Living in your own home or in the country should be as comfortable as possible. Therefore, the arrangement of all life support systems is given special attention at the construction stage. Some owners, wanting to save money, do it on their own. When all plumbing communications and pumping equipment are installed, it is necessary to consider the installation of the storage tank.
This device will significantly save energy. The pump will turn on much less frequently. It is quite possible to mount a hydraulic accumulator in the water supply with your own hands. It can also be made independently from various tools at hand. If there is enough free time and minimal skills to work with the tool, it will turn out to be done even by a novice master.
Tank structure
The accumulator device is quite simple. It consists of a tank. It has a certain volume. There is a membrane or a rubber bulb inside this tank. Measuring instruments are connected as an addition to the tank, but they are not required.
The main functions are assigned to the membrane. It prevents the mixing of air and liquid, which allows you to create the necessary pressure in the system. The rubber partition divides the container into two compartments. In the first of them is air, in the second is water.
If the amount of water increases, the air is compressed. When the tap is opened, it will push the liquid out of the container. So the pressure is formed during the operation of the water supply in a private house.
In addition, the considered principle of the accumulator allows you to maintain uniform pressure, and also eliminates water hammer during pump operation. This significantly increases the life of the equipment, reducing the number of breakdowns of the components of the system. Therefore, installing a storage tank will be the right solution.
General expert advice
Many owners of suburban real estate have the desire and ability to make a hydraulic accumulator for water supply systems with their own hands. To do this, you need to delve into the issue of the water supply system. So, in the city the pressure in the system is provided at a level of about 1.5 atm. But for the private sector it will be enough to maintain this indicator in the region of 1 atm. This will help you choose the right equipment in the store or create it yourself.
Experts say that making a storage tank on your own will be quite simple. In its functions, it will in no way be inferior to its purchased varieties.
Hydraulic accumulators for water supply, the price of which starts today from 700 rubles, will be much cheaper. The more components there are in the household of the master, the less you will have to pay for the capacity. It is necessary to fulfill all the recommendations of experts so that the result is good.
Necessary materials
Hydraulic accumulators for water supply, the price of which will not hit the family budget, is quite simple to create. For this, it is necessary to prepare several components of this equipment. First of all, you need capacity. It can be plastic or aluminum. Its inner walls should be even and smooth. If this condition is not met, the pear or membrane will tear when stretched.
The volume of the tank must be at least 30 liters. But it’s better to pick up even more capacity. It all depends on the consumption of water in a particular house.
Next, you will need a pressure switch, as well as any pressure gauge. Of the fittings, it is necessary to purchase a quarter and a tee, as well as a stopcock. Usually inch reinforcement is used for this purpose. A half inch and ball valve is also required.
A regular bicycle chamber (nipple) will serve as a membrane or pear. To make all the necessary gaskets, you need a rubber sheet, as well as a sealant. Fasteners are nuts and washers.
How to choose a tank volume
Knowing the device of the accumulator, you can create this equipment yourself. But before you start, you need to choose the right tank volume. The correct functioning of the water supply of a summer house or a country house depends on this. Typically, a capacity of 30 to 50 liters is suitable for these purposes.
But this amount must be coordinated with the capacity of pumping equipment. If the power supply is often turned off (this happens in summer cottages), a larger volume of the accumulator will be required. Water will fill about 1/3 of the tank.
It should also be remembered that if a powerful hydraulic pump is installed in the system, a larger tank is required. This will reduce the number of short-term equipment starts.
However, too much capacity will not be a good solution. The water inside will stagnate, and its quality will decline. Therefore, to give a tank of 50 l is almost the maximum permissible option.
Work Instruction
The principle of operation of the accumulator is quite simple. It is easy to recreate it in homemade equipment. To do this, drill holes at the bottom, side and on the lid in the selected container. A ½ inch faucet is mounted at the top. It is fixed with washers, installing gaskets and blowing foam. This will prevent leakage.
When this part of the work is completed and the sealant dries, a quartet should be attached to the tap. A nipple, pressure switch and pressure gauge are mounted on this part. A ¾ inch tap is installed at the bottom of the tank. A tee is attached to it.
The side hole is reserved for the ball valve. The nipple is fixed with a plug. It must have an internal thread. Also, all connections must be sealed. This is a tank without a membrane.
First start
After the work, it is necessary to start the pump with a hydraulic accumulator. To do this, several important principles must be observed. The pump starts first. Then, a ball valve opens on the side surface. Water should flow from it.
If this condition is met, the valve is closed. Using a conventional bicycle pump, air is pumped into the tank through a previously installed nipple. The necessary pressure must be created in the container. It is checked using a barometer and ranges from 1 to 1.5 atm.
If the pressure does not meet the requirements, use a relay to adjust its rate. This trial first run is necessary. When the system is tested, it can be fully exploited.
Tank type
There are two main types of tank mounts. Depends on this and its adjustment. Distinguish the accumulator vertical and horizontal. The fact is that in that part of the container in which the liquid is located, a small amount of air will accumulate over time. It is necessary to bleed it from time to time. This will save the system from unfavorable air congestion for it.
If the container is vertical, it requires a special nipple. Air in this type of tank accumulates at the top. It will be easier to bleed it.
The horizontal type of tank is different in this from its vertical counterpart. Not only a nipple is required here. A ball valve is required to vent excess air. The system also provides for drainage into the sewer.
How to bleed air
Creating a hydraulic accumulator with your own hands, you must also know the rules for its operation. For small tanks, there is a specific system that allows you to simply remove excess air from the tank.
Some systems provide water from the top. This happens quite rarely. It is better not to equip such a system on your own. For her, according to experts, there is no need to bleed air from the tank. But such a system is complicated by the presence of special filters.
For a homemade small tank, there is a simple air removal procedure. In this case, the power supply is turned off. The tap of the mixer opens, the tank is emptied. Then the valve is closed and the pump is turned on again. The tank is filled with water. Excess air escapes with the fluid. This must be done at least 1 time per month.
New tank from the old
You can create a new tank from old non-working equipment. Most often, it is the membrane that breaks down in them. A new accumulator bulb will solve the issue of creating a new tank.
In tanks for cold water, special food rubber is used. It is safe to operate, does not harm human health. Also, the threshold of working pressure for such products is quite large and can reach 8 Bar. Therefore, before creating a new tank, it is necessary to buy a pear or membrane with the same characteristics as the previous tank element.
You can apply the same technology that was presented above, but provide the tank with this part. But in this case, the calculations will have to devote more time. Therefore, it is more suitable for repairing an old, failed tank.
Pear replacement
Creating a hydraulic accumulator with your own hands, you can repair an old tank. This is a fairly straightforward process. After buying a new pear, you can get to work. The hydraulic tank must be untwisted. To do this, unscrew the bolts of the connections. The old membrane can then be easily removed.
A new pear is set in place of the old part. The accumulator is assembled in the reverse order. Bolts must be tightened evenly. If you do not act carefully enough, the membrane may slip and fall inside the flask. In this case, you will have to repeat the procedure again. To prevent this from happening, the bolts are tightened first easily, and then evenly squeeze the fasteners in all places.
Having considered the method of how to make a hydraulic accumulator with your own hands, each owner of a summer house or a country house will be able to create this element of the water supply system. It will extend the operation of all equipment. Using water will be comfortable.