The largest bladder tanks are used in municipal water towers, holding millions of gallons. Your home version is essentially a scaled-down water tower with better interior design.
Bladder tanks are sometimes called “hydro-pneumatic tanks” because science. The term “pneumatic” comes from the Greek pneuma (breath), which is fitting—your tank breathes air to give you water.
In the 1960s, a plumber named Lester H. Smith found that adding a rubber bladder inside a steel tank increased water pressure by 40% compared to old-style air-over-water tanks. He became a plumbing legend, though sadly, not a household name.
