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Drain and Depressurize Section — Remove the Old Tank

Beginner

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How to Replace a Well Pressure Tank · Step 4 of 10

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In this video

After isolating the valves, connect a drain hose to a drain port within the isolated section. Open the drain valve to release the remaining water and pressure into a bucket or floor drain. This step is crucial for safely removing the old tank.

Goal: Relieve Pressure

  • Ensure all pressure is relieved before attempting to unscrew the tank. Failure to do so could result in a forceful spray of hot water.

Used in this video

  • Drain Hose — Directing water from the drain valve to a bucket or floor drain.
  • Bucket (Tool Type: Bucket Size, Size: 5 gallon) · optional — Collecting drained water if a floor drain is not available.
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FAQs

What are the most critical safety steps I must take before beginning to replace my well pressure tank?

Absolutely always turn off the power to your well pump at the main electrical panel first. Then, fully drain the entire water system to relieve all pressure. This prevents electric shock, water damage, and injury from pressurized components.

How long should I expect this well pressure tank replacement to take, and what's the approximate material cost for a DIYer?

For a beginner, plan for 2-4 hours, assuming you have all tools and materials ready. The material cost, primarily for the new pressure tank and fittings, can range from $200 to $600, depending on the tank size and brand, plus a few dollars for tape and rags.

Why is correctly pre-charging the new well pressure tank so important, and what pressure should I set it to?

Pre-charging with air prevents the tank from becoming 'waterlogged' and ensures your pump cycles efficiently, extending its lifespan. Set the tank's air pressure (when empty) to 2 PSI below your well pump's 'cut-in' pressure (the pressure at which your pump turns on).

Which specialized tools are absolutely essential for replacing a well pressure tank, beyond basic household tools?

You'll definitely need a sturdy pipe wrench (like the 16-inch self-adjusting one mentioned) for plumbing connections, a tire pressure gauge to check the tank's pre-charge, and a water pressure gauge to monitor system pressure. Slip-joint pliers are also very helpful for various fittings.

Transcript
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So I'm going to hook my hose up here. And I'm going to go ahead and open this up just to take the pressure off the system. Now that I got the pressure off the system, I'm going to close this and we have that same kind of handle here with the same valve here. I'm going to double check it by putting my hose here and draining it there as well to make sure we have all the pressure off from that. Because if you don't take the pressure off the system, if that diaphragm inside that pot or inside the tank is still good at all, it will when you unscrew this, the water that's in here will blow out at you like a geyser. You get everything completely soaking wet and a lot of times if the boiler has been running at all prior to this, the water in that boiler can be super hot. So I'm going to tie that on, open this up. And as you can see out the end of my hose, I've got a little bit of water but we know that there's no water pressure there because it's not spraying out. So we should be safe to take this tank off because we have the pressure off from it. So I'm going to shut that valve off, I can go ahead and disconnect my hose from here just to get it out of the way and so we don't forget to do that.

Auto-generated transcript. May contain errors.