As an MA degree licensed hydraulics engineer/inspector for municipal high-rise facilities with CCC and BAT certifications, ... this is the only video I have watched that has provided correct procedure for ensuring a simple task that ALL property owners should perform at LEAST annually! ... best to do such twice a year! ... since your local water purveyor (water district) will NEVER be held accountable for severe fluctuations associated with your property PSI water delivery or your water quality/cleanliness!
Hi, I just bought and installed an expansion tank because boiler relief valve would spurt water violently and I got hammering sounds. I did not check the levels or adjust the expansion tank - I didn't know it was required, though the factory adjustment would be normal and useful. Not so - when I got the furnace going again, the same thing happened. Is it the expansion tank ? Could I have killed the tank in one shot ? I already replaced the systems water pump and regulator and thermocoupler.
I really appreciate this video. I just moved into a rental 3 months ago that is 15 years old. The water heater was only 4 years old. The rental is fed public water with a check valve at the line coming in. I was having an isse where i would occasionally notice a small amount of water at the bottom of the water heater. i saw a drip coming from the emergency blow off valve. Also noticed when i would turn on water at a sink the pressure would be very very high for about 1 second then drop to normal. I used this video and checked the pressure in the expansion tank mounted on top of the water heater. Sure enough there wasnt a drop of air in it and the whole thing was full of water. Nothing came out of the Schrader valve so luckily the bladder didn't rupture. The sticker on the side of the expansion tank said precharge was 40 psi. I pumped it up with a spigot open and heard the bladder peal away from the top of the tank. Got it to 40, turned the water back on with the spigot closed and took another pressure measurement. Saw that it increased to 59 psi. Turned the water back off, opened the spigot waited for the water to stop running and charged the air in the tank to 59 psi to match. The issue with a surge of water pressure at a sink when i first turn it off immediately stopped and I'm sure the water heater will no longer drip either. This video was a great help. Thank you.
Just replaced a 12-year old expansion tank due to a pinhole leak near the top on the side of the tank. Water on nearby wall and puddle around the hot water heater were the clue to check. When removed, the tank was found to be full of water. Possible the bladder failed allowing water to contact the interior metal surface of the tank that caused the tank to rust. New tank was already pressured to 45 psi and was adjusted to match hose-faucet pressure before installation as shown in video. Hot water heater itself appears to be fine otherwise.
thanks for the video. I bought a water pressure gauge, connected it to the water spigot on the side of my house and it is measuring 90 PSI. Is that a very high PSI?
@@robkilgore7481 Thanks for the reply. I figured it out, that my heater system has the pressure regulator on it and is set to 12 PSI. So, I was able to install the expansion tank, that came pre-charged with 12 PSI and I didn’t have to mess with adjusting any pressure on the tank 👍 👍
When my plumber installed mine, I watched him do the whole thing he never did any of the pressure stuff? So what happens if you don't match the pressure? Apparently mine has been working for years? But just now after years it sprung a small pin hole size leak?
They come precharged to a standard pressure but you should adjust it. I’m not a plumber and don’t know for sure what the negative impact can be. I assume it could cause hammering in your lines or could cause fixtures to fail.
Amtrol, in its tank documents, I believe says 35 psi precharged . Unlike Hydronic which has 12 psi as standard, everyone’s home drinking water is different, and will vary by the water facility. The 35 or any precharged psi is so the tank has pressure, and you don’t have to release and add a lot of psi. The tank psi should match your own plumbing. My water utility is high at 70 psi so I have to inflate a lot.
I also have a 2 gallon expansion tank on a constant water pressure set up. Is the air that you add to that can supposed to stay in the expansion can only? I added air to mine but it seems to have all leaked out into the plumbing lines?
Thanks for this video. I have a tank on a boat. D.C. pump cuts in about 35 psi, out about 45. Expansion tank is meant to slow the cycling of the pump. I was attempting ro shorten the cycle, but the kitchen faucet runs 14-seconds from pump-off to pump-on, whether the tank is inflated to 0 or 100 p.s.i. Any idea why it wouldn't change? Thank you.
