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Initial Inspection and Inaccurate Pressure Check — Prepare and Pre-charge the New Tank

Beginner

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How to Replace a Well Pressure Tank · Step 5 of 10

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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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proclaimliberty2000

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FAQs

What are the most critical safety steps I must take before beginning to replace my well pressure tank?

Absolutely always turn off the power to your well pump at the main electrical panel first. Then, fully drain the entire water system to relieve all pressure. This prevents electric shock, water damage, and injury from pressurized components.

How long should I expect this well pressure tank replacement to take, and what's the approximate material cost for a DIYer?

For a beginner, plan for 2-4 hours, assuming you have all tools and materials ready. The material cost, primarily for the new pressure tank and fittings, can range from $200 to $600, depending on the tank size and brand, plus a few dollars for tape and rags.

Why is correctly pre-charging the new well pressure tank so important, and what pressure should I set it to?

Pre-charging with air prevents the tank from becoming 'waterlogged' and ensures your pump cycles efficiently, extending its lifespan. Set the tank's air pressure (when empty) to 2 PSI below your well pump's 'cut-in' pressure (the pressure at which your pump turns on).

Which specialized tools are absolutely essential for replacing a well pressure tank, beyond basic household tools?

You'll definitely need a sturdy pipe wrench (like the 16-inch self-adjusting one mentioned) for plumbing connections, a tire pressure gauge to check the tank's pre-charge, and a water pressure gauge to monitor system pressure. Slip-joint pliers are also very helpful for various fittings.

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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