Can a water pressure tank be repaired if the bladder no longer holds the air?

Answer 1

Depending on the condition of the bladder tank sometimes you can add more air to it for a temporary fix, but ultimately you will have to replace it. Press in the air valve on top to see if any water comes out, if so then the bladder is water logged.

Depending on the tank, the bladder can sometimes be removed and replaced. The bladder is about a third the cost of a new tank. A temporary fix would be to add air pressure. Unfortunately, air is quite soluble in water, so it will eventually be dissolved away.

Well, a water tank doesn't *need* a bladder, assuming the inlet/outlet for the water is on the bottom of the tank. You can charge the tank with air, and it will work. Eventually, the air charge will run out and you will have to recharge it. The house I grew up in had a bladderless water tank and it was my job to recharge it every six months. The house I live in now has a irrigation system that uses an old water heater as a storage tank. This is how I charge them:

1) Let the others in the house know aht you're doing. 2) Shut off power to the well. 3) If you have a valve to shut off the rest of the house from the tank close it. 4) Drain all the water out of the tank. 5) Close all the faucets in the system. 6) Charge the system with air up to the preset value. 2psi below pump cut-in is a happy value, if you don't have a number from your manufacturer. 7) Turn the pump on. It should fill the tank normally. 8) Turn water back on to the house.

Eventually the air charge will be absorbed into the water. As I mentioned above, a bladder isn't necessairy, it just prevents you from needing to recharge the system every few months. If you have a large tank, rent an air compressor. I can tell you first-hand pumping up a 40 gallon tank with a bicycle pump sucks.

Some tanks have replaceable bladder and some don't. Check with the manufacter to find out. Adding air to a failed badder tank will get you by but I have seen the bladder sag to the bottom of the tank and close off the inlet on the tank.

Answer 2

On many tanks larger than 80 gallons replacing the bladder is an option. On smaller tanks it's extremely difficult even if you can buy the bladder. Most domestic tanks are 30-40 gallons .
In general terms a punctured bladder means you need a new tank. You can pump air in for a while, but better to just fit another tank.