We own a Well-X-Trol WX-203 well tank, and had it installed new almost
7 years ago.
The tank will recharge with about 10-15 PSI, and stop at about 40 PSI.
About two months ago, we noticed a strange water noise coming from inside the tank itself. This is the first time we started to hear this noise.
Everything is fine when a recharge begins (we can hear the diaphragm expanding), but towards the end of the recharge, when the 40 PSI is about to be reached, we hear the noise of splashing water from inside the unit itself. It lasts for about 5 seconds, at which point the unit turns itself off upon reaching the 40 PSI.
Our water pressure is fine throughout the house, the unit has not been touched at all recently, and we have no indications of any water outside of the unit itself.
Can anyone explain why we are now hearing this water noise from inside the tank? Is this something that needs to be looked at or repaired?
Jim, not a pro here, just a homeowner with the same tank. Your cut-in and cut-out pressures don't sound right to me. Typically they'll be 20-40,
30-50 or maybe 40-60lb. The tank's precharge should be 2 lbs less than your cut-in.
Turn off your well pump or close the valve between the tank and pump. Then drain the water from the tank. Check the pressure of the tank at the Schrader (sp?) valve. Get a bicycle pump (or compressor) and adjust accordingly
This is a description stolen from a post in the Google archives: ________________________________________________________________________ First you need to turn off the well pump, then drain all water out of the tank and your plumbing if you don't have a shut off just past the tank. If not shut off, shut off the cold feed to your water heater or domestic coil. Then the air pressure in your pressure tank needs to be set at 28 pounds (for 30-50 psi). Then turn on the pump and fill system with water. Then run water and note the cut-in pressure, adjust the tall nut down to raise, up to lower to 30 psi. Then watch the cut-out setting, adjust the short nut, set at 50 or higher. Maintain at least 20 pounds differential. Higher is down, lower is up. Keep this routine until you get 30-50 psi. IMPORTANT: As you set the tall nut it automatically raises the cut-off setting. Be prepared to turn the short nut up after adjusting the tall nut or you may get to 75 psi or higher very quick. This is not easy if you have these two nuts very far out of adjustment. The tall one moves BOTH cut-in and out settings, short only the cut-out. You need a good air gauge and water pressure gauge. The air pressure should be 1 to 2 pounds less than the cut-in setting. I say 1 pound because as the cold water cools this air it will lower the pressure. Just keep the cut-in slightly higher than your air pressure. Otherwise you'll run out of water before the pump kicks in. _________________________________________________________________________
This may or may not help with the noise, but it will put you back to standard operating parameters and you can more easily troubleshoot from there.
Bob, do you know how they come up with that 28 lbs air pressure in the tank? I know you copied that from the web, but you said you got one of those tanks. I just got one of those X-trol tanks myself, (a used one), so I have no instructions for it. I want to replace my own (non-bladder) tank, because my pump cuts on and off everytime I turn on anything, and thats hard on a pump. I plan to replace the tank next week, but I was wondering myself how much air to install. (There is some air in there now, but I didnt measure how much).
My pressure ON/OFF is different, that is why I need to adjust to my pressure. I go on at 38, off at 60psi. This is a farm, so I like the pressure as high as possible.
As far as the problem for the OP, I agree, drain the whole system. If that dont take care of the problem, there may be a loose fitting in the well causing an air leak (or low water level in the well).
The above quote sounds as if I wrote it... The instructions come with the pressure switch. The 28 is only for a pressure switch set for 30# cut-in pressure setting. The rule is 1-2 psi less air pressure in the tank with no water in tank than the cut-in pressure switch setting. In this example; 30 psi gets 28 psi air.
So adjust your tall screw nut down about 2 turns and set your air at
39-38. The tall screw takes both cut-in and cut-out up. Loosening the short screw nut or bolt head reduces the cut-out only. You could leave yours where it is since you like higher pressure. Doing this will increase the cut-in.
To drain the tank, you can shut the water off on the house/barn/building side of the tank instead of draining the house plumbing.
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