[rafael]

An accumulator tank has one inlet for water. As the water system is pressurized water is forced into the accumulator tank. The reason water has to be forced into the accumulator is that it has an internal rubber bladder that is pressurized to the water pump “on” pressure which in my case is 40 PSI.

So the accumulator has a section of air behind the water contents. The bladder air pressure is the same as the pump cut off pressure so within the tank is water being forced out by the pressure of the air behind the bladder.

The purpose of an accumulator tank in any plumbing system with a well (with our fresh water tank being the well) is to prevent “short” cycling of the water pump. The accumulator tank will provide a flow of water, even with the pump turned off until the bladder pushes all the water out. The water coming from the accumulator is pushed into the plumbing system

If there was no accumulator even a drop of water from a leaky faucet would trigger the pump to come on since you cannot compress a liquid. In a system with the Headhunter toilet that accumulator has enough pressure and volume of water to actually complete a flush, even with the pumps turned off so when a tiny flow water pump is in the system even though the pump is inadequate to complete a flush, with the help of the accumulator the toilet works as it should.

[Roger]

Good explanation. Thanks again Jon.