I have an inlet pressure reducing valve pre set at 12psi. Yet my boiler runs 20 psi cold and almost 25 psi hot. The expansion tank also precharged at 12 psi. My home is only one story (with basement where the boiler is) and the highest piping point is about 8 feet from the boiler. The boiler was installed with the expansion upside down, meaning valve stem points towards ceiling. The circulator was installed right before the return into the boiler. When the maintenance guys come they always say that's ok. I don't believe it. Would adding or reducing pressure from the expansion tank help the problem because there doesn't seem to be any other way to lower the pressure?
@@jaytravel-12you have take a reading of your plumbing using a $10 water pressure gauge at a hose spigot because the gauge fits a garden hose thread. Then, you turn off water supply, drain your plumbing to pressure is released; you don’t have to get the last drop of water out like if you’re doing pipe soldering. At this point, the tank bladder is also empty, and its tank air pressure is holding the bladder. Take a reading of the tank using a tire air pressure gauge, via its nipple, then inflate using an electric or hand pump the tank to match the psi reading from the spigot. When the tank and plumbing pressure matches, the tank will be relatively water empty. Then, turn on your house water, and your plumbing to revert back to water utility pressure of 20-70 psi. When water is heated and expands, the tank via the bladder chamber of 2 gallons will take the water instead of the water pushing against your pipes. As the water cools and reverts back to system psi, the bladder will push the water back out and be cleared as the plumbing psi lowers to match the tank’s same psi.
What if you have a well pressure switch that fluctuates your water pressure between 30 psi and 50 psi? What should the pressure be in the thermal expansion tank then?
If I suspect high water pressure after the PRV, should I lower it first at the PRV and then adjust the expansion tank air pressure to match that? There are a number of steps I'm seeing in various videos for PRV adjustment and expansion tank adjustment, but haven't found one that show both items together in the same video and the steps to take.
Here is my video showing the full process: th-cam.com/video/VM0OB-r8YnM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-kU6k_Cl7o1X_tLa There is a ton of misinformation out there. Multiple plumbers have commented that my video shows the appropriate method.
Another video said to just turn on a hot water spigot in the home while filling the bladder with air; it does not say to drain water from your entire home. And another video said to shut off the cold water inlet (near your water heater usually) and turn on a hot water spigot in the home. Your video says to not only shut off the MAIN water inlet, but to DRAIN the entire house of water. Which is right?
It all depends where the tank is in the system. The tank should have no pressure on the bladder when filling it. If your tank is in the basement and you don't drain the lines, there is a stack of water above you pushing down on the tank. If you don't believe me take the tank off and tell me how fast the lines drain. On the other hand if your tank is at the high spot of your plumbing system, all you have to do is turn off the main valve and run the water for a few seconds.
Can someone please explain the benefit of adjusting the expansion tank pressure? I’ve never done this in my home and the city recently reduced our water pressure significantly. I’m wondering if this adjustment will improve our water pressure or a different expected outcome. Thank you in advance.
Why cant I get my tank to accept air from the bicycle pump? I opened 2 faucets but should I also turn off the main in line to the water heater before pumping air? Mine is a bit lower then the house pressure so trying to increase the air in the tank but cant do it for some reason
This worked! Turned off the main, opened a faucet, then bike pumped in some air and the tank accepted it to increase the tank to 50psi to match house water pressure. Thank you Thank you
Can I eliminate the celing compression tank and instead add a charged expansion take on a ddead pipe and not have it to be inline ? I saw a plummer add a expansion tank at a " T" fitting on the pipe that has the pressure relief calve on it. The Ciling compression tank in ceiling has a hole about the size of a dime.. I am current using belzona and letting it dry before testing it. we actually used belzona on diesel eng cylinders that had a crack in it. It never faild. Back then it was $180 an oz for the product. I want to test the belzona first bfore a try a bladder compression tank.
@@TightWadDIY Great..lol.. I have a tank arriving tomorrow.. I isolATED THE OLD TANK AND RAN BOILER LAST NIGHT I got all going except middle floor.. air pocket.. 1 zone controls 2 floors, 1 ok, 1 not flowing through.
I need to calibrate mine. I can just measure and pressurize without removing the tank from the system? I was told I needed to remove the tank and measure then fill.
