Need help finding a water well part

Flying V Ranch · Aug 24, 2024

Hello all!

My previous water well consisted of a galvanized pressure tank setup with a deep well submersible pump. The inlet pipe from the pump to the tank had a brass check valve right at the tank inlet. Right behind the check valve on the pump side was a brass fitting that utilized a standard schrader valve. This allowed the water to slowly drain back down the pipe to the pump when it was off. Whenever the pump kicked on, you could hear the water rising in the pipe and air would hiss out of the schrader valve until the water reached the tank and the pressure would keep the schrader valve stem tight and the tank would fill normally.

I need this part for another well, but I cannot find it anywhere. I do not know what it is called either, so that would be of some help also.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Bud

ponytug · Aug 24, 2024

Flying V Ranch said:
Hello all!

My previous water well consisted of a galvanized pressure tank setup with a deep well submersible pump. The inlet pipe from the pump to the tank had a brass check valve right at the tank inlet. Right behind the check valve on the pump side was a brass fitting that utilized a standard schrader valve. This allowed the water to slowly drain back down the pipe to the pump when it was off. Whenever the pump kicked on, you could hear the water rising in the pipe and air would hiss out of the schrader valve until the water reached the tank and the pressure would keep the schrader valve stem tight and the tank would fill normally.

I need this part for another well, but I cannot find it anywhere. I do not know what it is called either, so that would be of some help also.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Bud

Those setups were used for two reasons that I am aware of;
1) vent air into the pipe to the well reduced the chances of the pipe to the well freezing and breaking, and
2) the Schrader valve allowed air in, not all of which came back out, thereby putting air in the pressure tank and keeping the tank charged with air. (Before bladder tanks were common)

Do you need it for reason #1, or reason #2, or just because it was there? (Or some other reason that I haven't learned yet...)

In general, they weren't recommended for deep wells because the water draining down tended to stir up "gunk" or sand or other debris. (Deep wells mean a large volume of water returning to the bottom.)

All the best,

Peter

steve tym · Aug 25, 2024

If you're referring to the check valve, it's called a control center check.
There is a bleeder in the well that opens when the pressure goes down, after the pump shuts off. The schrader valve opens and lets air in, back down to the bleeder. When the pump starts, the bleeder closes and the air is pushed into the tank, no air should leak out of the schrader valve. The charge of air keeps the galvanized tank balanced. There should be an air release on the tank to bleed off excess air.
I can still get control center checks.

Flying V Ranch · Aug 25, 2024

Thank you all for the helpful replies. Indeed, the part that I am looking for is a control center check valve! It has a tap that I can screw a schrader valve into and I think that will work perfectly.
I am just trying to replace some above ground well parts on some property. A large tree fell over on it in a storm last Spring.
Thank You Again!
Bud