Is it normal for the well pressure tank to lose its air pocket?

[Cougsfan]

My first rural residence had a system similar to yours. I hated it. It would probably be worth the expense and time to replace your tank with a bladder tank. When a non-bladder tank starts getting waterlogged, as it eventually will, your pump will cycle much more frequently which is not a good thing. Unless you religiously put air in it, you may end up having pump and/or control issues.

There are larger industrial systems I have seen that have an air compressor attached to the top of the tank, level controls and programable logic controllers to maintain a proper air level. The ones I am familiar with were certainly not maintenance friendly either.

 

[caver]

My previous house the tank had an air charger on it. They fail and then the tank gets waterlogged. Looked like this.

 

[Roadworthy]

I have a well with check valves to hold water in the pipe. There is a pressure switch to control the pump. I have two eighty gallon bladder tanks (my choice) on a T off the system. Once or twice a year I drain the system completely to remove all system pressure then check pressure in the tanks. Since my pump cuts in at 40 PSI I set the tanks to 38 PSI. My last ones lasted about ten years before the bladders failed. That led to some very bad tasting water until I replaced them!!

 

[strantor]

When I did Plumbing, Heat and Electric. We had a list of people with bladder less tanks. After the first of the year we would go around and put air in them. Some of the larger farms we did it twice a year. The water would absorb the air over time.

Ok, so water absorbs air. I did not know that. Thanks

 

[strantor]

My previous house the tank had an air charger on it. They fail and then the tank gets waterlogged. Looked like this. View attachment 782081

I don't have one of those.

 

[strantor]

There are larger industrial systems I have seen that have an air compressor attached to the top of the tank, level controls and programable logic controllers to maintain a proper air level. The ones I am familiar with were certainly not maintenance friendly either.

I have been tossing around the idea of doing this. I design PLC control systems for a living, so automating this manual task would be no problem for me, but I wouldn't want to stop there. I have other issues like heavy sediment that I want to filter out, and sulfur gas that I want to address. I have considered the possibility of using a sand filter like what I have on my pool; it seems very effective at this kind of thing, and with a bit of redesign could automatically backwash itself daily. When I looked into this, I found a rabbit hole full scary stuff. If not done according to known best practices, these systems can send less-than-potable water into your home, filled with slime, mold, evil spirits, and somehow human feces. I honestly don't see how I could make the water any worse as it's full of black grit and grey silt, smells like bad eggs, slowly eats copper, and tarnishes every metal fixture in or near the bathrooms. But at least it doesn't seem to have any biological contaminates, and I sure don't want to change that.

 

[strantor]

I have a well with check valves to hold water in the pipe. There is a pressure switch to control the pump. I have two eighty gallon bladder tanks (my choice) on a T off the system. Once or twice a year I drain the system completely to remove all system pressure then check pressure in the tanks. Since my pump cuts in at 40 PSI I set the tanks to 38 PSI. My last ones lasted about ten years before the bladders failed. That led to some very bad tasting water until I replaced them!!

How did the failed bladder cause bad tasting water?

 

[ponytug]

I have been tossing around the idea of doing this. I design PLC control systems for a living, so automating this manual task would be no problem for me, but I wouldn't want to stop there. I have other issues like heavy sediment that I want to filter out, and sulfur gas that I want to address. I have considered the possibility of using a sand filter like what I have on my pool; it seems very effective at this kind of thing, and with a bit of redesign could automatically backwash itself daily. When I looked into this, I found a rabbit hole full scary stuff. If not done according to known best practices, these systems can send less-than-potable water into your home, filled with slime, mold, evil spirits, and somehow human feces. I honestly don't see how I could make the water any worse as it's full of black grit and grey silt, smells like bad eggs, slowly eats copper, and tarnishes every metal fixture in or near the bathrooms. But at least it doesn't seem to have any biological contaminates, and I sure don't want to change that.

Given your water issues, I would start by getting the water analyzed, so you know what you have, and then you can get advice on what it needs.

You might look into Hellenbrand; they make a variety of softeners and filters. It sounds like you could use something to reduce sediment (backwashing media filter, like your pool filter, but designed for drinking water) and to reduce the hydrogen sulfide (aeration or ozone). There are also filters to reduce iron and manganese.

If you have a long run of pipe between the well and the house, you could introduce air, or ozone, in the water line near the well, and use the pipe coming to the house as a "mixer". Ozone is a lot more effective, but ozone generators are not low maintenance.

Personally, I highly prefer tanks with bladders; the water stays in a drinking water safe membrane, and there is less of a chance for corrosion and for bugs to grow in your water.

If you have hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell), you might also look into an electronic anode for your hot water heater, which will reduce the corrosion there and smells due to hot water bacteria growing on the anode.

All the best,

Peter

 

[CobyRupert]

Yes, it is normal. The air above the water in the tank slowly dissolved into the water and your pump short cycles.

What kind of pump do you have? Submersible or a jet?

My mom had a jet pump with a non-bladder pressure tank. Every couple years I would have to replace the “air volume control” (AVC). This device is basically a diaphragm that receives a pulse of water on one side of it when the pump starts, and “burps” some air from the other side of it into the tank to make up the air that has dissolved.

The AVC screwed into a fitting on the side of the tank and there is a ~1/8” line water line from the pump to the AVC.

She eventually replaced her jet pump with a submersible and got a ballast tank.
BTW, I now have a new, extra (sometimes hard to find) brand new AVC for sale on eBay.

View attachment 782114View attachment 782115

 

[Hoot Owl]

I agree about getting your water tested before doing anything. But take it to 2 or 3 places for testing some companies will add extra thing not needed.
When we bought our house it had a softner, UV light and an inline sediment filter. The sellers said the water still had an after taste. After getting it tested they did not need the UV light it just needed a charcoal filter.
We have it tested every once in a wile by our son who works for the local city and takes water tests several times a week.