Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Well tank losing air pressure

From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2016 21:47:14 -0700

> I have an Amtrol WX-203 (installed Sep 2009) and I need to add air more
> and more often otherwise the pump short cycles like crazy. There's no
> water spitting from the air valve and no air coming out of the faucets. 

Same thing happens with a tank that doesn't have a diaphragm.  The air
slowly dissolves into the water, so you don't see any bubbles, but the air
cushion goes away.

(So yes, I think you've got a bad diaphragm/bladder in the tank.)

-- Randall

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From: Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2016 10:08:59 -0400

Not long after posting this I finally found a video where some glorious soul had taken one apart. My vision of the bladder holding the air was incorrect; the bladder holds the water, and the air is inside the tank. I then picked at a suspicious paint bubble and soaped it, and that's where I'm losing the air, pinhole leak.

Here's the video if you'd like to see the innards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_ybMRYrt8U

jim

On Sep 4, 2016, at 7:13 PM, Jim Franklin <[email-masked]> wrote:

> I have an Amtrol WX-203 (installed Sep 2009) and I need to add air more and more often otherwise the pump short cycles like crazy. There's no water spitting from the air valve and no air coming out of the faucets. Is it still a shot tank? I soaped the air valve and don't see any bubbles. Can't think where the air might be going. The tank isn't rusty except for the round frame part at the bottom. 
> 
> Easy to replace and it'll probably cure it, but I'd really like to know for sure. Google wasn't much help, surprisingly. 
> 
> thanks,
> jim
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From: Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2016 11:02:56 -0400

My local supply house doesn't carry Amtrol but they do have State. I can't find much on the web about their quality. Pricing is similar. Are they decent? The hookups are the same, and it's 4 gallons bigger, which should be ok (maybe give my cycling pump a rest)

thanks,
jim

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From: Jack Brooks <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2016 01:18:45 +0000

Jim,

I've used a State accumulator with no issues after several years.  This was
in a rental home which was then sold. 

Jack

-----Original Message-----
From: Shop-talk [mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Jim
Franklin
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2016 8:03 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [Shop-talk] State Pumpmate well pressure tanks? (was:Re: Well tank
losing air pressure)

My local supply house doesn't carry Amtrol but they do have State. I can't
find much on the web about their quality. Pricing is similar. Are they
decent? The hookups are the same, and it's 4 gallons bigger, which should be
ok (maybe give my cycling pump a rest)

thanks,
jim

On Sep 5, 2016, at 10:08 AM, Jim Franklin <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Not long after posting this I finally found a video where some glorious
soul had taken one apart. My vision of the bladder holding the air was
incorrect; the bladder holds the water, and the air is inside the tank. I
then picked at a suspicious paint bubble and soaped it, and that's where I'm
losing the air, pinhole leak.
>> I have an Amtrol WX-203 (installed Sep 2009) and I need to add air more
and more often otherwise the pump short cycles like crazy. There's no water
spitting from the air valve and no air coming out of the faucets. Is it
still a shot tank? I soaped the air valve and don't see any bubbles. Can't
think where the air might be going. The tank isn't rusty except for the
round frame part at the bottom. 
>> 
>> Easy to replace and it'll probably cure it, but I'd really like to know
for sure. Google wasn't much help, surprisingly. 
>> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html Suggested annual donation  
>> $12.96
>> Unsubscribe/Manage: 
>> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>> g
>> 
> 

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Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
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From: Brian Kemp <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2016 07:47:28 -0700

Jim - I can't speak to brands, but I don't think a pump should short 
cycle in normal use.  I understand you have a bad tank so you likely 
already know this, but wanted to make sure as I've had it come up in the 
past where a minor adjustment stopped the pump from cycling too often.

My impression that the tank was a buffer for small uses and once a high 
demand use started and pressure dropped, the pump came on and stayed on 
until that use stopped and the tank recharged.  This was done by setting 
the low/high cutoffs on the pump pressure switch.  I would encourage 
finding out more about the proper setting of the pump pressure switch.

Note that this is based on 25 year old experience with a lake cottage, 
so I've included the list to correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe current 
technology or a house with a bigger pump is different.  Again, I know 
your main problem was the bad tank, so maybe this is completely 
irrelevant to your situation.

Brian

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