I need posts, delivered, for water tower

[Dbender]

if you only go 15ft high, you won't have enough pressure to knock an ant off a greased banana peel.

2.31 ft = 1 psi. So you set the tank at 15 ft. That shower head is gonna be off the ground 6ft or so, that leaves 9 ft of fall. 9/2.31 = 3.91 psi, not accounting for line friction loss. Most homes have 40 psi or more, so you are talking less than 10% of the normal pressure you have in a home.

Better be real careful with the soap!

 

[Hooked On Quack]

How are you going to keep the water tank from freezing ??

 

[Capt Quirk]

Insulation, and heater tape? Could use a heating element, like for stock tanks.

 

[ryanh487]

How are you going to keep the water tank from freezing ??

A black tank in the sun, with multiple feet of water in it, won't freeze solid. Might make for a very refreshing shower, but it shouldn't freeze in GA. I had an above ground pool that never froze more than 4" thick, and it was mostly in the shade and bright blue.

The water line though might cause issue, that will need to be insulated and possibly warmed. Maybe even use PEX for several feet so it can safely expand if it does freeze.

 

[Rick Alexander]

How high was the tank set? I was able to run sufficient shower pressure a 12v pump from Tractor Supply, better than some of the places I've lived. I think proper pipe sizing and gravity should work.

The tank was about 12 feet up to the bottom of the reservoir. The height wasn't an issue so much as the shower distance from the tank I think. They ran it under the ground into the bath house (I'd say some 25 feet) then by the time it had to reach the shower head a little over head high (I'd say 7 feet) the pressure just wasn't much even with a full tank - especially having had some t-d off for a water heater as well. After the well set up pump - it was just like being at your house for a nice shower. You going to spend a week at hunting camp - a nice shower every other night is a god send. Well worth the investment to not have to fool with it. It might would have helped if we could have had a larger feed line (like 1 1/4 or so) but the opening in the bottom of the reservoir was only 3/4 inches and there just didn't seem to be a simple way around that because the plastic the reservoir was made of would have been difficult to attach a larger opening through. We didn't really have issues with the water freezing unless we let the tank get too low. It was insulated - especially the pipes - and it just wasn't a problem. This was in Wilkes county.

 

[mguthrie]

Insulation, and heater tape? Could use a heating element, like for stock tanks.

We do the same thing Rick is talking about at our camp. Your going to need a pump so there's no reason to put it 15' in the air. We have a well in camp and most folks have the big water tanks in front of their camper. I've got an outdoor kitchen and shower set up at my camp complete with a 5 gallon water heater. You shouldn't have to worry much about the tank freezing but the water lines will. Someone suggested pex. That's what I would use. My lines are cpvc and if I don't drain them in the winter they will freeze and bust. You could do a D/C water pump with a couple batteries and recharge as needed

 

[mguthrie]

Insulation, and heater tape? Could use a heating element, like for stock tanks.

You'd have to run your genny for that. Of course it wouldn't be all winter. Set it up where you could drain the water from the lines when we get a cold snap

 

[Jim Baker]

Genny, but I only need to run the pump once a week with a storage tank.

Genny still has run the same amount of time to keep the tank full.
Have you looked into 12v. pumps, batteries and solar panels. Something else when you get it all going, how about a portable tankless propane water heater. They make ones that don't have to have electric power hook up. Fire up using d cell batteries.

 

[Capt Quirk]

We had a solar bank and batteries, put together from Walmart and Harbor Freight stuff. It died 5 years ago. Starting again with Trojan 6v batteries, and a new inverter. But, that won't run the well, and nobody around here knows solar.

As far as filling the tank, that would take 30-45 minutes. I wouldn't have to start the Genny AS OFTEN for just water.

 

[Capt Quirk]

Check with your local EMC or Ga Power and see if they have some old creosote poles in their scrap pole pile. Or if you see a crew out working, stop and ask them. They might even drop them off at your place.

Georgia Power said they stopped giving away poles. Ok, how much do you want? Stopped selling them too. That is the sign, I shoulda done this years ago. Thanks anyways Nic.

 

[treemanjohn]

Build it out of pallet rack. You can take it down if you want to move it, it's nontoxic, and plenty strong

 

[treemanjohn]

GP is a pain call an EMC they're much easier and customer friendly

 

[Milkman]

How far is your camp from an existing power line?

 

[Capt Quirk]

How far is your camp from an existing power line?

About a mile in either direction. We called Washington Cty EMC not long after we got here. We had already planned to go solar, but considered grid tie. We were told $56k, to drop power at the end of the driveway, and we would have to have an electrician do the grid tie.

I then asked if they bought any surplus we generated, and were told no. Nobody does that. I decided I would die out here in the dark, before inviting them back.

 

[Capt Quirk]

Build it out of pallet rack. You can take it down if you want to move it, it's nontoxic, and plenty strong

Not going to trust a ton of water on pallets. Nope. Power poles make me feel just a little safer, not much, but a little safer. If it can go wrong, it will. Horribly wrong.

 

[Capt Quirk]

if you only go 15ft high, you won't have enough pressure to knock an ant off a greased banana peel.

2.31 ft = 1 psi. So you set the tank at 15 ft. That shower head is gonna be off the ground 6ft or so, that leaves 9 ft of fall. 9/2.31 = 3.91 psi, not accounting for line friction loss. Most homes have 40 psi or more, so you are talking less than 10% of the normal pressure you have in a home.

I have thought about the height/pressure ratio, but never used the math. Instead, I looked up, and decided the maximum height I could maybe comfortably survive. Building the tower is one thing, hauling the tank up there is where it will get squirrely.

 

[Capt Quirk]

You'd have to run your genny for that. Of course it wouldn't be all winter. Set it up where you could drain the water from the lines when we get a cold snap

No, there is a function on the inverter/charger called diversion. Once you batteries are charged, excess voltage is sent to something else, lights, or even a heating element for stock tanks.

 

[Lukikus2]

Treat with chlorine. Not bleach. Two different animals.

 

[treemanjohn]

Not going to trust a ton of water on pallets. Nope. Power poles make me feel just a little safer, not much, but a little safer. If it can go wrong, it will. Horribly wrong.

Pallet rack. Not pallets. They're steel and engineered to withstand 5000lbs plus per shelf. Ibc totes filled with liquid are nothing for it

 

[treemanjohn]