Accumulator tank pressure problems

Hi everyone. I'm busy building up a aeroponics system and I'm having a issue where the pressure in the system does not seem to go higher than the pre pressure of the air chamber in the tank.

I'm using a 1.8lpm 120psi max pump. This is connected to a check valve which carries on to the solenoids. Between the solenoids and check valve I have split off to pressure transducer, pressure Guage, and 18L/4.4Gal accumulator tank (RO-132) with max pressure 100psi and a drain/relief ball valve.

I was hoping to run the system between 60 and 90 psi. So with the tank empty I pre charged the air pressure to 58 psi. I turn on the pump with drain valve open and hold it above the max height level. The water flows through and I try getting any air trapped in the lines out but not to sure if any is trapped between tank and tee split off When I close the drain valve the water pressure builds quite quickly from 0 to about 55-58 psi and stops there. It won't go any further.

Could anyone with a better unstanding of using tanks possibly assist me as to why it is doing that. I would think at a air pre charge of 58psi I would be able to pressurerize the system to 60-90psi and then have the pump cut back in at 60psi. Any help would be hugely appreciated. Thanks

I found a small leak coming from a fitting hidden away. Once I fixed that pressure shoots up to 58 psi and then slowly shudders and builds up to desired pressure.

Hey! Good to know you got it figured out! You made quick work or solving the problem. Tracking down leaks and fixing them can be surprisingly difficult!

Jay Gardener said:

Hey! Good to know you got it figured out! You made quick work or solving the problem. Tracking down leaks and fixing them can be surprisingly difficult!

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Thanks. Yeah the fitting on the transducer was leaking at the back and because it's sitting on compressed sawdust blocks which was absorbing the leak I didn't notice until the block was noticeably wet unfortunately. Now to figure out how many misters per chamber. Using the tefen 1gph nozzles. Which seem to make a nice droplet size but think I may need more than 1 per chamber

Woke up this morning to pump constantly running again. Spent a couple minutes draining and refilling but still pump does not hit pressure and kick off. Also doesn't have that shudder that it did when building pressure. So at the moment it shoots up to 50-55 psi but doesn't get higher. I'll have to take the lines apart later and check the check valve is closing properly and test tank pre charge again. Not seeing any leaks though this time. Hoping there isn't a problem with the tank being a new one or with the pump. Any advice would be appreciated

R3plica said:

Woke up this morning to pump constantly running again. Spent a couple minutes draining and refilling but still pump does not hit pressure and kick off. Also doesn't have that shudder that it did when building pressure. So at the moment it shoots up to 50-55 psi but doesn't get higher. I'll have to take the lines apart later and check the check valve is closing properly and test tank pre charge again. Not seeing any leaks though this time. Hoping there isn't a problem with the tank being a new one or with the pump. Any advice would be appreciated

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Sounds like the pressure tank failed. You will know if there is water in the air side.

I checked water tank and pressure was still 58psi. No water came out the valve or could be heard. I cleaned the pvc check valve and there was a fleck of pvc that may have been causing the spring to stay open rinished that out and seems to be working again. So fingers crossed