InspectAPedia.com InspectAPedia ®
Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair
HOME | AIR CONDITION| ELECTRICAL
ENERGY SAVE
| ENVIRONMENT| EXTERIOR| HEAT| HOME INSPECT| INSULATE
VENTILATE
| INTERIOR| MOLD TEST| PLUMBING
WATER
SEPTIC
| ROOF| SOLAR| STRUCTURE| CONTACT
DIRECTORY OF BUILDING INSPECTION & TESTING PROFESSIONALS


PLUMBING TOPICS
AGE of Plumbing Materials & Fixtures
AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY SOURCES
EPA GUIDE to WATER QUALITY
FHA WATER TESTS REQUIRED
FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
GREYWATER SYSTEMS
HARD WATER - SOFTENERS
LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE IMPROVEMENTS
ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE
PIPING IN BUILDINGS, Clogs Leaks Types
PLUMBING FIXTURES
  TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY
RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves
REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE DISPOSAL
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR
TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER CONTAMINANT LEVELS
WATER FILTERS
WATER HEATERS
WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE - WELLS
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
WATER PUMPS, TANKS, TESTS, WELLS, REPAIRS
WATER PUMPS, TANKS, WELLS - BASICS
WATER PUMP CAPACITIES TYPES RATES GPM
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  IDENTIFY WELL PUMP TANK COMPONENTS
  CHECK VALVES
  MAIN WATER SHUTOFF VALVE
  WATER PUMP ELECTRICAL SWITCHES
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL
    PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
    PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
    PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPLACE
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
  WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH
  TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS
  WATER TANK AIR INLET VALVE
  WATER TANK PRESSURE GAUGE
  WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY
  WATER TANK DRAIN VALVE
  WATER TANK RELIEF VALVE
  CHECK VALVES
WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP SAFETY
WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING
WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE
WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS
WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK PRESSURE GAUGE
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TESTING
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
WATER USAGE TABLE
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
  AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES
  Basement Wells
  CISTERNS
  DEPTH of a WELL, HOW TO MEASURE
  Drilled Wells - steel casings
  Driven Point Wells
  How Much Water is In the Well?
  How to Test Well Water Quantity
  How to Get More Water From a Well
  Hand Dug Wells
  Hand Dug Well Procedure
  Jetted Wells
  Springs as Water Supply
  Wash Wells
  Well Pits
  WATER HAMMER NOISE DIAGNOSE & CURE
  WATER PRESSURE LOSS
  WATER PUMP SAFETY
  WATER TANK SAFETY
  WATER TANK TYPES
  WELL CLEARANCES
   US-HUD/FHA WELL CLEARANCES
   US-EPA WELL CLEARANCES
  WELL FLOW RATE
  WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WELL PIPING CHECK VALVES
  WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES
  WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS
  WELL PIPING TAIL PIECE
  WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
  WELL PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE

More Information

InspectAPedia.comInspectAPedia ® Home & Site Map
InspectAPedia Blog - News Updates
AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMPS
BOOKSTORE
ELECTRICAL
ENERGY SAVINGS
ENVIRONMENT
EXTERIORS
HEATING
HOME INSPECTION
INSULATION
INTERIORS
MOLD INSPECT/TEST
PLUMBING
ROOFING
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
SOLAR ENERGY
STRUCTURE
VENTILATION
WATER SUPPLY
ACCURACY & PRIVACY POLICIES
CONTACT



Photograph of a sketch of the main controls and valves on a water system How to Find & Maintain the Water Tank Air Volume Control
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • How to Find & Maintain the Water Tank Air Volume Control - what it looks like, when do you need one, or is an AVC even installed on your water tank?
  • How to fix water pump that keeps turning on and off - waterlogged water tanks - how to add air back in
  • What are the controls, switches, valves found on water tanks and water pumps, what do they do, how are they repaired?
  • Well pump & water tank diagnosis & repair procedures
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.

This article describes How to Find & Maintain the Water Tank Air Volume Control. Readers of this document should also see Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case which offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost.

© Copyright 2010 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS

Photograph of a water pressure tank air volume control

The air volume control or "AVC" device mounted (usually) on older steel water tanks (ones that do not use an internal bladder to keep water and air separate) is designed to automatically add air to the water pressure tank when it's needed.

If a water tank loses its air charge it stops working properly and usually results in the water pump turning on and off rapidly - "short cycling" of the water pump. This condition, in turn, can damage or even burn up the water pump. See SHORT CYCLING CAUSES for details.

The air volume control might also be located right on top of a one line or two line jet pump such as is visible at the top center in this photo.

Photograph of a water pressure tank air volume control

This alternative air volume control does not include a disc-shaped device and has lost any connection to the water system's pump or other piping. We wouldn't assume it's working.

But you may hear air hissing in at this fixture (it's working), or you may see water leaking out of it (meaning it needs repair).

For a perspective view of where this device was installed on this galvanized steel water tank click the photo. You won't see a control like this installed on a bladder-type captive air water tank.

See AIR VOLUME CONTROLS for a detailed discussion of air volume controls and their repair or replacement.

.

Share this Article      

...

