InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. Water pressure tank air pressure adjustment: How to check & then adjust or set the air pressure in a water tank using an internal bladder: This article describes how to determine the proper air pressure setting in a bladder-type well tank, when, and how to actually change the air pressure in the water tank. We explain how to determine the proper air charge for water pressure tank and how to adjust the actual tank air pressure to that number. We detail how to fine tune the water pressure tank air charge to match the pump pressure control switch settings. The page top photo shows the author testing the air pressure in a Well-X-Trol bladder type well tank. We also provide a to this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom as a quick way to find information you need.
How to Select the Proper Air Pressure Charge for a Bladder-Type Well Tank Please permit a safety warning before we get into the specifics of how to set the pressure in your water pressure tank. Watch out: for very high water pressure readings in your system.
If the water pressure is over 70 or 80 psi your system there can be a risk of burst water pipiong or a burst water pressure tank. Such an event can both flood the building and can injure anyone nearby. Check the maximum water pressure you're using against the maximum water pressure rating for the pressure tank itself. That's why your water supply system should have a (separate article). [Click to enlarge any image] Factory air pressure settings in the water pressure bladder tank According to Well-X-Trol bladder type well tank air precharge: typical factory set air pressure on a bladder-type residential well water tank is 18 psi. Some models may come with different pressure settings however. WELL-X-TROL™ water pressure tanks are shipped from the factory with a standard precharge of • 18 psig for models WX-101 and WX-102 • 30 psig for models WX-103 - WX-203 • 38 psig for models WX-205 through WX-350.
Save aqua air pressure tank to get e-mail alerts and updates on your eBay Feed. NMIB Vtg U.S.Divers AQUA-LUNG #7003 Pressure Gauge+Bleeder Tank Press Checker.
Before discussing doing anything to a bladder-type water pressure tank, read this safety warning from WELL-X-TROL, a leading well tank manufacturer: DANGER! [Water Pressure Tank] EXPLOSION HAZARD Factory warnings about changing the bladder tank pressure setting When the Well-X-Trol has been in service and a change to a higher pre-charge pressure is necessary due to a required change in the pressure switch setting, failure to follow instructions below can cause a rupture or explosion, possibly causing serious or fatal personal injury, and/or property damage. • Do not adjust or add pressure if there has been a loss of air.
• Do not adjust the pre-charge pressure if there is visible exterior corrosion. • Do not adjust the pre-charge pressure if there has been a reduction of the pump cycle time or the pre-charge pressure compared to its initial setting.
This is because reduction in pump cycle time can result from loss of tank air pressure which in turn can mean there may be internal corrosion and any repressurization or additional pressure could result in rupture or explosion. How to Read Water Tank Pressure or any Pressure Gauge Accurately If you are fine-tuning water tank bladder or air pressure be sure that you are using an accurate pressure gauge and that you know how to obtain an accurate pressure reading. Watch out: Can you trust the installed water pressure gauge?
A separate round dial-type water pressure gauge is found on many water pump systems, at the pressure tank or near it, often on the pump itself. Sometimes these gauges lie: they get stuck or get debris clogged so they can give improper readings. If that pressure gauge needle doesn't move when the water is being run or when the pump is coming on or off, it's not working properly. Thoroughout this article series you'll see us using an independent pressure gauge to check water tank air pressure by pressing the gauge on the air valve that's usually located on the tank itself, near the tank top. See for details. Well Tank Air Pressure Setting at Time of Tank Installation Set the well tank air pressure to 2 psi below the well pump control switch CUT-IN pressure.
We explain exactly how to do this just below. Remember to use your separate air pressure (tire) gauge to check the actual water tank pressure when your well pump turns on and off - that's because the dial gauge installed on your water tank may be inaccurate.
Watch out: If the pressure tank's air pre-charge pressure is set above the pump pressure control switch CUT-IN pressure then the pressure control switch will never turn the pump on. Well Tank Air Pressure Adjustment Procedure If you need to tune your bladder-type water tank to work exactly properly with your pump pressure control switch, or if you know that someone has already modified the pressure in your water tank and you want to restore it to factory specifications, a reasonable procedure is the following recommended by the manufacturer: • Remove all water from the water tank. This means turn off the water pump, open a nearby plumbing fixture, run water until the water stops entirely - your water tank should be empty or close to empty. See for procedures to drain any type of water tank or water pressure tank.