mynott45
18th April 2012, 14:14
I've just finished designing and installing a 2,000L (approx 500gal) water tank system which only cost me $200 for the tanks and about $15 in fittings, I already had the pump, but they're about $160 or so.
I know people have stored water in IBC's before, but I'd not seen any being stacked, this system allows IBC's to stack as high as you want (within Safety) and connect up and infinate number depending on your water storage needs, the more you get the larger the economies of scale as you only ever need one pump.
Shopping List Below (per one stack of 2 IBC's)
1) 2 x IBC
**connecting the tanks**
2) 2 x Fitting/converter from outlet spout thread to normal plumbing thread (they supplied this free when I bought the IBC)
3) Reducer from Converter size to your pipe size (I used 25mm/1inch pipe) Honestly only 'cause that's what Murray Does!!
4) 1 x 25mm t piece, 1 x 25mm x 90deg bend, lengths of 25mm pipe
** the vent and overflow**
5) 1 x 50mm tank fitting (i had to use a sink/bath drain assembly as the hardware store were out of tank fittings.
6) 1 x 50mm thread adaptor, 1 x 90 degree bend 50mm, 1 x 50mmm T-piece, lengths of 50mm pipe
7 pipe glue (pressure/green glue)
**pump assembly**
8) pump
9) associated pump attachments as per specific pump requirements.
Method
Quite simply you stick one IBC on top of the other, screw in the fittings, I added silicone to the threaded areas for extra anti leaking, cut the length of 25mm so the 2 tanks are connected. You want the bottom tank to have a t piece positioned so one opening points directly forward, the other to the sky, the forward opening is where the pump will attach, the skyward one connects to the 90 bend from the top IBC outlet. You'll see in the photo that I then connected a 90 degree to the pump, this was just to stop the hose from Kinking, and may not be necessary with your set up.
At the top of the bottom tank, as pictured, put in your tank fitting/drain assembly.
Now the height of this vent is the maximum height you want the water in your top tank to be, you use a t-piece so that when the bottom tank fills with water the displaced air has somewhere to go with as little effort of possible so as to balance the pressure as quickly as possible.
stick the t piece on and connect the run off to wherever you want to go (could be additional tanks, or storm water etc...
Connect your guttering to the top as you would a normal tank, I used a bit of spray foam to stop mossies and junk falling in the tank.
And that's it, stackable, scalable, cheap... approximate costs sill be 2000L for about $400, 3000L for $520, 4000L for $640, 5000L for $760, 6000L for $880, 7000 for 1000 fully plumbed and pumped, pretty good going I reckon!!!
The Pump cover I got for about $17 from a hardware warehouse for about $15
Happy to answer any questions,
PS I usually don't glue any of my AP connections...but I found with the pressures here it's best to do so and I got a few little leaks here and there.
On a side note just uploaded the photos and the last looks like the system is on a massive lean, that's just my bad photography, it's all pretty straight.
I know people have stored water in IBC's before, but I'd not seen any being stacked, this system allows IBC's to stack as high as you want (within Safety) and connect up and infinate number depending on your water storage needs, the more you get the larger the economies of scale as you only ever need one pump.
Shopping List Below (per one stack of 2 IBC's)
1) 2 x IBC
**connecting the tanks**
2) 2 x Fitting/converter from outlet spout thread to normal plumbing thread (they supplied this free when I bought the IBC)
3) Reducer from Converter size to your pipe size (I used 25mm/1inch pipe) Honestly only 'cause that's what Murray Does!!
4) 1 x 25mm t piece, 1 x 25mm x 90deg bend, lengths of 25mm pipe
** the vent and overflow**
5) 1 x 50mm tank fitting (i had to use a sink/bath drain assembly as the hardware store were out of tank fittings.
6) 1 x 50mm thread adaptor, 1 x 90 degree bend 50mm, 1 x 50mmm T-piece, lengths of 50mm pipe
7 pipe glue (pressure/green glue)
**pump assembly**
8) pump
9) associated pump attachments as per specific pump requirements.
Method
Quite simply you stick one IBC on top of the other, screw in the fittings, I added silicone to the threaded areas for extra anti leaking, cut the length of 25mm so the 2 tanks are connected. You want the bottom tank to have a t piece positioned so one opening points directly forward, the other to the sky, the forward opening is where the pump will attach, the skyward one connects to the 90 bend from the top IBC outlet. You'll see in the photo that I then connected a 90 degree to the pump, this was just to stop the hose from Kinking, and may not be necessary with your set up.
At the top of the bottom tank, as pictured, put in your tank fitting/drain assembly.
Now the height of this vent is the maximum height you want the water in your top tank to be, you use a t-piece so that when the bottom tank fills with water the displaced air has somewhere to go with as little effort of possible so as to balance the pressure as quickly as possible.
stick the t piece on and connect the run off to wherever you want to go (could be additional tanks, or storm water etc...
Connect your guttering to the top as you would a normal tank, I used a bit of spray foam to stop mossies and junk falling in the tank.
And that's it, stackable, scalable, cheap... approximate costs sill be 2000L for about $400, 3000L for $520, 4000L for $640, 5000L for $760, 6000L for $880, 7000 for 1000 fully plumbed and pumped, pretty good going I reckon!!!
The Pump cover I got for about $17 from a hardware warehouse for about $15
Happy to answer any questions,
PS I usually don't glue any of my AP connections...but I found with the pressures here it's best to do so and I got a few little leaks here and there.
On a side note just uploaded the photos and the last looks like the system is on a massive lean, that's just my bad photography, it's all pretty straight.