[ManotickLad]

The Schrader is the bike tire style valve on the top of your tank, used to add pressure. True, in a perfect world, the bladder will last forever and prevent the air from being absorbed into the water, but if your bladder fails then you are back to basics like an old school tank. Your tank is still perfectly good after the bladder fails, but you are banished to the netherworld of old-school tanks that were (and are) used by millions of people for decades. Pump up the air pressure in your tank to 2 or 3 pounds below your pump switch cut in setting. Wait a month of normal usage, then repeat monthly until you want to shell out for a new tank, or until you are totally muscular, whichever comes first. At my age, buying a new tank came way first. Remember you are never going to compress the water in your tank, you can only compress the air. Any tank is only as good as the air charge inside it.

 

[ManotickLad]

Hold up just a minute here, lest you misunderstand me. I have been pumping up non-bladder tanks for literally 40 years, and every single one of them has had a Schrader valve. That's the only possible way they can function, because they have to be pumped up regularly..... by guys like me with a truck tank, a compressor, or a bike pump. Yep, I have literally pumped up hundreds of tanks over the years via a Schrader valve. I am unaware of an old school tank without one. Anywhere. Right on the top of the tank where you simply can't miss it..... You're pulling my leg, right?

 

[ManotickLad]

Amazed that the Pentair doesn't appear to have a valve to add pressure. Does it not then have an upstream mechanical injector to regulate pressure? Or do you just dispose of it if the bladder ruptures? How would they factory charge the tank given that people's pressure needs vary significantly. you have to order a tank with a specific pressure charge? Anyways thanks for the clarification/lesson. You guys are awesome. I have simply never seen an older pressure tank without a Schrader, but some (all?) bladder tanks like the Pentair are apparently "unserviceable" in that respect. Not sure if I like that, but it is what it is. Anyhow, I never had any real preference for older plain "wet" tanks, but for decades that is all there was, and pumping people's tanks up with a truck tank or even a bike pump was a very common occurrence. I recall people getting "sputter" on an empty tank if their well ran dry during a hot season. It was always a bad sign.