I'm not a plumber either but from my understanding... if you measure the pressure with the system in regular working state you're measuring the water pressure, as the air pressure in the bladder will tend to equalize itself to the water pressure. That is by design. So, just shut off the main valve and open a faucet that is connected to the tank. Let it run a bit to alleviate pressure in the system, then measure.
Today, I turned off main water, turned on outside spigot to flush the water. Checked expansion tank psi (55psi), and it was a little low. I tried to fill it using my bicycle foot style air pump but why couldnt I pump any air into it? It was so difficult that I stopped applying pressure because nothing I pumped air into before was that difficult. Any ideas?
Hey, I have a question. I had 3 different HVAC professionals come to my house. To work on my Tankless water heater (AquaBalance AB-155-C - 144k BTU) that does both baseboard and regular water heating. I am getting very high pressure overall from my main line (110-120PSI). That needs to be fixed first i know. However, regarding expansion tanks I have a 2 gallon set at 15 PSI from the last guy that worked on it. But I had one guy say it should match the pressure, and I had another guy say I need a bigger expansion tank for sure. IDK where to go or who to believe... Im so lost and spending money for nothing. I will put what the Manual says for the expansion tank instructions that you may be helpful
"Diaphragm- or bladder-type expansion tank- Always check pressure and charge tank with tank removed from system to be sure reading is accurate. Boiler relief valve is set for 30 PSIG. Operating pressure of system, after temperature expansion above cold fill pressure, should not exceed 24 PSIG to avoid weeping of relief valve" Closed Type "Closed-type expansion tank-Follow tank manufacturer’s instructions for filling the tank. Typical tank sizing provides for approximately 12 PSIG when the tank is filled to the normal level and system water is cold. Note that boiler relief valve is set for 30 PSIG. Operation pressure of system, after temperature expansion above cold fill pressure, should not exceed 24 PSIG to avoid weeping of relieve valve"
and right now, I get much water coming from the pressure relief valve. 13 gallon trash bin fills up every 3-4 days in the winter and I have to toss out. I dont know what to do.
I'm not a plumber but what I found is most plumbers don't know what they are talking about anyway. Most of them don't even know the difference between flow and pressure. What you need first and foremost is to install a water pressure regulator to reduce the pressure in your house. 120psi is just too high. ~50psi is ideal. Next you want to charge your expansion tank like this video to match your house water pressure. 2 gallon tank is what most people have and I think it's fine. You want your expansion tank to NOT hold any water when there isn't any expansion. Charging the expansion tank to match your house water pressure would achieve that. What happen when you have a 15psi expansion tank is as soon as the water is on, the air will get compressed until the pressure is equal to your water pressure. That reduces the room for expansion and causes pressure to fluctuate a lot of more. Having a bigger tank would let you get away with the wrong pressure more but it's unnecessary if you check your expansion tank pressure once a year. Again, you need to reduce the high pressure first though.
I forgot to say. If you are going to hire someone, the first guy doesn't know what he is talking about. The second guy seems to know. The third guy who recommended a big tank is trying to sell you something that you don't need.
I have 2 heaters and expansion tank for each. one has pressure 55 psi and other has 75 psi. system pressure is 60 psi. Recently I am getting warm water from cold faucet. I changed tub cartridge but still getting warm water. What can be the issue? Faulty heat trap?
@@tty3146 First check the cold water cut off valve and make sure someone didn’t turn it off. Then disconnect the cold water hose and make sure water is coming through. It’s possible the valve is broke and stuck on closed.
Do you by chance have a circulating pump on the hot side? I have one and it seems to cause a build up of hot water at one of my sinks, usually about a gallon before the sink returns to cold.
should you put a check valve on each line....???? had a one hand kitchen faucet w/ washing machine hose attached to the spout, had same problem, at the end lost boiler.
I recently replaced my expansion tank and T&P valve. Still having drips from the valve. Municipal water pressure at spigot is 100 psi and I matched that in the new expansion tank. Would decreasing the pressure in the expansion tank help or should I maybe increase the pressure to 110 psi?
You definitely don’t want your home PSI that high. Your expansion tank pressure should match your in home water pressure, not your unregulated pressure.
