Darn it, why can't things fail in the summer!

[MTboatguy]

Why don't things fail in the summer instead of the winter, when there is ice and snow all over the place! Water started pulsing in my house, so in checking things the bladder has failed in my pressure tank! The darn thing is under the house! Which is going to be a royal pain in the you know what to change out, especially at this time of the year!

 

[gm280]

The reason thing don't fail when YOU want them too is because that doesn't follow "Murphy's Law". You should know that by now... I do feel sorry for your situation. I have similar things happen and it seem every time, it is when there is so many other things going wrong. But then I literally sit down and laugh out loud and thing how such things gang up on us all the time. Seems somebody is testing us to see where our breaking points are....

 

[MTboatguy]

Well one good thing, at least I got 17 years out of it, when I was told it would not last 7 years, but man!

 

[alldodge]

I feel your pain, I been looking real hard at my water heater and keep saying that 5YR 12 year old tank needs to be replaced. Hope it makes it to spring and I remember come spring to do it.... What were we discussing :apologetic:

 

[rbh]

I know with our tank we do not use the bladder for pressurizing the tank but just empty the water out of the tank through the tap then back feed the air charge required then turn the water back on.
Only problem is we need to re air it up every 6 months or so.

 

[MTboatguy]

Oh, I know this one has a breached bladder in it, I did crawl under the house, because I thought I might be down or out on air pressure, when I went to check it with an air gauge, it squirted water back out of the fill valve, so it is full of water outside of the bladder.

 

[Tnstratofam]

The reason things fail in the winter is because Murphy, Old Man Winter, and Jack frost are all kin folk!!! Of course Murphy is related to everybody that's why he can move in and out of all our lives with little or no warning.:facepalm: I hate plumbing problems in cold weather almost as much as vehicle problems in cold weather.

 

[rbh]

Oh, I know this one has a breached bladder in it, I did crawl under the house, because I thought I might be down or out on air pressure, when I went to check it with an air gauge, it squirted water back out of the fill valve, so it is full of water outside of the bladder.

Then just do what I do, it will keep you going through winter.

 

[bassman284]

I feel your pain, I been looking real hard at my water heater and keep saying that 5YR 12 year old tank needs to be replaced. Hope it makes it to spring and I remember come spring to do it.... What were we discussing :apologetic:

Yeah, well, from my personal experience, when you try to get more than 12 years out of a 5 year water heater, there will come a day when you have to move fast.

 

[MTboatguy]

I know with our tank we do not use the bladder for pressurizing the tank but just empty the water out of the tank through the tap then back feed the air charge required then turn the water back on.
Only problem is we need to re air it up every 6 months or so.

Could you expand on what you are doing with your tank, it would be great if I could nurse it until at least late spray, I don't quite understand "back Feed" the charge, to me that would imply you are putting air in the tank through the faucet, but I could be mistaken.

Thanks.

 

[rbh]

^^^^
Yup that's all you do.
Turn off the pump.
Drain the water out, hook up the compressor to the garden hose once the tank is drained,and pressurize till the pressure gauge reads the right PSI (Air Charge).
Close the tap and turn on the pump


I had to edit this because I originally said fill will air till the pump on charge amount, that was wrong I meant air charge PSI

(our pump is 35 PSI air charge, pump on at 45 PSI off at 65 PSI)

 

[Boomyal]

MT, you can get by with your breached bladder tank. Shut off the pump, throw the breaker on on your water heater, open a faucet to drain out what water you can. Then use your compressor to pressurize the tank, expelling any additional water on the water side of the bladder. Once done and the water quits running, shut off the valve to the house and pressurize the tank to 2 psi below the pressure switch turn on for the well pump. If your switch is set to come on a 40 psi, pump 38 psi into the tank. This will be like having a non bladder style captive air tank. It will certainly get you through until better weather. All of this stuff should have been installed in the garage where it was easily diagnosable and serviceable. Attics and under houses were done by people who didn't have a clue.

If the bladder is indeed breached and a significant amount of water is on the air side of the bladder, it will be heavy and a pain to get out from under the house. Disconnect the tank, drill holes in the side of the tank. lay it on its side and drill holes in the top side. Water will eventually exit the tank and make it easier to drag out.

 

[rbh]

well,what did you end up doing MTBG?

 

[MTboatguy]

Actually at this point, I have not done anything yet, been looking at tanks and looking at my options to bring the tank into the house, my wife is not real happy, because I am thinking about putting in our panty and she don't want to give up the space and I told her, I don't want to crawl under the house anymore, getting to old for that. So right now we are at an impasse. LOL I am almost thinking about a smaller tank for the rest of the winter, then rebuild the system this summer, but right now, waiting for the weather to break a bit as well. What will probably happen, is I will drain it, then add air to it to get us through the rest of the winter.

 

[bruceb58]

I am thinking about putting in our panty and she don't want to give up the space

I wouldn't either. You guys share panties?

 

[MTboatguy]

I wouldn't either. You guys share panties?

:lol:

 

[rbh]

Thats funny!

 

[Boomyal]

FYI, MT. You cannot install a pressure tank a considerable distance from the pressure switch. Theoretically it should not make a difference but it does. You end up getting a bounce of water that causes the well pump switch to turn on and off, rapidly. This, of course, will greatly stress the well pump. The pressure switch and it's wiring must be located in very close proximity to the pressure tank.

 

[MTboatguy]

Boom, I would move everything to the same location, I am aware that they need to be in close proximity to each other. All it involves is moving some pipes about 6 feet and of course rewiring things so it is in the house instead of underneath the house.

 

[Boomyal]

If the Mrs objects to moving it in the house, hand her the wrenches and the jumpsuit and tell her to have at it. You'll help her pull the waterlogged tank up thru the floor when she gets it detached and over to the access hole.