Autonomous water supply, which is based on a pump that pumps fluid from a well or well, is the only way in some suburban villages to provide water to a private house. It works as needed using water: opening a tap, turning on a pumping device, fluid intake. In order to reduce the number of on and off switching of the pumping unit, which reduce its operational life, a hydraulic accumulator is mounted in the water supply network.
What is a hydraulic accumulator
The design is a steel tank located on a pedestal. Inside the tank is a pear-shaped rubber membrane. Water pumped into the pump gets into it. The space between the membrane and the walls of the tank is filled with air at a pressure of 1.5 atm.
A rubber bulb filled with water expands, squeezing air, which rises in pressure. It turns out that the water is always under pressure from the side of the injected air and due to this enters the water supply network. As soon as the air parameters are equal to the water parameters, the pump will immediately turn on and begin to fill the pear.
All accumulators on the market are different in size. When choosing a tank, it is necessary to take into account the requirements for the volume of water. The larger it is, the better: less often the pump will turn on.
Maintenance Rules
Like all plumbing fixtures, the accumulator has a certain operational resource. To increase it, it is necessary to periodically carry out maintenance. If turning on and off the pump unit has become more frequent, this indicates that the pressure inside the tank has decreased - an air leak has occurred.
How to adjust air pressure
You can cope with the reason for frequent activation of the accumulator yourself. To do this, you need a manometer, which measures the pressure in automobile wheels. The sequence of operations:
- the pump is disconnected from the power supply network;
- any faucet or mixer opens in the water supply network to relieve water pressure;
- the protective cover of the nipple is removed, which is located on the opposite side from the inlet pipe;
- a manometer is connected to the nipple;
- an air pressure reading is taken, it must correspond to the parameter specified in the product passport or on a metal plate located on the accumulator casing.
If the pressure is much lower than the passport pressure or there is none at all, air is pumped into the tank using a conventional automobile pump or compressor.
Before downloading, you must open one of the consumers. Best one that is closest to the accumulator. It is impossible to pump air into the tank, which is almost completely filled with a pear with water.
It is very important to correctly adjust the air pressure. If this parameter is higher than the passport one, a situation may arise when the air compresses the membrane to the maximum, which makes it shrink. It will be impossible to pump water into it. Therefore, after injection, it is necessary to check the pressure with a manometer. If the indicator is higher than required, it is necessary to bleed air.
In the factory, usually fill the accumulator with nitrogen. This does not mean that gas cannot be replaced by air. You just need to release it first.
Check the accumulator for operability once every six months.If the pressure in it drops, then there is a malfunction in the junction between the body and the nipple. Solving this problem is also easy. Tighten the nipple or bolts on the flange. A leak test is usually carried out using a soap solution.
Accumulator service life
There are recommendations from manufacturers that need to be used in the process of operating accumulators. If you strictly adhere to them, you can increase the operational life of the device almost twice.
- Once a month, check for compliance with the set value for switching on and off the pump unit.
- Once every six months, inspect the accumulator for external conditions: the presence or absence of dents, corrosion, smudges and other things.
- Once every six months, check the air pressure with a pressure gauge.
- If the country house will not be used in cold weather, care must be taken to drain the water from the accumulator for the winter.
On the market, the hydraulic tank is presented in two versions: horizontal and vertical. Regardless of this, service is the same.
Accumulator repair
The reason that can lead to repair work is a rupture of the rubber membrane. Determining that the pear is torn is quite simple. It is necessary to remove the protective roof from the nipple and push on it, for example, with a match. If water poured, then the membrane is torn and the liquid filled the entire tank.
Repair consists in replacing the torn pear:
- the pump is disconnected from power;
- water pressure in the water supply system is relieved by opening one of the consumers;
- the flexible hose is disconnected, with which the accumulator is connected to the water supply;
- six bolts are unscrewed with a wrench that secure the flange to the tank body;
- the membrane is pulled out;
- the tank is washed and dried;
- a new membrane is inserted inside;
- a flange is installed that is tightened with bolts;
- air is pumped through the nipple;
- the accumulator is connected to the plumbing system with a flexible insert.
It is not necessary to use sealant to seal the joint of the flange and the body of the device. The rubber bulb, or rather its flange protrusion, is itself a sealing element.
Sometimes there are situations when the steel flange of the membrane is rusted and cannot fulfill its functions. It just needs to be replaced with a new one. The replacement method is exactly the same. Just do not pull the bulb out of the accumulator and rinse it.
The maintenance and repair of the accumulator for the water supply system of a private house must be approached responsibly. All manipulations do not require much time. But it is precisely on them that the operability of the tank with the pump depends, and their long-term trouble-free operation. If the repair cannot be carried out independently, for example, the flange bolts do not loosen, it is recommended that the accumulator be taken to a service center. A torn thread or a broken bolt is a violation of the sealing of the device.