I've been doing this kind of work for 30+ years and I'll tell you that more than 80 PSI is not just wrong, BUT you're wasting more water & breaking pipes/connections. Every city water ordinances, they want it to be 80P, and many people said the best is 60PSI, but I'll tell y'all now that the "perfect water pressure is 70PSI", and be done with it. Every 6 months, use a water gauge, and check if it's still in 70psi, and you will thank yourself later on. Have a great day to y'all!
Is this video for a closed loop system? My expansion tank comes precharged at 12psi. My boiler is also set at 12 psi. Since the boiler and the expansion tank need to match, why would set the expansion tank so high?
You indicate that the pressure in the tank should have been around 40 psi, but then you filled it to 65 psi. Why was 40 psi what was expected and not 65 psi?
My previous water pressure was around 40PSI so the tank should have been calibrated to match. Since I increased water pressure to 65, I also needed to adjust the expansion tank pressure to match.
I can not believe all the confusion on this Including me. My conclusion is this: If you test the air pressure with water on you are just testing the water pressure. It seems to me that to test you need to turn off the main water supply ( or just the input side of the expansion tank if you don't have any cold to hot cycling stems) open 1 or more facets to relieve water pressure so you can test the tank with no water pressure already behind it. No need to remove the tank or drain all of the water, just no pressure.
Others may have a different opinion, but it seems better (maximizing product longevity) to have the water inlet at the bottom & Schrader valve at the top. Thus having the water assisted by gravity to drain back out. And so that, the rubber membrane needs less effort to push against any water present in the holding tank, since it 's not impeded by the weight of the water above it (if the tank was installed in the upside-down orientation: with water intake at top).
Yes, any orientation, even horizontal (supported by added metal ceiling straps), is designated as "acceptable". However: if wanting to maximize the rubber membrane longevity, having the water intake at the bottom seems optimal. See: th-cam.com/video/P9iQxYQc2J0/w-d-xo.html
@@RVail623Thanks. Just to clarify for others, horizontal is not an acceptable mounting position. The weight of the tank when full can put too much strain on the joint and cause it to break off.
As an MA degree licensed hydraulics engineer/inspector for municipal high-rise facilities with CCC and BAT certifications, ... this is the only video I have watched that has provided correct procedure for ensuring a simple task that ALL property owners should perform at LEAST annually! ... best to do such twice a year! ... since your local water purveyor (water district) will NEVER be held accountable for severe fluctuations associated with your property PSI water delivery or your water quality/cleanliness!
Thank you! I appreciate your vote of confidence.
Hi, I just bought and installed an expansion tank because boiler relief valve would spurt water violently and I got hammering sounds. I did not check the levels or adjust the expansion tank - I didn't know it was required, though the factory adjustment would be normal and useful. Not so - when I got the furnace going again, the same thing happened. Is it the expansion tank ? Could I have killed the tank in one shot ? I already replaced the systems water pump and regulator and thermocoupler.
I really appreciate this video. I just moved into a rental 3 months ago that is 15 years old. The water heater was only 4 years old. The rental is fed public water with a check valve at the line coming in. I was having an isse where i would occasionally notice a small amount of water at the bottom of the water heater. i saw a drip coming from the emergency blow off valve. Also noticed when i would turn on water at a sink the pressure would be very very high for about 1 second then drop to normal. I used this video and checked the pressure in the expansion tank mounted on top of the water heater. Sure enough there wasnt a drop of air in it and the whole thing was full of water. Nothing came out of the Schrader valve so luckily the bladder didn't rupture. The sticker on the side of the expansion tank said precharge was 40 psi. I pumped it up with a spigot open and heard the bladder peal away from the top of the tank. Got it to 40, turned the water back on with the spigot closed and took another pressure measurement. Saw that it increased to 59 psi. Turned the water back off, opened the spigot waited for the water to stop running and charged the air in the tank to 59 psi to match. The issue with a surge of water pressure at a sink when i first turn it off immediately stopped and I'm sure the water heater will no longer drip either. This video was a great help. Thank you.
