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Initial Inspection and Inaccurate Pressure Check — Check and Adjust New Tank Pressure

Beginner

Part of project

How to Replace a Water Heater Expansion Tank · Step 4 of 7

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In this video

The presenter introduces the well pressure tank, explaining the importance of maintaining the correct internal air pressure for proper function. He removes the plastic cap from the Schrader valve on top of the tank. He notes the current water system pressure is about 45 PSI on the gauge. He then uses a digital inflator to check the air pressure in the tank, which also reads 45 PSI, demonstrating that checking the air pressure while the tank is full of water is not an accurate method for determining the pre-charge.

Goal: Plumbing

  • Pressure tanks should be checked for correct air pressure at least once a year, or every six months for best practice.

Used in this video

  • Digital Tire Inflator (brand: Stanley, Tool Type: Hand Tools, Power Source: Cordless) — Checking the air pressure in the tank.
  • Pressure Gauge (brand: Unknown, Tool Type: HVAC Gauges) — Monitoring the water pressure in the system.
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FAQs

What are the essential safety precautions I need to take before starting to replace my water heater expansion tank?

The most crucial steps are to completely shut off the power (gas or electricity) to your water heater and turn off the main water supply to your home. Additionally, relieve the pressure in the system by opening a hot water faucet and draining a small amount of water from the water heater's drain valve. This prevents scalding and flooding.

Do I need any special tools for this project, or will standard home tools suffice?

While some basic tools are common, a MaxxHaul 60 PSI Pressure Gauge is essential for correctly setting the new tank's pre-charge pressure to match your home's water pressure. You will also need two heavy-duty pipe wrenches (like KNIPEX or Crescent) to effectively loosen and tighten the tank connections without damaging pipes. Having these specific tools makes the job much easier and safer.

How long should a beginner expect this project to take, and is it truly a 'beginner' level DIY task?

For a beginner, this project typically takes between 1 to 3 hours, assuming you have all the tools and materials ready. It is considered a beginner-friendly plumbing task as long as you meticulously follow the step-by-step instructions, especially regarding safety and proper pressure adjustment. Patience and preparation are key to a successful outcome.

What's the most common mistake people make when installing a new expansion tank, and how can I avoid it?

The most common mistake is not correctly adjusting the new expansion tank's pre-charge air pressure to match your home's incoming water pressure. Use a pressure gauge to measure your home's cold water pressure and adjust the tank's air valve to match it before installation. An improperly charged tank won't function effectively and can lead to future issues.

Transcript
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Hey, my name is Ben, thanks for stopping by. I am currently standing in my well house. And here is my pressure tank. Now, these things need to be set to the correct air pressure inside to function correctly. And it's something that you should check, like once every six months, but at a minimum once a year. So you'll notice that on the top of most pressure tanks for a well, you will have a little cap that looks something like this. And if you thread that cap off, it'll reveal what looks like just a simple stem that you would put air into your car tire or bike tire with. And this is what we're going to use to check the air pressure in the tank, as well as set the correct pressure for it. So we're going to go through, and I'll show you exactly how to do that. Everything is currently turned on and operating. So right now, we can look at our pressure gauge for our well and see that we're at about 45 psi. So if we were to check the pressure of this tank, it should be pretty much 45 psi. So let's do that now. Now you can check the pressure with any old pressure gauge, even just one that you use for your tires. I have this little portable inflator. What's nice about it is it has digital readout. And so it gives us a real time pressure reading. So 45 or 46 psi. So we know that the system has 45 psi in it, but that actually doesn't tell us anything about how much air is actually in this tank. When we have to do in order to figure that out, is drain all the water out of the system. So we're going to turn the breaker off to our well,

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