pressure

and letting

to zero

hours,

to a

(about a

air

it

Is there a fitting on this tank to pressurize it? If so, just open the drain and blow air in. Then shut the drain off and pressurize it. If it is appropriately pressurized, the pump will cycle less.

Bob

[Ron Hardin]

If there's no bladder over the water (old style pressure tank, or an old new style one with a broken bladder), the water absorbs the air, and eventually the tank is nearly filled with water. So the pump has to cycle on and off a whole lot in short bursts to keep the pressure within range.

If you had more air in there, it would run longer but fewer times (desireable).

One way to restore the air is drain the tank dry and then let it refill.

I do it about once a year.

[Doug Miller]

OK, here's a new way:

Step 1. Go to an auto parts store, and buy a valve core extractor. Shouldn't cost more than a couple of bucks. Open the drain valve, and unscrew the valve core from the air fitting. Then watch the water come gushing out. The whole tank will drain in a few minutes.

Optional Step 2. When the tank is drained, disconnect it, and replace it with a captive-air tank so you won't have to keep doing this. :-)

-- Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

[Dick Smyth]

Why not just replace the old tank with a new one with a bladder. I did that a couple of years ago. It only cost me about $100, it was easy to install, it takes up less space and the water is cleaner. (There was rust in the old tank.) ds

[donald girod]

And yet another suggestion. If there is no air fitting on the tank, just poke a piece of vinyl tubing up thru the drain (remove the valve maybe?) to let air in. It will drain famously. Same concept as the bit of wire,but MUCH more effective