Any water at this point...

[Eli]

I've begun to dred trips into town or to see the neighbors. Really just because I'm saving my water and getting pretty scruffy working around the property. I bought this little 2 gal hand pump pressure shower incase of another deep freeze this winter. Now I've taken spray bottle showers and never felt clean, but at least my impractical long hair looked it. It is so nice to FEEL clean. If I wanted to waste the LP this could of been a nice hot full shower. And I only used half the water. It was able to handle the silt from the pond just fine! I wouldn't leave it pressurized, hose looks a little flimsy. (I have bad luck when it comes to hoses...) still have 55 gal in my tank. Pretty dang fine day!

 

[viking]

I have an empty 1,100 gallon poly tank sitting up near our concrete cistern, I'm going to have a friend help dig out an area along side of the concrete cistern so that it is in the same range of water levels, I also want to get the outlet plumbing so it's underground and the new ball valves for both tanks put into a freeze proof access box. Presently I have two gate valves for the existing tank, one for draining and the other for the line going to our home, I've come to really dislike gate valves, just about every one I've ever used has had shafts break loose from the gates or rust shut or open so they'll be changed out to PVC 1" ball valves, which I've never had problems with, that's what I have on the above ground 1,100 gallon garden tank and even exposed to near 20 degrees, have not frozen, of course the water in the tank is a bit stirred up because of the spring water constantly flowing in and out of the tank, the outflow goes to an area for the chickens, wild turkeys and some of the apple trees below the chicken yard.

 

[Neb]

I have an empty 1,100 gallon poly tank sitting up near our concrete cistern, I'm going to have a friend help dig out an area along side of the concrete cistern so that it is in the same range of water levels, I also want to get the outlet plumbing so it's underground and the new ball valves for both tanks put into a freeze proof access box. Presently I have two gate valves for the existing tank, one for draining and the other for the line going to our home, I've come to really dislike gate valves, just about every one I've ever used has had shafts break loose from the gates or rust shut or open so they'll be changed out to PVC 1" ball valves, which I've never had problems with, that's what I have on the above ground 1,100 gallon garden tank and even exposed to near 20 degrees, have not frozen, of course the water in the tank is a bit stirred up because of the spring water constantly flowing in and out of the tank, the outflow goes to an area for the chickens, wild turkeys and some of the apple trees below the chicken yard.

Gate valves

Unless they are cycled regularly... bleh.

I prefer the ball valves... PVC ones are good. I used brass/steel ball valves for the PEX lines coming from my springs to allow me to divert the flow from the pond to my ram pump. The handles on the valves rusted off in less than 3 years. Gotta keep them out of the weather.

Spring water
Comes out if the ground at the ground at the temp of the ground. Average us about 56 degree F. As long as the loss of energy per unit time of the tank is less than the energy required to freeze the amount of water is entering per unit time it will not freeze.

My pond fed from 2 springs kept gold fish (carp) alive over winters with multi-week single digit temps. I will not dig ... No I found it.

In this video I share how the the springs kept the pond from freezing.



I think that ice formation I show at the end of video is a form of hore frost.

Ben

 

[Eli]

I have an empty 1,100 gallon poly tank sitting up near our concrete cistern, I'm going to have a friend help dig out an area along side of the concrete cistern so that it is in the same range of water levels, I also want to get the outlet plumbing so it's underground and the new ball valves for both tanks put into a freeze proof access box. Presently I have two gate valves for the existing tank, one for draining and the other for the line going to our home, I've come to really dislike gate valves, just about every one I've ever used has had shafts break loose from the gates or rust shut or open so they'll be changed out to PVC 1" ball valves, which I've never had problems with, that's what I have on the above ground 1,100 gallon garden tank and even exposed to near 20 degrees, have not frozen, of course the water in the tank is a bit stirred up because of the spring water constantly flowing in and out of the tank, the outflow goes to an area for the chickens, wild turkeys and some of the apple trees below the chicken yard.

I never thought of digging out a spot to level different sized cisterns! That's awesome! I just assumed, okay down the road the small cistern will be for a couple of goats and chickens. Run off from their shelters and storage area will feed it. Was going to bury them just to keep them warmer. We get sporadic freezing Temps in the winter here. I won't have a spring feed sadly. They do have agitators, not sure what the power drain is for them. Right now since these will not be buried, I will do what has been working in NY. Watch the weather and fill my on board 60 gal on tanks and keep them warm until I get a sunny day. Freezing hasn't last over 2 weeks here yet. So hopefully that will get me through until we get the tanks better set up. Seems most ppl here still have them above ground.

