Plumbing emergency question (well pressure tank)

[AdironRider]

So we have friends visiting arriving tomorrow, and our well pump is cutting out. I think I've found the culprit in a failed pressure tank, which is causing the pump to cycle on and off constantly which then trips it when I assume it overheats or something. Pressure guage is constantly rotating between 100psi and just under 70psi, which then cycles the well pump. This cycle takes no more than 30 seconds. When you press the valve at the top of the pressure tank, just water and no air comes out.

I have found 2 new tanks in stock locally, all others would be a 2 day ship. Problem is it is a larger tank. I do believe that our tank is currently to small (2 gallon currently and our well cranks out well over 70 gallons a minute) so not opposed to sizing up. Tanks locally are 20 or 32 gallon options. Based on this chart, I believe the 32 is probably the closest size to correct fit.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyho...tion-Guide.pdf

Please correct me if you guys think any of the above is wrong, but if its in the ballpark, here is my question:

My current setup has a 3/4 NPTM fitting, and both of the new tank options would be a 1 NPTF. Can use a 3/4 to 1 adaptor at the pressure tank tie in which would save me from having to redo more of the plumbing system itself to utilize the new tank? Would that jack up my pressure by just changing that part of the system? Or can I get away with just tying in with an adaptor and extension plumbing and keep the rest at 3/4? This would save me from buying a whole new set of valves, pressure sensors, etc.

[hawkgt]

try bleeding it first, when I was on well I had to do it from time to time. check youtube also

https://www.hunker.com/13417589/how-...-pressure-tank

[Vt-Freeheel]

If water is coming out of the pressure valve the bladder has likely ruptured and the tiny tank requires replacement.

You can use reducers to plumb in the new tank without any issues.

Get er dun!

[wendigo]

with a 2 gallon tank it sounds like you have a constant pressure system - they use a small tank.
might want to check if a larger tank will cause an issue

[AdironRider]

I do have a constant pressure system. Grundfos Smartflo CU301 specifically.

Local plumbing supply guy just called me and thinks it might be a pressure transducer failure for this type of system and not the tank. Thoughts?

[Core Shot]

If water is coming out of the pressure valve the bladder has likely ruptured and the tiny tank requires replacement.

You can use reducers to plumb in the new tank without any issues.

Get er dun!

Truth

with a 2 gallon tank it sounds like you have a constant pressure system - they use a small tank.
might want to check if a larger tank will cause an issue

I agree. Two gallon is way small as a reservoir for a traditional well. Most houses without wells have those just to stop water hammer as valves are opened and closed.

My well had more like thirty gallons. But it was designed that way. I agree that yours may be designed as constant pressure pump and the small tank just evens out the surges. In which case, it’s odd that the pressure is cycling. With the taps closed it should maintain.

And yes Virginia water should not come out of the valve on the tank. Bladder is burst.
But also. Don’t fucking push that valve and let the air out. It needs a charge of air to work properly.

I would install another two gallon tank. Don’t fuck with the air vent on the new one.
If it still doesn’t work it may be a pump issue.
Or more likely a pressure switch problem. 100psi is pretty extreme for domestic water. Unless you are LBJ

[wendigo]

i'm running the same system though at ~50 psi



I would swap out/re-pressurize the 2-gallon tank to start, it is obviously toast.
The system should hold a constant pressure even if the tank is bad, they cycle repeatedly if communication is lost - so it seems that the unit has lost communication with the pump - could be the transducer or the control unit.

[hawkgt]

I do have a constant pressure system. Grundfos Smartflo CU301 specifically.

Local plumbing supply guy just called me and thinks it might be a pressure transducer failure for this type of system and not the tank. Thoughts?

forgot, replaced one of those also, not a bad idea.

edit: and replaced 2 well pumps, dam lightning!!!

[plugboots]

Subscribed. We have a pressure tank and a pump and a cistern system. Anyway, after my poor diagnosis, had the dudes come out and the float in the cistern was not working. Easy fix, but duh.

[Bronco]

I'd bet on the pressure transducer (switch) needing replacement. The electronics go bad a lot more frequently than the mechanical parts. If you have a volt meter, you can probably check.

[ötzi]

It's been said a few times but to reiterate, don't use a traditional pressure tank with a constant-pressure system. Sounds more likely tobe electrical anyways.

[AdironRider]

Thanks everyone, I wouldn’t have caught the constant pressure thing until it was too late!

I’m thinking it is definitely something electrical now. The system has healed itself and worked then gone on the fritz again twice now today. I’m going to order a new control box, transducer and pressure tank tonight and replace and hopefully that fixes it. I hope so cause I don’t think I have the stones to do the actual pump myself and that’ll be a couple grand farmed out vs 500 doing this myself.

[climberevan]

Pulling a pump is not for the faint of heart unless it's pretty shallow. I'm a GC and seriously considered pulling mine with an improvised tripod etc, but at 110', the pipe and water is pretty heavy, and dropping it would be a total catastrophe. It's worth paying the well guy.

I also have and really enjoy a constant pressure setup. Mine is a valve type that restricts the flow to match demand, and it's been great for about 6 years since I bought the house. I did switch to a 6 gal tank though since I have a big well pump and the 2gal one was filling a bit too fast.

Oh, and electrical Gremlins can be a real bitch. I ended up replacing the entire 10/3 line from my house to the pump after it failed midway and then the well guys' splice also failed. It sucked. Then I had to do the whole trench (110') again after the original sched 20 PVC well pipe failed. Poly FTW, but man are those fittings expensive!