Well pump pressure tank recharge.

1) Turn off the breaker for the pump.
2) Open faucets until the pressure drops to near zero, or listen for when the tank starts to empty.
3) close the valve to the house side of the tank to allow the air to build.
4) Attach the air compressor hose and charge the tank to 30-35 psi. FYI - I have a pressurized air line in my pump room powered by my air compressor in the garage, I installed a regulator and can set it to 35 to insure proper pressure and compare it to the gauge on the tank.
5) Once at 30-35 psi, turn on the breaker and let the pump fill and pressurize the tank
6) Open the house side service and let it charge again.
7) Have a beer and walk around the house and run the faucets to let any trapped air from the drian out procedure escape.

How does this sound? Also, what id a decent pressure switch adjustment, right now i think I have 60/40psi.

Thanks!!!!

We used to have problems with the big tanks becoming water logged and about every three months or so someone would use an air compressor to increase the head charge on them and the water level would go back to the normal 2/3's as evidenced by the sweat lines on the tank. we grew tired of this arraingement so during a pump and pipe replacement, the installer suggested a solution he used with great success. At the bottom of the top section of pipe in the well (1-1/2" which is 21 ft sections) instead of a coupling, he used a Tee fitting. in the side of the Tee he inserted a rubber plug that screwed in and had a small hole, about 3/32" or so in it. At the top of the well he installed a Tee instead of an elbow and on the top of the Tee he used reducers and a Schrader valve (tire valve) that is left uncapped.

When the pump is running water is constantly being peeded back into the well via the hole in the rubber plug, but the loss is minimal. When the pump stops the water begins to drain out of the hole, back into the well and is replaced by air sucked thru the shrader valve.

The next time the pump starts up, this column of water being pushed up by the pump, pushes the volume of trapped air in the 21 ft section of pipe, into the 1500 gallon tank where it replaces the air that has previously dissolved into the water. End result is a perfect air to water ratio in the tank all the time and no need to replinish or adjust the head charge on the tank.

Sorry for the long post, thought you might find this interesting.

Charles

Your objective is to get the water out of the tank, in order to restore draw-down volume, not to precharge a tank that is almost full of water, which won't do anything for you.

Shut the electrical power to the pump off.

Turn on a faucet until the pressure drops to zero. Turn off the valve that should be between the outflow of the tank and the rest of the house.

Connect a hose to the drain valve that should be below the bottom of the tank. Put the other end where the water can drain away without damage.

Open the drain valve.

Use your compressed air hose at the fitting on top to help push the water out of the tank and thence out the drain valve. You want to end up with the tank almost empty of water.

You can precharge the tank if you want. But without a bladder the air will tend to dissolve into the water relatively quickly. I think the normal practice with non-bladder tanks is to drain the tank completely, then let it fill up with water starting from zero pressure. You will end up with the tank 2/3 full of water at the cut-out pressure.

Turn the drain valve off, turn the pump power back on, turn the house water back on. Open a tap somewhere. Let the pressure drop until the pump comes on. Time how long it runs. A 3/4 horsepower pump should run for at least one minute each time it starts. That is the main purpose of the pressure tank.

40/60 is a good choice to get minimal fluctuations in the house. It is more demanding on your pump, well piping, and pressure tank. It will get to be tough to get one minute run-times at 40/60 with a non-bladder tank due to the air getting dissolved in the water. The higher the working pressure, the faster this happens.

On my previous house, I used the biggest bladder tank that Home Depot sells and got about a 3 minute run time with a 3/4 horsepower pump and 40/60 settings. This worked fairly well.

The current house uses a 3HP 3 phase motor and VFD drive on the pump with the same size pressure tank as the old house. The 1 second frequency ramp afforded by the VFD eliminates the starting inrush current and thus the need for two minute run times. It would have taken 3 of these big tanks without the VFD.

So you suggest letting the tank fill and reach its own cut out pressure without any pre-charge? I only ask because it seems at one time or another they tank was charged w/ 30 psi. Its written on the tank. "30psi 10-10-2001" Also, the drain and outlet to the house side service are on the same "outlet" pipe. As you can imagine, my goal is to extend the life of my pump.

If you can't separate the house water from the tank drain, then just open both valves and blow the tank empty. I prefer to close the house off so you don't get lots of "puffs" of trapped air later, scaring other users of the plumbing. But it isn't critical...

I think if you start with an empty tank ON A NON-BLADDER TANK you do not need a precharge. Or you can drain it halfway to 3/4 of the way and precharge it.

On a bladder tank, drain it empty and precharge to 2PSI less than the cut-in pressure.

You can tell between a bladder and non-bladder tank by opening the drain valve as you precharge. If no air comes out, you have a bladder tank. If air just whooshes out, you have a non-bladder tank, or the bladder is so badly ruptured it might as well be a non-bladder tank.
If you get some air out the drain valve, but not full volume, then you have a bladder tank with a pinhole leak.

As an added safety precaution turn off your hot water heater if it's electric. Chances of it happening or low, but if water gets below the element and it kicks on the element wii almost immediately fail.

We used to have problems with the big tanks becoming water logged and about every three months or so someone would use an air compressor to increase the head charge on them and the water level would go back to the normal 2/3's as evidenced by the sweat lines on the tank. we grew tired of this arraingement so during a pump and pipe replacement, the installer suggested a solution he used with great success. At the bottom of the top section of pipe in the well (1-1/2" which is 21 ft sections) instead of a coupling, he used a Tee fitting. in the side of the Tee he inserted a rubber plug that screwed in and had a small hole, about 3/32" or so in it. At the top of the well he installed a Tee instead of an elbow and on the top of the Tee he used reducers and a Schrader valve (tire valve) that is left uncapped.

When the pump is running, water is constantly being peeded back into the well via the hole in the rubber plug, but the loss is minimal. When the pump stops the water begins to drain out of the hole, back into the well and is replaced by air sucked thru the shrader valve.

The next time the pump starts up, this column of water being pushed up by the pump, pushes the volume of trapped air in the 21 ft section of pipe, into the 1500 gallon tank where it replaces the air that has previously dissolved into the water. End result is a perfect air to water ratio in the tank all the time and no need to replinish or adjust the head charge on the tank.

Sorry for the long post, thought you might find this interesting.

Charles