Condemning expansion tanks

Ken C.

How do you tell if a bladder-type thermal expansion tank is bad? I know about tapping on the top and bottom half of the tank and listening for any difference in sound, but I don't have enough experience to trust this method.

Robert O'Connor_4

Take

the system down to o psi and take air presure reading at valve on the tank. If you get water out of the air valve then you know for sure the bladder is gone in the tank.

Regards,

Robert

jim lockard

Bad

When the threads break off the tank because its waterlogged and sprays water all over the boiler room. Then there is no doubt the tank is defective. Best Wishes J.Lockard

bob young

new innovations

maybe the leak will stabilize the pressure and you won't need a tank.

Boiler Guy

Knock on tin

You have got to be one talented person to troubleshoot a tank by beating on it! I agree with the other post - isolate it so you can check the pressure inside at static pressure outside. If it spits at you when you touch the air valve -- IT'S DONE!

hr

The weight of the thing

A gentle, very gentle, shake will often tell if it is waterlogged.

hot rod

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bill clinton_3

bladder tanks

Taking the pressure down to 0 and checking for air pressure in the tank will tell you the tank is bad if it spits at you. Low pressure reading will not, however tell you the tank is bad. My experience is that these tanks become waterlogged because air slowly permeates through the membrane, causing a loss of pressure and giving system water a chance to intrude further into the tank.

We have recently taken to installing a valve to isolate bleadder tanks from the system, then installing a hose bibb between the isolation valve and the tank: Check for spitting; isolate the tank; open hose bibb to drain off pressure; with hose bibb open, grab your bicycle pump and recharge the tank to cold fill pressure.

The only bad thing about this is you'll sell many fewer tanks Oh, well.

joe_14

tank



right on hot rod!!!!!

joeg.

Mark Wolff

I like you more every post I read. It's nice to see some smart people in business. You're right on as usual.