Gould Shallow Well Pump - Bladder Tank pressure

[Parisisehs]

My Gould shallow well pump has a 30 gal bladder tank. The tank does not seem to have any water in it. (Does not sweat on a hot day and tapping on the tank gives no apparent sound change) . Pump is loosing pressure quicker than it used to. If you turn on a faucet it will run full , slow down for about 10 sec. then run full some more. I have it serviced ant turned on each year by a local plumbing contractor. A friend told me to check the pressure on the tank. I put a tire gauge on it and it has 45psi on it. The pump operates at 40psi and turns on at 20 to 25psi. Isn't this too much pressure? A tag on the tank says to put in 2 psi less than turn on pressure. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Rich]

Drain the tank complety then pump up to the 2 PSI below your turn on pressure. It sounds like the bladder has to much pressure and the volume it's holding has diminished?

Rich

[dpb]

Yep, which is the sign of having developed a pinhole leak....it'll probably continue to operate for quite some time again after the resetting, but that period will get shorter and shorter until it eventually will require replacement...

DAMHIKT.... :)

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[Parisisehs]

Thanks. To drain the tank do I just turn the pump power off and open up the hose bib that is installed at the pump? Thanks.

[Rich]

Yep

[dpb]

Works for me... :)

I use a small pump to speed up the process -- of course, you need a valve installed somewhere you can open to let air in to do that.

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[Harry K]

You got some good advice from everybody below. The 45psi reading right after the pump shut off would not be too far out of line. Cheap tire gauges are not all that accurate. The important thing is 'how much precharge' is in the tank and that can only be checked with the tank empty.

Harry K