The 1750 gal would be for greenhouse.... and we will get bigger tanks for the home. Now a concrete cistern sounds very cool I'm going to look that up. I do see ball valves and silt catches used for rain water harvesting down the road. Another possible use for the 550 gal tank would be over flow from a bigger tank maybe? I know the plumbing on the rain water tanks is a lot more involved. With floats, gages, filters, and over flows. Hoping to find someone to help with that when the time comes. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Eli]

Gate valves

Unless they are cycled regularly... bleh.

I prefer the ball valves... PVC ones are good. I used brass/steel ball valves for the PEX lines coming from my springs to allow me to divert the flow from the pond to my ram pump. The handles on the valves rusted off in less than 3 years. Gotta keep them out of the weather.

Spring water
Comes out if the ground at the ground at the temp of the ground. Average us about 56 degree F. As long as the loss of energy per unit time of the tank is less than the energy required to freeze the amount of water is entering per unit time it will not freeze.

My pond fed from 2 springs kept gold fish (carp) alive over winters with multi-week single digit temps. I will not dig ... No I found it.

In this video I share how the the springs kept the pond from freezing.



I think that ice formation I show at the end of video is a form of hore frost.

Ben

That's awesome to have on your property! Unfortunately not enough hills for any kind of running water for me here.

 

[viking]

As for having a concrete cistern, my wife, young son and I carried sand and gravel to a storage bin next to where we hand poured the cistern. Other people have used unused concreter septic tanks for water storage.

 

[Frodo]

I've begun to dred trips into town or to see the neighbors. Really just because I'm saving my water and getting pretty scruffy working around the property. I bought this little 2 gal hand pump pressure shower incase of another deep freeze this winter. Now I've taken spray bottle showers and never felt clean, but at least my impractical long hair looked it. It is so nice to FEEL clean. If I wanted to waste the LP this could of been a nice hot full shower. And I only used half the water. It was able to handle the silt from the pond just fine! I wouldn't leave it pressurized, hose looks a little flimsy. (I have bad luck when it comes to hoses...) still have 55 gal in my tank. Pretty dang fine day!

Do you use a wood stove for heating and cooking?
buy a 50' roll of 3/8'' copper tubing.
wrap the tubing around a section of your wood stove flue so it looks like a old moonshiners still. LOL
cold water in the bottom and heat rises, hot out the top pipe the heated water into the top of a storage tank above the shower. pipe out the bottom to a shower head
valve placement. 1 ball valve on the water into coil. you can meter flow/volume here
1 at the storage tank exit to control shower

 

[Frodo]

Do you use a wood stove for heating and cooking?
buy a 50' roll of 3/8'' copper tubing.
wrap the tubing around a section of your wood stove flue so it looks like a old moonshiners still. LOL
cold water in the bottom and heat rises, hot out the top pipe the heated water into the top of a storage tank above the shower. pipe out the bottom to a shower head
valve placement. 1 ball valve on the water into coil. you can meter flow/volume here
1 at the storage tank exit to control shower

If you do not have running water at the building
install a tank elevated above roof, in an enclosed structure, so it can be insulated
fill that tank and let it gravity flow to where you need it

 

[Frodo]

 

[Eli]

I now have about 2,000 gal of water .
Game changer!

2500 gal tank all set up on a nice footing. Little ryobi water pump to bring it to my rv. My fittings held and its not loosing a drop of water. I did something that I didn't have any idea how to do on my own. It feels good to know I made it happen. I do believe the delivery company shorted me by 4 or 500 gal. But I have water, and won't be calling them again. I'm just using a quarter to tap the tank for water depth. I have a clear hose I can attach to the bottom plug and see how high the water rises when I want to be more sure. For now too many other projects going on.

The permanent home for this tank will hopefully be in a place where we can use gravity. Also insulated. I have some time to figure out what I'm going to do with the tank for possible cold weather.

 

[dademoss]

I now have about 2,000 gal of water .
Game changer!

2500 gal tank all set up on a nice footing. Little ryobi water pump to bring it to my rv. My fittings held and its not loosing a drop of water. I did something that I didn't have any idea how to do on my own. It feels good to know I made it happen. I do believe the delivery company shorted me by 4 or 500 gal. But I have water, and won't be calling them again. I'm just using a quarter to tap the tank for water depth. I have a clear hose I can attach to the bottom plug and see how high the water rises when I want to be more sure. For now too many other projects going on.

The permanent home for this tank will hopefully be in a place where we can use gravity. Also insulated. I have some time to figure out what I'm going to do with the tank for possible cold weather.

Congrats on the water tank, it's a great feeling

 

[Pearl]

Great peace of mind! One BIG step forward!