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In 4 Easy Steps: How to Add Air Back to a Water Pressure Tank

You were taking your long-awaited shower of the day and suddenly water stopped coming out? 

Then you figured that your water pressure tank isn’t working due to a probable air loss.

How to add air back to a water pressure tank?

Turn off the pump machine and drain all the water from the tank. find and connect the Schrader valve of the tank and the pressure gauge together and check the pressure. If air pressure is less than mentioned, with an air compressor add 2 to 3 psi air. Which is less than the cut-in pressure of the pump. 

But this is just basic information. If you want a clear conception of the whole process, keep reading!

Why Is My Water Pressure Tank Losing Air? Unveiled!

Contrarily, this problem doesn’t really occur in bladder-type tanks, as it has an internal bladder to separate the air and water. But it may lose its air charge if the bladder or any other part leaks.

A leak can take place in any kind of tank. In that case, replace the tank.

Now that you have an idea about the possible causes, let’s see the ways of fixing this problem, shall we?

The most important question of all – “What caused my water pressure tank to lose air?” 

There can be three factors responsible for this. Number one can be the type of your water pressure tank. Two, a leaking water pressure tank. And finally, a waterlogged tank.

The kinds of water pressure tanks mostly used in households are a) Bladder-type water pressure tanks and b) water pressure tanks without a bladder.

Usually, the issue of air loss occurs in the Bladderless water pressure tanks. That’s because both air charge and water are contained together in these tanks. This mechanism causes the air to get absorbed by the water, resulting in loss of air charge.

How to Add Air to a Water Pressure Tank: Magical steps!

Once you figure out the problem, you need to work on returning your tank’s air pressure to the required level. For that, you need to follow some simple steps. 

For an easy understanding, the entire process is explained step by step 

Step 1/4: Turn off the Pump

Firstly, switch off your pump machine. You can do that by flipping the breaker of your pump or by taking the plug out. 

Step 2/4: Empty the Water Tank

Draining the water is a very vital step because if you check the air pressure without emptying the tank, the result won’t be accurate.

After switching off your pump, attach a hose to any faucet nearby or a tank drain faucet if available.

Give your tank a light shake to check if there is any water remaining. But be careful to not break the water pipe while doing it. 

Step 3/4: Check the Air Pressure

When your tank is completely empty, it’s now ready for you to check its air pressure. 

A regular tire pressure gauge will do the job, but it’s best to use a dial or digital pressure gauge to get more accurate results.

To measure the air pressure, find the Schrader or inlet valve of your tank. It’s typically located at the top or the bottom of your water pressure tank. 

Open the cap of the Schrader valve and put the pressure gauge on the valve. After finishing checking the air pressure, make sure to put the cap back on and close the valve.

Here are some recommendations on the best pressure gauge currently available in the market:

Product 1
Product 2

With these in your hand, you can always be confident about the accuracy of your air pressure reading.

Problems like low water pressure don’t always mean that the pressure tank is faulty. There can be multiple possible causes. So it’s important to be sure about the air pressure reading of your tank.

Step 4/4: Use an Air Compressor to Add Air

Once you’re done checking the air pressure of the tank, you need to determine how much air you need to add to your water pressure tank. 

To do that, you need to know the cut-in pressure of your pump. Usually, the cut-in pressure of these kinds of tanks is 30 or 40 psi (pounds per square inch). 

You will find the cut-in and cut-out pressure mentioned in the label of the pump or underneath the covering of the pressure control switch.

Now, compare the air pressure you’ve found with the required air pressure of the tank. The rule is that the air pressure must be 2 to 3 psi less than the cut-in pressure of your pump.

For instance, if the cut-in/cut-out pressure of your water pressure tank is 30/50, then the air pressure of your tank should be 28 psi. 

Using an air compressor or an inflator, add 5 to 10 psi air pressure at a time. Like that, keep adding until you reach the required air pressure. 

Once you do, don’t forget to replace the cap in the valve. Otherwise, all the air in the tank will escape through the valve.

Make sure that your tank doesn’t have any leaks. You can do that by checking the air pressure again after 15 to 20 mins of adding air into your tank.

I am sure these steps will lessen your worry!

Precautions

Be careful while inserting air into the tank. Exceeding the air pressure limit can cause your tank bladder to burst.

It’s best to use a garden hose to drain your tank. Otherwise, if you drain your tank indoors, the whole place may get flooded.

FAQs

Question: How do I know whether my tank is completely drained or not?

Answer: If your faucets make a kind of slurping noise when turned on, it means your tank isn’t empty yet. When it’ll stop making that noise, consider your tank is fully drained.

Question: How to understand if the internal bladder of my tank has a leak?

Answer: Remove the cap of the Schrader valve and put your finger on it. If you feel water coming out, then the bladder of your tank has a leak.

Question: How to detect a water-clogged pressure tank?

Answer: Your bladderless tank can lose air charge due to being water-clogged. You’ll notice that the tank is extremely heavy if you try to move it and the condensate line on it is very high.

Final Thoughts

After a long discussion regarding how to add air back to a water pressure tank, we’re finally at the end of it. 

I hope that you could fix the air pressure of your tank after reading this article. We’re happy to help.

Until next time, take care!