Well tank piped correctly...

john p_2

I hear a pretty loud bang, usually heard on the first use of the kitchen faucet in the mornings and if there are long periods where no domestic water is used.


I've been near the tank when it's made the noise but hard to tell where it is coming from exactly. I'm hoping someone can tall me if the well tank I installed is piped correctly, which I believe it is but maybe need an additional expansion tank or some other devise.

Leon82

Zilmet makes a stainless expansion tank for well systems

It sounds like a water hammer?

john p_2

Leon, where is it best to place this tank? Immediately after the well tank?

Jamie Hall

Assuming that the WellXTrol was properly sized for the pump -- which is quite likely -- and properly pressurized -- also likely, then the problem is almost certainly a water hammer, and the most likely source for that is a check valve closing abruptly when the pump turns off. It is unlikely that you need more pressure tank volume, unless you have a very big pump. This leads into an investigation of what kind of check valve is on the line from the pump to the WellXTrol, what kind of pump it is, and where the check valve is located relative to the pump and the WellXTrol.

Would you provide some more details on this?

john p_2

Not home now, will get additional items when I get home. For now, here are more pics...

john p_2

Additional pics...

Hilly

Jamie would you consider the spring loaded check in the inlet side of a tank tee to be the appropriate place for this? There's always dispute around here between plumbers and well guys as to where it belongs. Well guys say on the one of two things 1) there's a foot valve on the pump we don't need one or 2) screw it on the pitless adapter because we don't like callbacks about hearing a 'chatter' from the valve. Plumbers say 1) It's the well guys project, I only take it from the tank filter outlet and everything before that I don't care about or 2) screw it on the tank tee inlet because if this is inspected and the inspector doesn't see it he'll fail me, not the well guy.

Jamie Hall

Well... no pun intended. Now that we aren't fooling around with the old hydropneumatic tanks (the variety with a float valve and air release -- remember them?!) if it is a submersible, I would like to put the check just above the pump, on the drop pipe. If we're talking shallow well jet, then you have to have a foot valve -- which should be sufficient. Deep well jet (hate those things) -- the two pipe variety -- also needs a foot valve.

If your inspector requires a check in the building as well... try to convince him otherwise!

At least that's my opinion...

john p_2

Like I said I am not home but can tell you the old well dried up 130'. Have a new 480' well....not going to be easy to dig up all that well pump info, will need some time. The quality of this water is so much better...

Jamie Hall

Your driller -- or whoever installed the submersible -- should be able to tell you exactly what was installed. I hope.

john p_2

For sure the drilled will have & share it....but sum up e styles ideas am I correct you guys believe an expansion tank is not needed and what may be needed is to remove the check I installed at the inlet of the well tank?

Jamie Hall

You really shouldn't need any additional "expansion" or well tanks than that one WellXTrol. The purpose of the WellXTrol is to control the on/off cycles for the pump itself, and it should have been sized to match the pump. There are rare occasions when additional storage tank capacity is needed than what is required for pump cycling, but they are rare indeed.

There should be one and only one check valve between the pump and the WellXTrol, and none between the WellXTrol and the domestic water piping. As I said in my previous comment, my preference is that it be just above the pump, on the drop pipe; if your driller put one there (or if it is built into the pump itself, which it might be) that's the only one you need.

cynthiamyra

Thanks for sharing the post.

Harvey Ramer

When you first open a faucet after a long period of no use, is their a momentary delay before water flows? Or a momentary drop in pressure?

It could be that the bladder in the tank is adhering to the metal walls over a period of time and then popping loose when you open a faucet.

Was the air pressure in the tank set at 2 lbs lower than the cuttin pressure on the pump? Is it an on and off pump or a constant pressure pump?