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PLUMBING TOPICS
WATER PUMPS, TANKS, TESTS, WELLS, REPAIRS
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
  Questions about lost water pressure
  Advice to a homeowner
  Adjusting Water Pump Pressure Control
  Right Repair to Pump & Tank?
  Well Pump & Tank Replacement Costs
  Reliability of Pump & Tank Repairs
  WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
  Water Pressure Intermittent
  No Water Pressure
  Well Tank relation to Water Pressure
  Shaking the Water Tank?
  Water Pressure Tank Problems
  Water Pressure Tank Diagnosis
  Water pressure Later Returns "on its own"
  Water pipe clog diagnosis
  Water pipe clog repair guide
  Making the "right" repair
  Typical Water Tank & Pump Prices
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER PUMP & TANK CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  WELL PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
  WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY
WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WATER PUMP, ONE LINE JET
  PUMP, TWO LINE JET
  PUMP, SUBMERSIBLE
  PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER
  PUMP & TANK REPAIRS & COSTS
  PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING
  SHORT CYCLING PUMP CAUSES
WATER PUMP & WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
  CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS
  CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPING / Tankless Coil & Hot Water
  PIPING IN BUILDINGS
  SEWER GAS ODORS
  WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
  CAPTIVE AIR BLADDER WATER TANKS
  STEEL WATER TANKS
  BIG WATER STORAGE TANKS
  OPEN WATER TANKS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
  WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS
  WATER TANK AIR ADD AT AIR VALVE
  WATER TANK AIR ADD BY DRAINING
  WATER TANK AIR HOW MUCH TO ADD
  WATER TANK AIR HOW OFTEN TO ADD
  WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR
  WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK REPAIRS
  CONTROLS & SWITCHES on WATER TANKS
  INTERMITTENT CYCLING WATER PUMPS
  WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING
  SHORT CYCLING DETECTION
  SHORT CYCLING CAUSES
  WATER TANK AIR LOSS SIGNS
WATER TANK REPLACEMENT
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER SOFTENERS
WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
  WELL CLEARANCE DISTANCES
  WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WELL PIPING CHECK VALVES
  WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES
  WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
  WELL SHOCKING GUIDE
WINTERIZE A BUILDING

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How to Add Air to a Water Pressure Tank by Tire Pump
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • How to add air to a water tank using a tire pump or compressed air at the tank air valve
  • How to locate the air valve on a water storage tank
  • 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/appointment.htm.

This article describes how to add air to a building water pressure tank, and how to detect and correct air and water leaks in a building water supply system where a private well is the water source. 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. The illustration at page top is courtesy of Carson Dunlop, Inc. in Toronto.

© 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links 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.

2: PUMPING AIR IN - Method 2: Pumping air in by using the Schrader Valve

Water tank air inlet valve (C) Daniel FriedmanThe procedure we describe below will work to add air to either type of water tank: a bladder-type captive-air tank (photo below) or a steel bladderless water pressure tank.

While it is often necessary to correct the air charge in a bladderless water tank, bladder type water tanks do not normally lose air and do not normally need to have the air pressure in tank increased unless there is a leak in the tank itself or a defect in the water-containing bladder in the tank.

Bladder type or "captive air" water tanks (shown in the photo below) do not normally need to have makeup air added. If you are experiencing water pump short cycling problems with bladder-type water tanks and the problem is not in the pump control or water piping, the problem may be traced to a failure of the water tank's internal bladder itself.

If the water-containing rubber bladder in a "captive air" water tank is defective (it can become stuck to itself and remain collapsed), the result can be a rapid on-off short cycling of the water pump. We test water pressure tanks to see if they're empty or nearly empty of water by seeing if we can rock or move the tank. If the water tank is heavy with water it does not move easily. Be careful not to jiggle and break a pipe! Bladder type or captive-air water pressure tanks and their repairs are described just above and in more detail at WATER TANK TYPES.

Photograph of a water tank schrader valve or air valve

On most water tanks, both captive air bladder type and bladderless steel tanks, there is a fitting that looks like a tire valve located on the top of the tank, possibly at the tank bottom, or on the water outlet piping which is usually at the bottom of the tank. In the photograph shown here, the blue cap at the top of a bladder-type water tank marks the location of the air valve for this water tank.

This valve can be really almost anywhere near the water tank on a pipe through which pumped air would rise into the water tank, as it is used to add air pressure to the system. Look for a little valve stem that looks just like a tire valve. In fact it is a tire valve.

These are called "Schrader valves" in case you have to buy a new one. The stem is about 3/16" diameter, and maybe 1.5" to 2" long. It might have a valve cap on it that looks just like what's on your car. That's because in fact it is the same device as used on automobile and truck tires.

Water tank air valve (C) Daniel Friedman

Our photo (left) shows a schrader valve located on the outlet tee at the bottom of a water tank.

If you have a bicycle pump you can simply clip the pump business-end onto this valve and pump air into the tank without going through any other rigmarole. But be prepared for having to make quite a few pump strokes.

Schrader Valve Tips for water tanks: If you've messed with this valve when there was no pressure on the tank (maybe you pressed the little pin in the top of the valve as described in Method 3 below) you might get water or air leaking out of the Schrader valve when you try to re-pressurize the tank.

Water tank air valve leak test (C) Daniel Friedman

Usually you can stop this water or air leak by simply pressing the little valve-stem pin down and releasing it a couple of times. This action may successfully remove debris that may have been on the valve seat.

The valve stem end that you press looks like a little wire sticking up in the center of the Schrader valve.

If all else fails, run over to your car and borrow one of its tire valve caps and just screw it down tightly over the leaky Schrader valve.

This will work fine to stop a water or air leak until you get around to having a plumber or handy-man put a new valve stem into the misbehaving little valve.

Air valve stem repair parts (C) Daniel FriedmanReplacing a Schrader valve: Actually, the internal moving parts of this valve can be replaced just as they can be on a car tire. One can buy valve stem cores (and the tool to replace them) at any auto parts store.

The special tool, sometimes simply a special valve stem cap, has a protruding tip with a slot in it, used to unscrew and remove the old valve (located down inside the valve stem itself and ending with the little pin that you see when you look into the top of the valve stem) and to screw in a new valve stem core.

The internal water tank air valve stem part (valve stem core) that is replaced can be purchased with different spring strengths for different pressure ranges, but in fact, given that the pressure range of a typical water tank is 20-70 psi (like a car tire) almost any common tire valve stem core would work fine as a replacement if your valve stem won't stop leaking.

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PLUMBING TOPICS
OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
  CONTROLS & SWITCHES on WATER TANKS
  INTERMITTENT CYCLING WATER PUMPS
  WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING
  SHORT CYCLING DETECTION
  SHORT CYCLING CAUSES
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
  WATER TANK AIR LOSS SIGNS
  WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS
  WATER TANK AIR ADD AT AIR VALVE
  WATER TANK AIR ADD BY DRAINING
  WATER TANK AIR HOW MUCH TO ADD
  WATER TANK AIR HOW OFTEN TO ADD
WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR
WATER TANK REPLACEMENT
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS

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

PLUMBING TOPICS
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER TESTING
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS

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11/03/2009 - 5/22/2009 - InspectAPedia.com/water/WaterTankAir2.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark