Pressure tanks are an integral part of residential well systems. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and in previous articles in this publication, I’ve described them in detail, the different types, their purpose and how to size them.
The earliest pressure tanks are known as hydro-pneumatic pressure tanks. They were simply a large pressure vessel hooked to the discharge of a well pump. This type of “conventional” pressure tank is still in use today. As water is pumped into the tank, the air is compressed so that when the pump shuts off you have a few gallons under pressure ready for the next call for water. The issue with these tanks is that, over time, the compressed air is absorbed into the water until eventually