Just replaced a 12-year old expansion tank due to a pinhole leak near the top on the side of the tank. Water on nearby wall and puddle around the hot water heater were the clue to check. When removed, the tank was found to be full of water. Possible the bladder failed allowing water to contact the interior metal surface of the tank that caused the tank to rust. New tank was already pressured to 45 psi and was adjusted to match hose-faucet pressure before installation as shown in video. Hot water heater itself appears to be fine otherwise.
That’s great!
Amtrol’s warranty is 5 years so anything beyond is probably found silver. 12 years with 50 psi pushing against a rubber-like ladder is a long time.
thanks for the video.
I bought a water pressure gauge, connected it to the water spigot on the side of my house and it is measuring 90 PSI.
Is that a very high PSI?
It's either an unregulated tap or your regulator has failed. 55-65 is your target.
Paul is correct. Check a different spigot. There is typically one unregulated.
Almost every house has a psi regulator valve. If not more than not it is illegal. Psi max shouldn’t be more than 80psi.
@@robkilgore7481
Thanks for the reply.
I figured it out, that my heater system has the pressure regulator on it and is set to 12 PSI. So, I was able to install the expansion tank, that came pre-charged with 12 PSI and I didn’t have to mess with adjusting any pressure on the tank 👍 👍
@@jimbo8743
That doesn't sound right. 12 psi is very low for a house.
Do you drain the water heater before topping up the expansion tank?
No. Just release the pressure in the water lines.
@@TightWadDIY thank you 🙏🏾
When my plumber installed mine, I watched him do the whole thing he never did any of the pressure stuff? So what happens if you don't match the pressure? Apparently mine has been working for years? But just now after years it sprung a small pin hole size leak?
They come precharged to a standard pressure but you should adjust it. I’m not a plumber and don’t know for sure what the negative impact can be. I assume it could cause hammering in your lines or could cause fixtures to fail.
Amtrol, in its tank documents, I believe says 35 psi precharged . Unlike Hydronic which has 12 psi as standard, everyone’s home drinking water is different, and will vary by the water facility. The 35 or any precharged psi is so the tank has pressure, and you don’t have to release and add a lot of psi. The tank psi should match your own plumbing. My water utility is high at 70 psi so I have to inflate a lot.
I also have a 2 gallon expansion tank on a constant water pressure set up. Is the air that you add to that can supposed to stay in the expansion can only? I added air to mine but it seems to have all leaked out into the plumbing lines?
Yes, there is a bladder in the tank that holds the air. It shouldn’t go into your pipes.
Thanks for this video. I have a tank on a boat.
D.C. pump cuts in about 35 psi, out about 45. Expansion tank is meant to slow the cycling of the pump. I was attempting ro shorten the cycle, but the kitchen faucet runs 14-seconds from pump-off to pump-on, whether the tank is inflated to 0 or 100 p.s.i.
Any idea why it wouldn't change? Thank you.
Sorry I’m really not sure.
I have an inlet pressure reducing valve pre set at 12psi. Yet my boiler runs 20 psi cold and almost 25 psi hot. The expansion tank also precharged at 12 psi. My home is only one story (with basement where the boiler is) and the highest piping point is about 8 feet from the boiler. The boiler was installed with the expansion upside down, meaning valve stem points towards ceiling. The circulator was installed right before the return into the boiler. When the maintenance guys come they always say that's ok. I don't believe it. Would adding or reducing pressure from the expansion tank help the problem because there doesn't seem to be any other way to lower the pressure?
So can I adjust and add the air to the thermal tank while still on the hot water heater and just cut off the valve?
You need your relieve the pressure from the line before adding air to it.
@@TightWadDIY what line ? water main or tank vale
@@jaytravel-12you have take a reading of your plumbing using a $10 water pressure gauge at a hose spigot because the gauge fits a garden hose thread. Then, you turn off water supply, drain your plumbing to pressure is released; you don’t have to get the last drop of water out like if you’re doing pipe soldering. At this point, the tank bladder is also empty, and its tank air pressure is holding the bladder. Take a reading of the tank using a tire air pressure gauge, via its nipple, then inflate using an electric or hand pump the tank to match the psi reading from the spigot. When the tank and plumbing pressure matches, the tank will be relatively water empty. Then, turn on your house water, and your plumbing to revert back to water utility pressure of 20-70 psi.
