Expansion tank - defect or not?

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

What say you?

[Bruce A. King]

Picture too small, I assume you are showing the tank orientation. I read about this recently somewhere, it all depends on the manuf instructions for the tank, some actually can be installed horizontal, straight up or upside down. Sorry, no links.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Yes, it's a small pic. The point is the tank is installed sideways. Is there anything you could do when faced with a tank like that to determine whether or not a problem exists?

Think, Bruce, think! You took the same training I did!

[Michael Larson]

The AMTROL® expansion tank may be placed in any convenient position
within the mechanical room (or building). It will work equally well in either
vertical or horizontal position.

More

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

This Amtrol tank says "mount vertically only." It's a lot more like what I see all the time.

http://www.amtrol.com/thermxtrol.htm

(Left side of document below, about the 5th warning on the left.)
http://www.amtrol.com/pdf/9015-087revDTXT.pdf

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

You can at least tap on the tank to see if its waterlogged.

[Bruce A. King]

yes, same as with well pressure tanks, they get waterlogged too.

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Just installed one last week on my rental so I dug out the installation instructions from the recycle bin. This installation manual states, "3. The expansion tank is designed to be supported by the system piping in the vertical position. If, however, the expansion tank must be installed horizontally, as shown in Figure 2, it must be supported by adequate strapping (not supplied).