Pressure tanks are sized according to the flow capacity of the pump, with enough drawdown to allow the pump to be off for a minimum of one minute between run cycles to let the motor cool as recommended by the motor manufacturers. A 10-gpm pump would require a pressure tank with 10 gallons of drawdown, and so on.
There are two types of pressure tanks – captive-air tanks (also called pre-charged, diaphragm or bladder tanks) and conventional tanks (also known as hydro-pneumatic, galvanized, ASME and epoxy-lined tanks). Using the term “hydro-pneumatic” to describe a conventional tank is a bit of a misnomer. All pressure tanks used in the ground water industry are hydro-pneumatic, meaning they contain water (hydro) and air (pneumatic). In this article, we will use the terms “captive-air” and “conventional” to identify the two different types of tanks.
The largest commonly available captive-air tank has a total capacity of 119 gallons. The size of a pre-charged captive-air tank is limited by federal highway regulations, which require special permits to transport pre-charged pressurized tanks having a capacity of 120 gallons or more.
The drawdown or usable water available from a 119-gallon tank operating in conjunction with a 30/50 pressure switch is 36.8 gallons, according to Boyle’s Law. Following the one-minute-run-time-between-cycles rule mentioned above, a 36-gpm pump would be the largest pump you could use with such a tank. What to do, then, if you have a larger pump? There are several options.
Conventional tanks are available in virtually any size, and are a viable option. They are, however, expensive, and require the use of an air-charging system to replace the air that is absorbed into the water. For this reason, the use of multiple captive-air tanks is gaining in popularity. It is not uncommon to see six or eight captive-air tanks lined up in a row to provide the necessary drawdown for a large pump. For instance, six 119-gallon tanks would provide enough drawdown for a 200-gpm pump (6 x 36.8 = 220.8 gallons). The size and number of tanks you end up with will depend on economics and available real estate for your tanks. It might turn out that eight of the more common and less expensive 85-gallon tanks with a drawdown of 26.4 gallons each would be cheaper than six 119-gallon tanks, but be sure to figure in the cost of the manifold system in your total.
Plumbing a Multi-tank System
It is very important that a multi-tank system be plumbed correctly for it to work properly. There are two common mistakes made on these systems – locating the pressure switch in the wrong place and under-sizing the interconnecting piping. The two basic rules to follow:1. Make sure all the tanks see the same pressure while the pump is running.
2. Make sure the pressure switch sees the same pressure as the tanks.
To comply with rule 1, use a large-enough manifold pipe to assure the flow velocity does not exceed 6 feet per second. This will keep the pressure drop to a minimum from one end to the other, and help assure uniform pressure in the entire tank system. As a refresher on how to size your piping system, refer to this series in the January and February 2011 issues ofNational Driller.
To comply with rule 2, place the pressure switch as close to the center of the tanks as possible.
When properly designed and installed, the use of multiple residential-type pressure tanks in a larger high-capacity system offers a viable alternative to a single, large conventional pressure tank. Next time you need more tank capacity, give this alternative some consideration.
ND