When water is heated and expands, the tank via the bladder chamber of 2 gallons will take the water instead of the water pushing against your pipes. As the water cools and reverts back to system psi, the bladder will push the water back out and be cleared as the plumbing psi lowers to match the tank’s same psi.
What if you have a well pressure switch that fluctuates your water pressure between 30 psi and 50 psi? What should the pressure be in the thermal expansion tank then?
If you find out can you respond. I have the same question. Thanks
After thinking about this I believe it should be set to the high side (50 psi).
Your good max which is 50
No it needs to be 2psi Below the turn on pressure. So it should be set at 28psi.
You shouldn’t have a thermal expansion tank on your water heater if your on a well.
Wouldn't you need to open a valve somewhere to let any water out of the tank while you fill the air?
The water was already drained.
If I suspect high water pressure after the PRV, should I lower it first at the PRV and then adjust the expansion tank air pressure to match that? There are a number of steps I'm seeing in various videos for PRV adjustment and expansion tank adjustment, but haven't found one that show both items together in the same video and the steps to take.
Here is my video showing the full process: th-cam.com/video/VM0OB-r8YnM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-kU6k_Cl7o1X_tLa There is a ton of misinformation out there. Multiple plumbers have commented that my video shows the appropriate method.
Another video said to just turn on a hot water spigot in the home while filling the bladder with air; it does not say to drain water from your entire home. And another video said to shut off the cold water inlet (near your water heater usually) and turn on a hot water spigot in the home. Your video says to not only shut off the MAIN water inlet, but to DRAIN the entire house of water. Which is right?
Several plumbers confirmed the way I described is correct but I’m not a licensee plumber.
It all depends where the tank is in the system. The tank should have no pressure on the bladder when filling it. If your tank is in the basement and you don't drain the lines, there is a stack of water above you pushing down on the tank. If you don't believe me take the tank off and tell me how fast the lines drain. On the other hand if your tank is at the high spot of your plumbing system, all you have to do is turn off the main valve and run the water for a few seconds.
Can someone please explain the benefit of adjusting the expansion tank pressure? I’ve never done this in my home and the city recently reduced our water pressure significantly. I’m wondering if this adjustment will improve our water pressure or a different expected outcome. Thank you in advance.
It will not impact your water pressure. It’s made to reduce hammering which can damage your pipes.
@@TightWadDIY wrong, It's made to counter act the backflow check valve that can put high pressure on you whole system as hot water expands.
@@oldarkie3880While it also assists with that, it most certainly helps prevent hammering.
Why cant I get my tank to accept air from the bicycle pump? I opened 2 faucets but should I also turn off the main in line to the water heater before pumping air? Mine is a bit lower then the house pressure so trying to increase the air in the tank but cant do it for some reason
I cut off my main before adjusting pressure.
@@TightWadDIY thanks I will try that. I only opened a few faucets but didn't turn off the main so the air probably couldn't go into the tank
This worked! Turned off the main, opened a faucet, then bike pumped in some air and the tank accepted it to increase the tank to 50psi to match house water pressure. Thank you Thank you
your house water pressure was 55psi and you inflated your expansion tank to 65psi/ 10 psi more than should be fill.?
Can I eliminate the celing compression tank and instead add a charged expansion take on a ddead pipe and not have it to be inline ? I saw a plummer add a expansion tank at a " T" fitting on the pipe that has the pressure relief calve on it.
The Ciling compression tank in ceiling has a hole about the size of a dime.. I am current using belzona and letting it dry before testing it. we actually used belzona on diesel eng cylinders that had a crack in it. It never faild. Back then it was $180 an oz for the product. I want to test the belzona first bfore a try a bladder compression tank.
Sorry I’m not a plumber so I can’t give advice on that.
@@TightWadDIY Ok.. go to school, find out and let me know...lol... thanks for taking time to respond !
@@robertwadas Haha. I’ve already been through too much school! I’m on the downhill slide of the learning new things adventure!