Technical Reviewers & References

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

PLUMBING TOPICS
AGE of Plumbing Materials & Fixtures
AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY SOURCES
EPA GUIDE to WATER QUALITY
FHA WATER TESTS REQUIRED
FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
GREYWATER SYSTEMS
HARD WATER - SOFTENERS
LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE IMPROVEMENTS
ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE
PIPING IN BUILDINGS, Clogs Leaks Types
PLUMBING FIXTURES
  TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY
RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves
REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE DISPOSAL
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR
TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER CONTAMINANT LEVELS
WATER FILTERS
WATER HEATERS
WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE - WELLS
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
WATER PUMPS, TANKS, TESTS, WELLS, REPAIRS
WATER PUMPS, TANKS, WELLS - BASICS
WATER PUMP CAPACITIES TYPES RATES GPM
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  IDENTIFY WELL PUMP TANK COMPONENTS
  CHECK VALVES
  MAIN WATER SHUTOFF VALVE
  WATER PUMP ELECTRICAL SWITCHES
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL
    PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
    PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
    PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPLACE
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
  WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH
  TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS
  WATER TANK AIR INLET VALVE
  WATER TANK PRESSURE GAUGE
  WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY
  WATER TANK DRAIN VALVE
  WATER TANK RELIEF VALVE
  CHECK VALVES
WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP SAFETY
WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING
WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE
WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS
WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK PRESSURE GAUGE
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TESTING
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS

Water Supply & Drain Piping, Wells, Pumps, Water Supply Equipment

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

  • Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
    • Home Reference Book - Carson Dunlop The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
  • Crystal Clear Supply provides portable ceramic water filter purifiers and portable reverse osmosis water treatment equipment - see http://www.crystalclearsupply.com/category_s/7.htm
  • Handbook of Disinfectants and Antiseptics, Joseph M. Ascenzi (Editor), CRC, 1995, ISBN-10: 0824795245 ISBN-13: 978-0824795245 "The evaluation of chemical germicides predates the golden age of microbiology..." -
    This well-focused, up-to-date reference details the current medical uses of antiseptics and disinfectants -- particularly in the control of hospital-acquired infections -- presenting methods for evaluating products to obtain regulatory approval and examining chemical, physical, and microbiological properties as well as the toxicology of the most widely used commercial chemicals.
  • Potable Aqua® emergency drinking water germicidal tablets are produced by the Wisconsin Pharmacal Co., Jackson WI 53037. 800-558-6614 pharmacalway.com
  • Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization (Hardcover)
    by A. D. Russell (Editor), W. B. Hugo (Editor), G. A. J. Ayliffe (Editor), Blackwell Science, 2004. ISBN-10: 1405101997, ISBN-13: 978-1405101998.
    "This superb book is the best of its kind available and one that will undoubtedly be useful, if not essential, to workers in a variety of industries. Thirty-one distinguished specialists deal comprehensively with the subject matter indicated by the title ... The book is produced with care, is very readable with useful selected references at the end of each chapter and an excellent index. It is an essential source book for everyone interested in this field. For pharmacy undergraduates, it will complement the excellent text on pharmaceutical microbiology by two of the present editors."
    The Pharmaceutical Journal: "This is an excellent book. It deals comprehensively and authoritatively with its subject with contributions from 31 distinguished specialists. There is a great deal to interest all those involved in hospital infection ... This book is exceptionally well laid out. There are well chosen references for each chapter and an excellent index. It is highly recommended." The Journal of Hospital Infection.: "The editors and authors must be congratulated for this excellent treatise on nonantibiotic antimicrobial measures in hospitals and industry ... The publication is highly recommended to hospital and research personnel, especially to clinical microbiologists, infection-control and environmental-safety specialists, pharmacists, and dieticians."
    New England Journal of Medicine: City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Covers the many methods of the elimination or prevention of microbial growth. Provides an historical overview, descriptions of the types of antimicrobial agents, factors affecting efficacy, evaluation methods, and types of resistance. Features sterilization methods, and more. Previous edition: c1999. DNLM: Sterilization--methods.
  • U.S. Army Field Manual 21-10, Field Hygiene and Sanitation, 1988, web search 07/02/2010, original source: http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-21-10-field-hygiene-and-sanitation.shtml
    The purpose of this manual is to assist individual soldiers, unit commanders, leaders and field sanitation teams in preventing disease and environmental injuries. The manual provides information on preventive medicine measures (PMM) to the individual soldier as well as essential information for the unit commander, unit leaders, and the unit field sanitation team on applying unit level PMM.
  • When Technology Fails, Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publisher, 2008,493 pages. ISBN-10: 1933392452 ISBN-13: 978-1933392455, "... how to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure, as well as practical information for dealing with water-quality issues even when the public tap water is still flowing". Mr. Stein's website is www.whentechfails.com/
  • ...
HOME | AIR CONDITION| ELECTRICAL
ENERGY SAVE
| ENVIRONMENT| EXTERIOR| HEAT| HOME INSPECT| INSULATE
VENTILATE
| INTERIOR| MOLD TEST| PLUMBING
WATER
SEPTIC
| ROOF| SOLAR| STRUCTURE| CONTACT
© 2010 Copyright InspectAPedia.com All Rights Reserved ABOUT USACCURACY POLICY ADVERTISING POLICYBOOKSTORELINK EXCHANGEPRIVACY POLICY SEARCHWEBSITE CONTENT USE POLICYWEBSITE DESCRIPTION