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This article describes Where do we find the water pressure tank drain valve on a private well, tank, and pump system, how is it used, how to repair leaky valves 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.

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WATER TANK DRAIN VALVE

In this same photo you can see a round black handled drain valve in the center of the picture, just below the pressure gauge. This valve is used to completely drain the water tank (and possibly the entire water piping system too). Usually the water tank drain is connected to a hose which is run outside of the building or to a nearby floor drain. This gauge is not normally opened when the pump is turned on since you'll simply run the pump and flood the building, but we have used it as a convenient way to connect a water hose to the system. We once put out a small fire in this manner.

Water tank drains should be piped to a visible location: not installed with a drain to a crawl space as this owner did. For convenience, the owner wanted to be able to drain the water system to avoid freezing when this home in Rhinbebeck New York was unoccupied. But first of all, sending water into the crawl space risks mold, rot, and insect damage to the building, and second, it's generally a bad idea to send any drain, overflow, or relief valve to a hidden location. If the piping is leaking we want to know it. If the water tank drain is leaking it needs to be repaired (usually a simple internal washer) or replaced. But you can defer this repair by screwing a garden hose cap onto the gauge threaded outlet. We put these caps on all of our tank drains in areas where children are playing since on occasion they've been opened by curious kids.

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PLUMBING TOPICSBR /> OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  IDENTIFY WELL PUMP TANK COMPONENTS
  MAIN WATER SHUTOFF VALVE
  WATER PUMP ELECTRICAL SWITCHES
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL
    WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
    WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
    WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPLACE
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
  WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH
  WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS
  TANK AIR INLET VALVE
  TANK AIR VALVE REPAIRS
  WATER TANK PRESSURE GAUGE
  WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY
  WATER TANK DRAIN VALVE
  WATER TANK DRAIN VALVE
  WATER TANK RELIEF VALVE
  CHECK VALVES
  WATER FILTERS
WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING
WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE
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 BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK PRESSURE GAUGE
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
WELL, PUMP, TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY

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