Too Much Air in the Water Well Tank Troubleshooting Air Release Valve

[@FREEDOMSYNDICATEOFFICIAL]

Tom I really really appreciate you taking the time to go over this for us. I'm a very hands-on guy and work on most all my stuff but this one kind of had me stumped. I was about to reach out to my subscribers and ask them how to fix this haha... But most my subscribers are in the motorsport industry so I figured I would look some videos up first and voila I came across your awesome video. I'm going to try this right away cuz I have a galvanized tank with no bladder. And I've been having the same issues as you except when mine starts blowing out air I get tons of sediment coming in the house with it because my tank is already nearly 10 years old so between the rust and sand that has settled to the bottom of the tank it is now being stirred up and blown into the house. I'll let you know how it goes buddy I appreciate you!

[@TomBrueggen]

Sweet! That sounds like exactly what I had. My old float valve was blocked up with sediment. Now I think I released a video more recently about adding a retention tank to our well. Since we've done that we have NO sediment coming into the house any more. Every couple months I go open the blow down valve on the retention tank and it unloads a little slug of dirty looking water and then it's clear right away. Good luck, let me know how it goes!

[@robertk.5195]

@@TomBrueggen , you never do tell exactly what this valve's function is. What DOES it do for the water system when it functions properly?

[@TomBrueggen]

@@robertk.5195 it’s releases excess air from the pressure tank. Without this valve, or if it malfunctions and doesn’t bleed extra air, the water in the system gets displaced with air. You turn on the valve and get long gaps of pure air between water. I don’t mean some sputtering here and there. We would turn a sink on and just have no water at all come out for several seconds or maybe at all, it would just blow air. Our pressure tank was essentially full of air. It should be about half full of air and half full of water. The well pump compresses this air pocket when it runs and creates a source of stored pressure. Older tanks had a rubber bladder as a barrier between the air and water or they had no bladder but had to always be pumped up with external air source. My system sucks air in every time the pump shuts off and the fluid column drops in the well. Then this air is swept to the pressure tank when the pump kicks on. Some dissolves in the water, some breaks out in the tank to always maintain the bubble. If the bubble gets too large, it causes the float on this air release to drop which then opens the valve and lets the air release. As the excess air releases, the bubble shrinks, the water level rises and lifts the float to close the valve. Pretty slick really

[@sammaglitto8922]

Air control in wrong spot should be higher up so tank fill up to float

[@TomBrueggen]

You know I thought about that too. There is a port higher than this one. I just replaced it how it has always been. Down low the tank won’t hold as much water but I guess would have a larger air pocket for larger expansion range? If the air pocket is bigger does it cause more dissolved air in the water or make no difference? Air/water contact area is the same either way. Everything as far as the excessive air has been fine since we changed it. Only my side of the shower (we have dual independent shower controls in our master shower), the hot will spit and sputter a bit after running for about a minute. It’s odd since no other faucets or sinks in the house do so. I’m thinking there must be a high spot in that line that lets an air bubble break out somehow.

[@dukeraul624]

The air compresses, the water does not. The overall tank pressure is what actuates the pump. It should only bleed just prior to cut in.

[@tonis2u]

thank you for posting this, I have a similar setup. every few weeks I have to purge air from the valve because of air in the lines of the house. have you experienced this? any ideas why this would happen, thanks again.

[@TomBrueggen]

We had increasing air problems only when this valve malfunctioned. We do get a spurt from the hot water lines now and then, but I suspect it’s because our water heater is in the attic, and dissolved air in the water naturally breaks out and gets trapped up there in the high spot.

[@dukeraul624]

My tank tee is in that port, and my release is in the higher port. I have a drain on the bottom. I think in the future I’d put the tee on the bottom and the release where yours is, more air, longer draw down. I stretched my switch to run 30/60. Idk about having the filters pre tank, unknown dirty filters could play hell on the pump.

[@TomBrueggen]

Yeah check out my last videos. With the install of the retention tank we have totally removed the filters and have no more issues. Air release valve is still working too

[@dukeraul624]

@@TomBrueggen can you link it, or give the title? I watched/commented on one water system expansion video.

[@dukeraul624]

@@TomBrueggen I have a Val-Matic No. 22 air release, lil pricey, but no nonsense nice.

[@TomBrueggen]

@@dukeraul624 I don’t recall which one I bought. Think I found it on Amazon. I was just looking for one that said it had the same thread size to fit my tank.

[@dukeraul624]

@@TomBrueggen I meant a link to the video where you ditched your pre pressure tank filter set up.

[@jimharris4740]

Your control valve should be located higher on the tank. Where you have it only gives you about 10 gallons of water and the rest of your tank is full of air

[@crashland5711]

Yes, mine is in the middle hole and the water enters the bottom hole. Never saw one on the bottom. And I have had to replace it before for the air in line issue. And the pressure switch is mounted on the water line going into the tank not on the tank.

[@pointblank1978]

Ive got two galvanized tanks and the air goes away somehow. So I have to drain the water down about 10” or put air in at the air valve. I can’t see your tank being effective having the air release so low to the bottom. It’s wasted space above that level. I’ve never seen the float valve on a water tank before. Interesting.

