Thread: Water storage tanks.

Originally Posted by up2you2

My 6000 litre underground Neo storage water tank split its side this week, leaving the pump running constantly trying to replenish it.
I don't know if this will work but it was worth a try, yesterday a young guy recommended to me by the major supplier of storage tanks in Phuket repaired it.
The alternative was going to be a huge bill of 45,000 - Dos brand !
Has anyone had any experiences of these underground tanks, this one has lasted 5 years ?
If I am going to consider purchasing a new one, which is the best brand for above ground and underground ?

why did it break? if it was in the ground, normally the surrounding sand/earth would keep it stable

anyway, plastic can be repaired quite easily, with that fibreglass matting and Isopon stuff (car body repair kit)

but from the inside, assuming you can get access

I did find myself contemplating a large underground tank for irrigation for some land better half has off grid in bangkok!!!!. Looking into the problem, with the standard of care and thought that builders often put into their work here; I came to the conclusion that any concrete tank would inevitably subside and crack and decided that the way ahead would be a concrete tank in the ground housing plastic tanks that would hold the water.

In the end we didn't need the tanks, we managed to bully the water company into installing a water meter at the nearest water mains some 100+ meters away, so I cannot say how practical this idea would have been.


If its drinking water.... you really want to keep that above ground, the last thing you want is contaminated drinking water

I know a few people will laugh but I have used on of those big clay rain water storage urn's. I had a stainless tank but it wasn't double skinned and rusted through in about 4 years.There is a guy that makes the big urns just outside our village,I dropped him in some 1"1/4 Blue fittings as the normal 3/4" are a bit small for the pressure pump that goes to the house.I rigged a float switch up on the galvanized lid so when the urn gets 1/2 empty the well pump comes on and fills the urn.The urn must hold 600+ liter's and only cost me 700 Baht and 140 baht for the lid.Also after they have seasoned you can paint it the same colour as the house and they just blends in

Any water tank wants to be sized to ensure a constant supply/turn over of "fresh" water. All water, whether from the "town" supply, roof or well, will have some impurities and having it sit in a tank will lead to their growth.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Any water tank wants to be sized to ensure a constant supply/turn over of "fresh" water. All water, whether from the "town" supply, roof or well, will have some impurities and having it sit in a tank will lead to their growth.

Talking of growth and impurities, has anyone found a plastic tank with a large enough opening to allow someone to get inside and clean it out ?

Originally Posted by boloa

I had a stainless tank but it wasn't double skinned and rusted through in about 4 years.

It wasn't good quality stainless then.
I like to use a magnet to check the quality of anything stainless before I get my wallet out.

Originally Posted by joepaai

anyone found a plastic tank with a large enough opening to allow someone to get inside and clean it out ?

We have two plastics tanks where the complete top lifts off.

Personally I would always go for a good quality stainless bell bottom tank.
They don't need cleaning if there is a drain cock fitted to the bottom of the bell

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Personally I would always go for a good quality stainless bell bottom tank. They don't need cleaning if there is a drain cock fitted to the bottom of the bell

agreed on that type

what is the drain cock for except cleaning?

^
Draining the tank.
There was a good clue in the title

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Originally Posted by up2you2

My 6000 litre underground Neo storage water tank split its side this week, leaving the pump running constantly trying to replenish it.
I don't know if this will work but it was worth a try, yesterday a young guy recommended to me by the major supplier of storage tanks in Phuket repaired it.
The alternative was going to be a huge bill of 45,000 - Dos brand !
Has anyone had any experiences of these underground tanks, this one has lasted 5 years ?
If I am going to consider purchasing a new one, which is the best brand for above ground and underground ?

why did it break? if it was in the ground, normally the surrounding sand/earth would keep it stable

anyway, plastic can be repaired quite easily, with that fibreglass matting and Isopon stuff (car body repair kit)

but from the inside, assuming you can get access

Dr Andy

Plastic tanks are a thermo plastic
fiberglass & resin or ( car body repair kit) is a thermo setting plastic.
It will not work

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

It will not work

Technically you are correct but anything that will fill a split and reduce the leakage to as near zero as possible has to be better than replacing the tank.
The tank is not pressurised so it doesn't need to be perfect

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

It will not work

Technically you are correct but anything that will fill a split and reduce the leakage to as near zero as possible has to be better than replacing the tank.
The tank is not pressurised so it doesn't need to be perfect

thermo plastic Tank you can use plastic welding

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

Plastic tanks are a thermo plastic fiberglass & resin or ( car body repair kit) is a thermo setting plastic. It will not work

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

thermo plastic Tank you can use plastic welding

so that's alright then, weld it

use these to help

Originally Posted by Thetyim

^
Draining the tank.
There was a good clue in the title

I suppose I would not normally bother to drain a tank except to clean it

Originally Posted by up2you2

My 6000 litre underground Neo storage water tank split its side this week, leaving the pump running constantly trying to replenish it.
I don't know if this will work but it was worth a try, yesterday a young guy recommended to me by the major supplier of storage tanks in Phuket repaired it.
The alternative was going to be a huge bill of 45,000 - Dos brand !
Has anyone had any experiences of these underground tanks, this one has lasted 5 years ?
If I am going to consider purchasing a new one, which is the best brand for above ground and underground ?

Here in Thailand they do not like thing to last a life time.
As they need it to full over so that you need to buy a new won.
Also it is not a good idea to install PE plastic tanks under ground.
Back in Aussie they started 20 years ago & had big problems.

Originally Posted by boloa

I know a few people will laugh but I have used on of those big clay rain water storage urn's. I had a stainless tank but it wasn't double skinned and rusted through in about 4 years.There is a guy that makes the big urns just outside our village,I dropped him in some 1"1/4 Blue fittings as the normal 3/4" are a bit small for the pressure pump that goes to the house.I rigged a float switch up on the galvanized lid so when the urn gets 1/2 empty the well pump comes on and fills the urn.The urn must hold 600+ liter's and only cost me 700 Baht and 140 baht for the lid.Also after they have seasoned you can paint it the same colour as the house and they just blends in

I used to have 3 of those ongs at the back of my old place in Khon Kaen. In those days they were 500 baht each, including delivery and lasted a lifetime. Don't see them as often now as more mains water available.

Watching them be delivered used to be educational. Although they weighed a ton , just two blokes with the knack of finding the balance could roll them into position anywhere you wanted. Without the knack, almost impossible to shift.

I suspect the damage to the OP's buried tank came about through movement of the tank - either through subsidence or buoyancy.

A full tank of water buried directly on earth at the bottom of a hole will over time sink if the earth cannot support the weight. Conversely an empty, or partially empty tank buried in land where the water table rises up to the tank will be subjected to buoyancy - This will cause movement, stress and may cause damage.

To avoid this, cast a reinforced concrete slab at the bottom of the hole you are installing your tank into and line the hole with bricks to make a buried box.

Install the tank and then fill the gaps with stone free sand . This will spread any pressures evenly - while the cast slab spreads the load at the bottom of the hole.

Subsidence is common enough that most people have seen it and understand it. Buoyancy is a little harder to find, but I have seen a house pushed off the ground by ground water which had 'floated' the house on it's cellar.

Originally Posted by Itchy

but I have seen a house pushed off the ground by ground water which had 'floated' the house on it's cellar.

blimey, sounds good; any pics?