Water tank for a cabin.

[JohnBoy45]

I will be installing a water tank to the cabin and just wondering what size tank will I need and if this will work to supply water to the cabins water pipes? Someone told me I would need 60 pounds of water pressure to make a house system work. I've been looking at 500-1500 white plastic gallon tanks at my local farm supply store.

Thanks, Terry

 

[JohnBoy45]

I will be installing a water tank to the cabin and just wondering what size tank will I need and if this will work to supply water to the cabins water pipes? Someone told me I would need 60 pounds of water pressure to make a house system work. I've been looking at 500-1500 white plastic gallon tanks at my local farm supply store.

Thanks, Terry

 

[CurlyDave]

30-50 psi is more typical for homes.

I doubt that you can pressurize a plastic tank as large as you are considering*. If there is a hill nearby, you can get about 1 psi for each 2' of elevation.

How are you going to fill this tank?

If you have a well, the usual setup is a much smaller pressure tank with air over the water. This tank is pressurized by your well pump. There is either a rubber bladder or a diaphram to prevent the air from dissolving in the water.

Even with a spring & spring box, the pressure tank is the way to go, you just need the right pump.

All this presumes you have electricity. If you are off the grid, then the solutions are different.

*Even if you could presurize it, a tank that large under pressure would be very dangerous. Think about what happens when the tank is nearly empty. There is a huge volume of air under pressure. The stored energy is much higher than many people think, and any rupture would be very destructive.

 

[CurlyDave]

30-50 psi is more typical for homes.

I doubt that you can pressurize a plastic tank as large as you are considering*. If there is a hill nearby, you can get about 1 psi for each 2' of elevation.

How are you going to fill this tank?

If you have a well, the usual setup is a much smaller pressure tank with air over the water. This tank is pressurized by your well pump. There is either a rubber bladder or a diaphram to prevent the air from dissolving in the water.

Even with a spring & spring box, the pressure tank is the way to go, you just need the right pump.

All this presumes you have electricity. If you are off the grid, then the solutions are different.

*Even if you could presurize it, a tank that large under pressure would be very dangerous. Think about what happens when the tank is nearly empty. There is a huge volume of air under pressure. The stored energy is much higher than many people think, and any rupture would be very destructive.

 

[JohnBoy45]

So a small tank would be better. The cabin does have electricity. I don't have a well. This tank will be on a platform above the ground. Would a pump that is made to come on when there is a demand in water but otherwise is off. A automatic pump.

Terry

 

[JohnBoy45]

So a small tank would be better. The cabin does have electricity. I don't have a well. This tank will be on a platform above the ground. Would a pump that is made to come on when there is a demand in water but otherwise is off. A automatic pump.

Terry

 

[Highbeam]

The typical RV style pump is an on-demand type pump with its only job being to maintain the 40 psi in the line. They are cheap at 70$ or so but they are for 12 volt systems. Finding a 110 volt pump might be a little tougher.

The bugger will be hauling that water up there for use. It will get tiresome quickly. At least you won't go around wasting water knowing that you have to fill it back up.

 

[Highbeam]

The typical RV style pump is an on-demand type pump with its only job being to maintain the 40 psi in the line. They are cheap at 70$ or so but they are for 12 volt systems. Finding a 110 volt pump might be a little tougher.

The bugger will be hauling that water up there for use. It will get tiresome quickly. At least you won't go around wasting water knowing that you have to fill it back up.

 

[txdon]

Terry, My Grandparents had the setup you are describing. They collected rain water from the roof to two 500 gallon metal tanks on 2' concrete platforms on the side of their house.

They had a faucet from the tank through the wall and would fill up buckets for drinking, washing dishes, and bathing.

They had an outhouse so they needed no water for flushing.

It worked for them for over twenty years.

I do remember that during a drought I saw a water tank truck filling up their tanks.

In my cabin I just connected to the county water main a half mile away with a 2" PVC line. I have 30 PSI and ever thing works well. Connecting to the County water out here cost about $600 and a well about $2500 - $3000 - last time I checked. I still would like to collect rainfall from the roof or get a well water for irrigation. I am using about 5K gallons ($50) of water a month in the 1 bedroom 1 bath cabin and garden.

 

[txdon]

Terry, My Grandparents had the setup you are describing. They collected rain water from the roof to two 500 gallon metal tanks on 2' concrete platforms on the side of their house.

They had a faucet from the tank through the wall and would fill up buckets for drinking, washing dishes, and bathing.

They had an outhouse so they needed no water for flushing.

It worked for them for over twenty years.

I do remember that during a drought I saw a water tank truck filling up their tanks.

In my cabin I just connected to the county water main a half mile away with a 2" PVC line. I have 30 PSI and ever thing works well. Connecting to the County water out here cost about $600 and a well about $2500 - $3000 - last time I checked. I still would like to collect rainfall from the roof or get a well water for irrigation. I am using about 5K gallons ($50) of water a month in the 1 bedroom 1 bath cabin and garden.