[@adrielgbr]

Hey! Can you explain HOW does the air control valve works? I can't find information about it. I know when the pump turns off, this valve starts absorbing air, and when the pump turns on, the valve sends that air to the tank. But I can't understand how the pressure in the valve rises the tank pressure (and more), about 45 psi, if this works with the intake pressure of the pump..... of course it's not that high, and it's also "negative" pressure.... Can't find NOTHING with a good, technical information. I'd appreciate that info! Cheers from Argentina

[@steveharris5515]

I'm late to the video, but the Air Volume Control (AVC) you installed is incorrect. The original was a deep-well 310WJ AVC, while the new one was a shallow-well 300L AVC. That brass fitting on the new install is an air inlet valve that is supposed to connect through a plastic (polyethylene) tube to a snifter valve that is mounted on the well pump itself. The old model is a completely self contained control unit.

[@TomBrueggen]

Well I’m not entirely familiar with what you’re saying, but the system has been running fine for over a year since I put this new air release in. What’s the potential long term damage of having the wrong air valve on the tank?

[@xenawolf]

@@TomBrueggen Your pump will short cycle, run more and may not last as long, hopefully that's not the case. I just replaced the air volume control on a galvanized 42 gal tank was like $30 but my valve is higher up, almost seems like the valve should be in the upper hole on that tank.

[@TomBrueggen]

@@xenawolf I really feel like it should be too. But then again, if it’s down lower it gives a larger air pocket so more room for compression, which could then actually mean the pump runs longer, compresses more, and is off longer. Smaller air pocket would allow more water volume but also less room for compression and expansion. So I don’t know, maybe lower is better 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@brokenarrow2835]

Get a new volume control,it needs to be on the mid hole not the low one ,the low hole is for the the inlet from well..Pressure switch should be on the check valve and the gauge should be on the volume control valve.

[@jmescobedo59]

Thank you I'm going to try we are tired of the noise good info. To try this first 😊

[@samuelluna4742]

Similar situation with similar tank, galvanized tank. Thinking of doing the same thing this weekend. How did you repressurized the tank though? Thanks in advance.

[@TomBrueggen]

My system repressurizes on it’s own. I don’t have a bladder. There is an air inlet check valve on the well head. When the pump shuts off, water falls in the well and creates a vacuum. Air sucks in through the check valve. Next time the pump kicks on that air pocket is pushed to the pressure tank and accumulates in the top of the tank. It is then compressed by water flow from the well pump.

[@samuelluna4742]

@@TomBrueggen thanks brother, I appreciate the response.

[@mikeo9219]

I can hear the income pipe from the well to the pressure tank sputtering. we get water and sputtering out of faucets and toilet the after 15 seconds the sputtering stops and then it's all water. could it be problem with the well ? I hope not

[@TomBrueggen]

My system is designed to have air in it, on purpose. When my well pump shuts off, the fluid column drops and a Shrader valve on the well head allows air to suck in. Then when the pump kicks on, the air is swept ahead of the water, through the retention tank and to the pressure tank. Some air dissolves in the water to make it smoother coming out of faucets. Some air breaks out in the pressure tank to ensure it always has a proper size air pocket for good pressure. If too much air tries to accumulate in the pressure tank, that’s where this air release comes in and vents the excess back out. My spigots will burp and sputter sometimes too but like you said it’s short lived. My water heater is in my attic which makes it the highest point in the system. My hot water lines are what always sputter. I suppose if I could put an air release up there maybe it would help. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@mikeo9219]

@@TomBrueggen thanks for replying. Sure is a lot of moving parts to a well. I think there is a problem somewhere, time to call a plumber

[@TomBrueggen]

@@mikeo9219 well, maybe. Again, not all pressure tanks have a system like this. The well I grew up on a bladder system. You charged the bladder with air but there was a rubber diaphragm between the air and water. At one point the rubber ruptured and then our air system would slowly dissolve into the water over a month or so. We’d have to continually go out and air it back up, otherwise the well pump would kick in and off way too often and burn up. This air-in/air-out system takes out that concern. But yeah, I guess it makes me dependent upon this air release valve now instead of a rubber bladder. I suppose city water systems just pump up into a water tower and let gravity do the work. Less moving parts there for sure. Maybe build yourself a water tower 😁

[@mikeo9219]

@@TomBrueggen a water tower ? That's a good idea lol. This is my first house with a well. I'll check the pressure tank before I call plumber. appreciate your advice for sure

[@wilvilleda8607]

Mines is constantly leaking water?

[@Sam-lt7tj]

My breath blows water out after it blows air out.. what do y’all think

[@donaldblank8873]

All this time wasted you should change that pressure tank out to a traditional diaphragm pressure tank. And if you still have the issue then you know it's within the well itself. Possibly a broken well line sucking air.

[@curtispechacek1814]

HELLOOOOOOO. It is old, get a new float valve

[@TomBrueggen]

The issue with mine was actually the silt plugging it up and making it malfunction. But yes, replaced with new, problem solved