Well pressure Switch question

   / Well pressure Switch question #31  
Mystery SOLVED !!! .....although you can't see it in my first picture yesterday ( hidden under old pressure switch) there was a small ball valve that the original house owner put in so he could easily isolate the pressure switch and the tee ed off gauge. That ball valve was severely constricted. So as can be seen by the pic attached , My plumber removed that little ball valve, and replaced with straight nipple to new pressure switch and repositioned new gauge over to the 1 in feed tee. . So now I have a new 30/ 50 psi switch, a new gauge and no feedback pressure. Well turns on at 30 psi and off at 50 psi and does not gradually increase further anymore. He did test the switch with amp meter and also emptied pressure tank and tested its psi at its shraeder valve ( no water pissed out at shraeder) It is 10 psi low so when I get chance I will get compressor and get it up to 28 psi like plumber suggested. Thanks everyone ! I think my urging my plumber about suggestions I got here helped us keep bill at only $600. And now I can do it on my own if ever again. View attachment 749299
Even without the ball valve to the pressure switch the nipple itself could clog. This happens all the time. You need a 75 PSI relief valve in place of boiler drain or on a 3/4 tee with the boiler drain. The relief should have been popping off long before your tank pressured up to really high pressure. I have seen the bottom blow off tanks like that, making it a rocket and going through the roof, taking some of the plumbing with it. Pressure relief valves are important.
 
   / Well pressure Switch question #32  
Here is a picture of a cinder block well house where that happened. However, in this case the tank went sideways instead of through the roof. You can see the tank floating in the lake at the very top of the picture. The explosion woke me up from a room about a 1/2 mile away.

Block House.JPG
 
   / Well pressure Switch question
  • Thread Starter
#33  
Even without the ball valve to the pressure switch the nipple itself could clog. This happens all the time. You need a 75 PSI relief valve in place of boiler drain or on a 3/4 tee with the boiler drain. The relief should have been popping off long before your tank pressured up to really high pressure. I have seen the bottom blow off tanks like that, making it a rocket and going through the roof, taking some of the plumbing with it. Pressure relief valves are important.
The pressure tank I referred to and that is in pics is my well pressure tank, not a boiler pressure tank. But thanks for headsup......all is good.
 
   / Well pressure Switch question #34  
The pressure tank I referred to and that is in pics is my well pressure tank, not a boiler pressure tank. But thanks for headsup......all is good.
I know exactly what kind of tank you have. I have installed a few thousand of them and had a few wiz by my head when they blow up, like in the picture above. All is not good until you install a 75 PSI relief valve.
 
   / Well pressure Switch question
  • Thread Starter
#35  
I know exactly what kind of tank you have. I have installed a few thousand of them and had a few wiz by my head when they blow up, like in the picture above. All is not good until you install a 75 PSI relief valve.
Sorry you confused me when you reffered to boiler twice in your post. But it is all good. I am confident my plumber checked for all applicable pressure tank safe operation needs. Thanks for headsup.
 
   / Well pressure Switch question #36  
Sorry you confused me when you reffered to boiler twice in your post. But it is all good. I am confident my plumber checked for all applicable pressure tank safe operation needs. Thanks for headsup.
Hope your plumber has good insurance. Have a nice day!
 
   / Well pressure Switch question #37  
Using the description “boiler drain” is generic for the type/design of the valve. They are usually a globe type valve so a specified drain value can be maintained.

Any pressure tank should have a preset pressure relief valve set at recommended pressure by vessel manufacturer.
 
   / Well pressure Switch question #38  
Thanks Egon. I never thought about my use of the word boiler drain instead of faucet would make someone think I was talking about a boiler tank. As you said any pressure tank should have a preset pressure relief valve for safety. I don't understand why someone wouldn't want a 10 dollar pressure relief valve to save their butt? It would have also made it much easier to diagnose the clogged nipple to the pressure switch because the pressure relief should have been popping off. I just assumed there was a pressure relief and started looking for other possible problems.
 
   / Well pressure Switch question #39  
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Thanks Egon. I never thought about my use of the word boiler drain instead of faucet would make someone think I was talking about a boiler tank. As you said any pressure tank should have a preset pressure relief valve for safety. I don't understand why someone wouldn't want a 10 dollar pressure relief valve to save their butt? It would have also made it much easier to diagnose the clogged nipple to the pressure switch because the pressure relief should have been popping off. I just assumed there was a pressure relief and started looking for other possible problems.
No problems.
 
   / Well pressure Switch question #40  
Using the description “boiler drain” is generic for the type/design of the valve. They are usually a globe type valve so a specified drain value can be maintained.

Any pressure tank should have a preset pressure relief valve set at recommended pressure by vessel manufacturer.
I think as long as the system has a pressure relief in it somewhere, you are in good hands. Most water heater tanks have a temperature/pressure relief on them. It is required for modern code compliance.

Centrifugal water pumps are not able to pump to arbitrary pressures; they all because increasingly less efficient as the pressure increases, and can work safely against a closed valve, though it isn't advisable.

I think that it is important to distinguish between low pressure water pressure tanks (up to 80psi or so) and high pressure and high temperature boiler tanks, e.g. for steam use. A steam tank contains many volumes of steam, and the expansion of a steam via a leak can do considerable damage.
(And the water tank explosion discussed by engineers above was caused by welding on the tank, not water pressure.)

I would not believe everything that you read on the internet, including this...

All the best,

Peter
 
 
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