WellMate™ Water Storage & Pressure Tanks - Diagnosis & Repair

Fiberglass & plastic water tank install, troubleshoot, repair: how to identify the type of WellMate™ and similar types of fiberglass water tanks
- How to diagnose & repair a burst air bladder in a WellMate™ water pressure tank
- How to diagnose & repair lost air pressure in a non-bladder traditional WellMate hydro-pneumatic water tank
- How to diagnose and repair water system problems when an internal bladder water tank is installed and the bladder is used to contain air, not water
- Broken, burst, busted or leaky water tank bladder
- Well pump & water tank diagnosis & repair procedures
Questions & answers about fiberglass water pressure tanks or storage tanks
References

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This article describes how to identify, diagnose and repair of WellMate™ water tanks, including both internal air bladder-type tanks (WellMate™ captive air water tanks) and bladderless traditional or hydro pneumatic type water pressure tanks such as the WellMate™ Traditional Air/Water tank: how they work, what goes wrong, how to fix it.

Readers of this document should also see WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT where we describe adjusting air pressure in a bladder type water tank to factory specs, and 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 Associates.

How to Diagnose & Repair WellMate™ type Bladder or Non-bladder Traditional Water Tanks

Reader Nancy Martin asked how to diagnose well pump short cycling and a possible water tank or bladder problem for the WellMate bladder-type water tank which uses the tank bladder to retain the air charge in a water pressure tank. WellMate™ describes two types of water pressure tanks used in residential and light commercial applications:

Captive air tanks that incorporate an internal, replaceable air cell or bladder, and bladderless hydro pneumatic water tanks (shown at the top of This article ), also called traditional residential water tanks that incorporate no internal bladder but use a tank top mounted air volume control. Our WellMate links near the bottom of This article can direct you to photographs that help identify which type of water tank is installed at your property.

Which Type of WellMate or Fiberglass Water Tank is Installed?

These are different tank designs so first we need to know which type you have - take a look at the photos at the two WellMate links.

Captive Air Water Pressure Tanks with an Internal Air Bladder

Type 1 or captive air water pressure tanks sold by WellMate and some other manufacturers are constructed of fiberglass and use an internal bladder to hold the air charge.

If the air bladder has ruptured, the water tank will begin to act like an old-fashioned steel water tank - air absorbs into the water until there is not much air charge, the tank becomes water logged, and the well pump will short cycle on and off. Our description of conventional steel water tanks adds details. If the air bladder has failed, the tank will act much like a type 2 hydro pneumatic or traditional water tank.

Tips for Testing & Repairing a Captive Air Water Tank Bladder

Try this: if you have this type of tank, remove the valve step cap covering the bladder inflator valve located on the top of the tank. Using a small implement, MOMENTARILY (just for a second) depress the valve pin in the center of the valve stem down to see if air or water comes out. If water comes out of this valve the air bladder has burst. But the bladder could be burst but blocking the valve in which case nothing will happen. If air comes out of this valve the the tank bladder contains air and may not have burst.

If air comes out of the valve, use an accurate tire gauge to check the air pressure at the valve. If the air pressure is 4 psi below the well pump cut-in pressure then the air bladder is probably fine. If the air pressure is less than that figure, using a bicycle pump, just add a little air to the bladder until it is set to the proper number - 4 psi below the pump cut-in pressure.

Draining the water tank itself and adding air to a bladder type tank itself through the (ruptured) bladder valve at the tank top of a tank with a failed bladder MIGHT work to improve performance for a while (until the air is reabsorbed back into the water over time) but you need to replace the bladder. A guide to replacing the air bladder in the WellMate captive air tank is provided by the company at http://www.wellmate.com/pdf/Residential_AirCell_Replace_Instructions.pdf

The air bladder in the WellMate™ type water tank is to be inflated to 4 psi below the well pump's "cut-in" pressure.

For a water system that turns the pump on at 30 psi and off at 50 psi the bladder pressure should be set to 26 psi.
For a water system that turns the pump on at 40 psi and off at 60 psi the bladder pressure should be set to 36 psi.
Do NOT over pressurize the water tank - it could burst and injure or kill someone.

The installation manual for this tank is at http://www.wellmate.com/pdf/Residential_CaptiveAir_Tank_Install_Manual.pdf
The tank has a 5 year warranty so check your records of when the tank was purchased to see if that applies.

Tips for Testing & Repairing a Traditional Hydro-Pneumatic (no internal bladder) Fiberglass Water Tank

Type 2 tanks, described by WellMate as hydro pneumatic water tanks, do not incorporate an internal bladder but rather an air volume control valve that replaces air into the tank as needed. These tanks will perform better than older steel water pressure tanks because we don't face the concern of rust perforation of the tank.

If the air volume control (AVC) fails, the tank will act much like a type 2 tank (See TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL and scroll down to the description of older steel water tanks. In this case you may need to replace the AVC. See the installation manual at http://www.wellmate.com/pdf/UT_HP_SPTank_Install.pdf

Draining and adding air to an AVC type tank with a failed AVC also MIGHT work to improve performance for a while (until the air is reabsorbed back into the water over time) but you need to replace the AVC.

Water tank bladder air pressure adjustment: also review WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT if you are adjusting, tuning, or replacing the air pressure in your bladder-type well tank.

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

WellMate Water Tank Types and contact information are provided here. At their website the company provides product descriptions as well as installation and repair guides for water tanks and other products. For the two water tank types discussed in this article see:
wellmate.com/products_ca.htm - captive air water tanks (replaceable air cell or bladder)
wellmate.com/products_trad.htm - traditional residential water tanks with a tank top mounted air volume control - also called hydro-pneumatic water tank
Wellmate Pentair Water Corp., 220 Park Drive, Chardon OH 44024 can also be reached at 440-286-4116.
Amtrol Extrol™ pressure control tanks used on hydronic heating and other systems such as models 35LBC, 50 LBC, 85 LBC, and 100LBC to 600 LBC also use a bottom bladder containing air - see amtrol.com/pdf/LBCSeriesEXTROL9017-095.pdf for details.
Thanks to reader Nancy Martin for suggesting this topic - July 2009

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

Access Water Energy, PO Box 2061, Moorabbin, VIC 3189, Australia, Tel: 1300 797 758, email: sales@accesswater.com.au Moorabbin Office: Kingston Trade Centre, 100 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, VIC 3189
Australian supplier of: Greywater systems, Solar power to grid packages, Edwards solar systems, Vulcan compact solar systems, water & solar system pumps & controls, and a wide rage of above ground & under ground water storage tanks: concrete, steel, plastic, modular, and bladder storage tanks.
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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.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, 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. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

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Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd

Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, have provided us with (and we recommend) Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates' Technical Reference Guide to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment
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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/
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