@@TightWadDIY Great..lol.. I have a tank arriving tomorrow.. I isolATED THE OLD TANK AND RAN BOILER LAST NIGHT I got all going except middle floor.. air pocket.. 1 zone controls 2 floors, 1 ok, 1 not flowing through.
I need to calibrate mine. I can just measure and pressurize without removing the tank from the system? I was told I needed to remove the tank and measure then fill.
It doesn’t need to be removed unless you can’t access the valve stem.
I'm not a plumber either but from my understanding... if you measure the pressure with the system in regular working state you're measuring the water pressure, as the air pressure in the bladder will tend to equalize itself to the water pressure. That is by design.
So, just shut off the main valve and open a faucet that is connected to the tank. Let it run a bit to alleviate pressure in the system, then measure.
Today, I turned off main water, turned on outside spigot to flush the water. Checked expansion tank psi (55psi), and it was a little low. I tried to fill it using my bicycle foot style air pump but why couldnt I pump any air into it? It was so difficult that I stopped applying pressure because nothing I pumped air into before was that difficult. Any ideas?
It’s possible your pump isn’t rated for higher than 55PSI. You may need a compressor.
Hey, I have a question. I had 3 different HVAC professionals come to my house. To work on my Tankless water heater (AquaBalance AB-155-C - 144k BTU) that does both baseboard and regular water heating. I am getting very high pressure overall from my main line (110-120PSI). That needs to be fixed first i know. However, regarding expansion tanks I have a 2 gallon set at 15 PSI from the last guy that worked on it. But I had one guy say it should match the pressure, and I had another guy say I need a bigger expansion tank for sure. IDK where to go or who to believe... Im so lost and spending money for nothing. I will put what the Manual says for the expansion tank instructions that you may be helpful
"Diaphragm- or bladder-type expansion tank-
Always check pressure and charge tank with tank
removed from system to be sure reading is accurate.
Boiler relief valve is set for 30 PSIG. Operating pressure of system, after temperature expansion above
cold fill pressure, should not exceed 24 PSIG to avoid
weeping of relief valve"
Closed Type
"Closed-type expansion tank-Follow tank manufacturer’s instructions for filling the tank. Typical tank
sizing provides for approximately 12 PSIG when the
tank is filled to the normal level and system water is
cold. Note that boiler relief valve is set for 30 PSIG.
Operation pressure of system, after temperature
expansion above cold fill pressure, should not exceed
24 PSIG to avoid weeping of relieve valve"
and right now, I get much water coming from the pressure relief valve. 13 gallon trash bin fills up every 3-4 days in the winter and I have to toss out. I dont know what to do.
Sorry Chris. I’m not a plumber. There are Facebook groups where plumbers answer questions for home owners for free. Maybe they could offer more help.
I'm not a plumber but what I found is most plumbers don't know what they are talking about anyway. Most of them don't even know the difference between flow and pressure. What you need first and foremost is to install a water pressure regulator to reduce the pressure in your house. 120psi is just too high. ~50psi is ideal. Next you want to charge your expansion tank like this video to match your house water pressure. 2 gallon tank is what most people have and I think it's fine. You want your expansion tank to NOT hold any water when there isn't any expansion. Charging the expansion tank to match your house water pressure would achieve that. What happen when you have a 15psi expansion tank is as soon as the water is on, the air will get compressed until the pressure is equal to your water pressure. That reduces the room for expansion and causes pressure to fluctuate a lot of more. Having a bigger tank would let you get away with the wrong pressure more but it's unnecessary if you check your expansion tank pressure once a year. Again, you need to reduce the high pressure first though.
I forgot to say. If you are going to hire someone, the first guy doesn't know what he is talking about. The second guy seems to know. The third guy who recommended a big tank is trying to sell you something that you don't need.
Wouldnt the pressure in the tank be at 60 when the water is turned on?
The pressure in the bladder in the tank is what you are filling.
Do you turn off the water to your home?
Yes! I just turn it off at my shut off valve in my home though.
my expansion tank is full of water. Do I need to drain the water heater or something else before removed this bad tank? Thanks so much!@@TightWadDIY
@@FlywheelAcademy No. Just shut off the main and open a hose bib to relieve pressure then unscrew the tank.
