Our water pump has a Shurflo 182-200 accumulator, and a piezo-sounder in the kitchen to let us know when our Shurflo 4008 water pump motor is running.
Last week, noticed faucet low-water-flows caused pump to quickly turn off-on-off-on, as if the accumulator was not working. And removing the air pressure valve stem cap proved it so, as water came out the valve stem.
Just before I pressed the online purchase button to buy a replacement accumulator, I had an idea to take apart our failed accumulator.
Eight easy to remove screws showed this is a 3-piece assembly with two plastic halves and large bowl-shaped rubber diaphragm pushed into the water-half. The rubber part was quite cruddy on the water-surface and that plastic half was slippery on the inner surface. Using brushes and dish soap cleaned up all the parts.
Not noticing any visible leak holes in the rubber figured out the likely failure of the accumulator to accumulate.
Over time, air pressure disapated, causing water pressure to highly distort the natural cupping of the rubber diaphragm, enough to pull the rubber edge seal out of its home in the plastic halves, allowing water to flow to the air-side.
Carefully putting the cleaned-up rubber diaphragm back into the plastic slots designed to seal the two halves, and screwing it back together gave us back a fully functioning accumulator.
Air pressure of about 30 psi is holding very well and no more quick pump motor cycling with low water flows.
We now see a new need to regularly bring out our bicycle pump to maintain the accumulator air pressure.
Barry,
Correct pressure for an accumulator is CUT-IN PSI minus 2 PSI.
Excellent job of trouble shooting. Illustrates the obvious advantage of this particular tank over the common welded steel 1-piece tanks.
If we ever need a new tank, will (try to) keep this post in mind. Getting harder to do that...stuff keeps falling out (of mind) and getting lost.
Water pump accumulator is now working. But with a different ending. . .
Original likely failure of the accumulator to accumulate turned out to be a rubber bladder pin hole.
So Amazon traded our $35.60 for a new Shurflo 182-200 accumulator, and at 35 psi, our pump now stays off much longer.
That is what I added to mine when the original failed..