So about a week ago I noticed that our water pressure here at the facility was climbing and the pressure reducing valve wasn't working, I decided to replace it, but before I did that I isolated it from the system by a series of gate valves, and the pressure didn't change. So that told me that there was another problem. Well it turned out that our bladder type expansion tank was the culprit. I did some more testing and it turns out that the bladder got a hole in it after 14 years, and so the water in it and the air cushion around it decided to get mixed up and have a party.

I ordered a new bladder at a list price of $1400.00, actual cost $550.00 on Monday morning from a company in Tulsa Oklahoma, but he said it would not be here till the week of the 26th, there went my hunting trip. I canceled my vacation since I didn't want the pumps to burn up while I was gone.

So anyway, I decided to be ahead of the game and I pulled the bladder, that sucker was heavy!, had to winch it out, and then when it got half way out, I realized that there was 10 gallons of water left in the bottom, so as you can see in the picture I fashioned a makeshift spear and poked down at the bottom and got the rest of the water to drain out.

It was a bear to get all the way out. sort of like trying to put a D cup into an A cup in reverse....or something like that.

First of all, to set up my Monday morning, I have to show you a couple of pictures of the pump room. First is the firepump, which I had to lean down the tank towards to be able to pull the bladder.



This is the Fire Pump Controller, of which sets up the rest of the story.


You see in that panel, is a mercury switch, and as I was winching out the bladder, apparantly I bumped it hard enough to make the mercury flow to the contacts, and that fire pump started up and was running at full rpm's in less than 2 seconds. Its on sort of a spring so that during a run its not vibrating all the relays and contacts. Well anyway after checking that I didn't crap myself, and that I had all my fingers, I ran outside to call the main office to inform them of what had happened.

All the horns and strobes were going off, and I had the secretary hit the signal silence in the fire panel, and we tried to call the monitoring company to head off the fire department dispatch....no luck there, and in a couple of minutes I heard the fire truck since we are only 2 miles from town. Fortunately I know all of the guys on the Fore Department and explained what had happened.

So anyway that was my Monday morning, and so I went back up to finish pulling the bladder out of the tank, here are the rest of the pics.







Getting the rest of the water out..






Home made spear..LOL



So for the next couple of weeks until I get the new bladder installed, I am watching this system like a mother hen. Listening to the hard water knocks from my office, and making sure the pumps don't get too hot from constant cycling. I did change the time delays so that they don't run very long after a cycle starts.

Hmmmm I wonder if I can count that as our fire alarm for the year.

 

my week just as stressfull. I am applying for facilities manager position at another company. like you deej im a wrench and it is hecka stessfull thinking about the change. all the headache that comes with it will be worth it for an extra 30k a year tho wish me luck peeps.

 

you say your water pressure is rising??? our water LEVELS are rising!!!

Cobie took these this morning and it won't stop raining for another 5 more hours

 

normal week here...an airman shot in the hip leaving a club in North Little Rock, kitchen fire in a base house residence, 2 suicide attemtpt, one DUI, yesterday we issued weather watches for tornados, high winds greater than 50 knots, and 3/4 inch hail...not to mention all the flying and no notice med evacs...oh yeah we relocated to an office a little bigger than a closet for the next 3-6 months... ...all in all it was a good week...got to ride in between the rain drops...

 

its not been that great of a week for me. found out im losing he job i just got and the girl i was talking to at work just wants to be friends. oh well guess thats life.

 

there's always next week!!!

 

exaclty. i know it will be better. ill have my new phone. an iphone plus the little bit of work my bike needs should be done sat. ill just need to pay registrion and i can ride again.

 

iphones are great...got one for Cobie too...what does your bike need???

 

i need to pull off the radiator get the leak in the corner fixed. its like a 30 buck fix at any shop. have the tires i have mounted on the bike and track down the lose wire thats grounding out. thats going to be the hard part. i think its just a wire that is rubing the frame some place so ill just have to tape it up.

 

what's up with the grounding??? anything specific happening???