I have 2 heaters and expansion tank for each. one has pressure 55 psi and other has 75 psi. system pressure is 60 psi. Recently I am getting warm water from cold faucet. I changed tub cartridge but still getting warm water. What can be the issue? Faulty heat trap?
Are you getting warm water from every faucet or just one?
@@TightWadDIY just in bathtub faucet. In winter time I would love that warm water but it's summer and texas is burning.
@@tty3146 First check the cold water cut off valve and make sure someone didn’t turn it off. Then disconnect the cold water hose and make sure water is coming through. It’s possible the valve is broke and stuck on closed.
Do you by chance have a circulating pump on the hot side? I have one and it seems to cause a build up of hot water at one of my sinks, usually about a gallon before the sink returns to cold.
should you put a check valve on each line....???? had a one hand kitchen faucet w/ washing machine hose attached to the spout, had same problem, at the end lost boiler.
Thank you
You're welcome
Why does he first say it should be around 40 psi then fills it to 65.5 and says that good?
They are shipped at 40PSI.
I recently replaced my expansion tank and T&P valve. Still having drips from the valve. Municipal water pressure at spigot is 100 psi and I matched that in the new expansion tank. Would decreasing the pressure in the expansion tank help or should I maybe increase the pressure to 110 psi?
You definitely don’t want your home PSI that high. Your expansion tank pressure should match your in home water pressure, not your unregulated pressure.
I've been doing this kind of work for 30+ years and I'll tell you that more than 80 PSI is not just wrong, BUT you're wasting more water & breaking pipes/connections.
Every city water ordinances, they want it to be 80P, and many people said the best is 60PSI, but I'll tell y'all now that the "perfect water pressure is 70PSI", and be done with it.
Every 6 months, use a water gauge, and check if it's still in 70psi, and you will thank yourself later on.
Have a great day to y'all!
Is this video for a closed loop system? My expansion tank comes precharged at 12psi. My boiler is also set at 12 psi. Since the boiler and the expansion tank need to match, why would set the expansion tank so high?
Your boiler is different than the water heater system shown in the video. Your tank should match your boiler.
You indicate that the pressure in the tank should have been around 40 psi, but then you filled it to 65 psi. Why was 40 psi what was expected and not 65 psi?
My previous water pressure was around 40PSI so the tank should have been calibrated to match. Since I increased water pressure to 65, I also needed to adjust the expansion tank pressure to match.
@@TightWadDIY Thanks - Very helpful video!
@@bocotim My pleasure.
Thanks very much .for that helpfull tips.
why did you drain the water from your home before making the pressure adjustment?
That’s what everything I read said to do. Release the pressure in the lines so you get an accurate PSI in the bladder.
beware: this is for a water boiler NOT heater boilers. You don't use the water pressure from the faucet
I can not believe all the confusion on this Including me. My conclusion is this: If you test the air pressure with water on you are just testing the water pressure. It seems to me that to test you need to turn off the main water supply ( or just the input side of the expansion tank if you don't have any cold to hot cycling stems) open 1 or more facets to relieve water pressure so you can test the tank with no water pressure already behind it. No need to remove the tank or drain all of the water, just no pressure.
That’s correct. That’s why I said to turn off the water and open the lowest hose bib.
Others may have a different opinion, but it seems better (maximizing product longevity) to have the water inlet at the bottom & Schrader valve at the top. Thus having the water assisted by gravity to drain back out. And so that, the rubber membrane needs less effort to push against any water present in the holding tank, since it 's not impeded by the weight of the water above it (if the tank was installed in the upside-down orientation: with water intake at top).
I’m not sure if one way is better than the other. Both ways are acceptable according to most
Yes, any orientation, even horizontal (supported by added metal ceiling straps), is designated as "acceptable". However: if wanting to maximize the rubber membrane longevity, having the water intake at the bottom seems optimal. See: th-cam.com/video/P9iQxYQc2J0/w-d-xo.html
@@RVail623Thanks. Just to clarify for others, horizontal is not an acceptable mounting position. The weight of the tank when full can put too much strain on the joint and cause it to break off.
@@GrillThisSmokeThat some models can be done that way, provided they are supported correctly.