Water Holding Tank Question????

[dean9922]

I am going to have 2 55gallon water holding barrels, both with regular tap water. What I am wondering is how do you tie the 2 holding tanks together so they will circulate the water between the two. I am not a plumber but can stumble thru it if I know what to use......pictures would help...lol
I know how to do the 2 tanks with bulkheads, just unsure how they overflow to each other when circulating....

Do you still have to use air stones in each barrel if they circulate between themselves for a 24 HR period????
also what size and type of small pump would be needed to achieve this???
Another question I am wondering is if you can just put in a barrel heater a couple hours before water changing so you "don't" have to run heaters 24 hrs a day. If I do have to heat for 24 hours I will also be insulating the barrels. Does anyone do this. I've heard the barrel heaters can heat water very quickly. I would tie in a temp sensor to let me know when the desired tank temperature is reached and then do the water changes.
And finally...do people use a sumbersible water pump to feed to the tanks or is it better to use an external pump???
Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice!!!!

[dean9922]

anyone????

[db2inst1]

I do turn the heater on about 2 hours before the water change, that seem to work fine for me. Instead of having it run 24/7.

And i use submersible water pump for feeding it to the tank. Its just ease of use.

Not sure about connecting two barrels, may be someone else would answer questions related to that.

[ZX10R]

I only have one 55 gallon barrel for aged water but I can tell you what I do. I wrapped my barrel with a hot water heater blanket I got from the hardware store. Then I cut a 6" x 6" hole in the top of the barrel for access into the barrel. I am using a submersible fountain pump I also got at the hardware store it pumps 170 gph. I ran a 1/2" line from the pump up to a pvc T. Then on each side of the T I put 1/2" pvc ball valves. One valve goes back into the barrel to circulate the water and cause it to splash as it is pumped back in. The other valve I have 25' of tubing that I use to fill my tank with during WC. I also have a 300 watt aquarium heater just hanging in the barrel to keep the water at a constant temp. If you splash the water back into the barrel I don't think you would need a air stone. Just one less thing you will need to buy. You could use some kind of bulk head to connect the two barrels together and then put the submersible pump in one barrel and have it spray the water into the other barrel. This way the water is circulated between the two.

Help this helps some
Sean

[XeBurnout]

The bulkhead fittings are a good idea but you need to have the correct ones and must install them correctly or you will regret it.

Plan B, I'd have one barrel higher than the other and cut a weir (notch) or have some kind of overflow into the lower barrel. Pump from the bottom barrel to the top.

One thing I've found is that redundant systems are a good thing. If something happens you have not lost 100% of your capabilities. I like to split things when ever possible. Filters, storage tanks, worm cultures etc...

If it were me I'd keep the barrels separate. Not only would you protect yourself but it would be cheaper. Without the need for a recirc pump you can just bubble air to keep the water circulating.

Let us know what you decide.

Respectfully,
Phil

[XeBurnout]

Holy Cow! I just realized you posted this question a year and a half ago. Sorry.

By now you probably have some kind of sweet system and the barrels are a distant problem.

R/
P.

[dean9922]

thanks for the input everyone...and I just posted this yesterday...lol

[DiscusKev]

Something is probably wrong with the dates on his pc. Who knows :D

[nc0gnet0]

A little trick from my pond filter building using 55 gallon drums..........

Instead of using bulkheads if you can elevate the barrels off the floor (build a stand), use shower drains, install them on the bottom of the barrel and plumb them together. If you like attach a "T" and a valve so you can completely flush the barrels when you need to clean them. Plumbed at the bottom the barrels will be completely self leveling and you can circulate any way you wish.

[acroken]

dean,
i would just build a small platform to raise the barrels 4" to 5" off the ground and install a bulkhead in the bottom of each barrel. you can install a ball valve to each bulkhead and then tee both ball valves together into a external pump. this way you can use the water from each barrel independently. if you feel you need to circulate the water in both barrels add another bulkhead at the top of each barrel to act as an overflow. i do not think you need this but if you do, it will circulate both barrels together. another idea is just to open one valve and circulate the water separately. If you are aging you water over night adding just an air stone to each barrel will de gas and evenly mix the temp. You will need to experiment with the heating. There are a few ways to go about this. submersible heater left on should heat your water in 16 to 20 hours. a mixing valve you plumb in with hot and cold water will give you the perfect temp instantly, a heat pump/instant heating unit plumbed into your external pump should heat your water in 1/2 hour. A float valve installed i the top of your barrels to shut your water off when full is important. you can elevate one barrel a few inches higher then the other and just use one float in the lower barrel to shut water off to both as long as you have the top bulkhead added to allow the water to fill both barrels. I do not think you need to circulate this water 24 hours a day. i circulate my water in the holding tanks just for a few minutes prior to my water changes when i add my prime/ de chlor.
HTH
Kenny

[jeff@zina.com]

I am going to have 2 55gallon water holding barrels...

Since you have questions about hooking them together, why not ditch the two-drum scenario and get a single, larger, holding tank? A 125 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank could be about the same price.

Jeff

[nc0gnet0]

Since you have questions about hooking them together, why not ditch the two-drum scenario and get a single, larger, holding tank? A 125 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank could be about the same price.

Sometimes two 55 gallon drums will fit were a 125 stock tank wouldn't, I know I have that issue.



a mixing valve you plumb in with hot and cold water will give you the perfect temp instantly,

LOL, i would imagine it will cool after an overnight of degassing :D


if you feel you need to circulate the water in both barrels add another bulkhead at the top of each barrel to act as an overflow.

if you plumb the two barrels from the bottom and connect them should be no need for an overflow, water will find its level, unless you are running a very high gph pump.

[acroken]

Sometimes two 55 gallon drums will fit were a 125 stock tank wouldn't, I know I have that issue. also it is nice to be able to use just one barrel as the other is still aging.



LOL, i would imagine it will cool after an overnight of degassing :D
this is used to lessen the electric consumption of heaters trying to bring the tap from 65 deg to 84. there is still a need for heaters but only to keep the water temp consistent and it de gases. also it does speed up the aging process since all you are doing is de gassing and allowing the ph to balance. the main reason it takes so long to age water is to get your water temp to where it is needed.



if you plumb the two barrels from the bottom and connect them should be no need for an overflow, water will find its level, unless you are running a very high gph pump. the question was "how do you tie the 2 holding tanks together so they will circulate the water between the two".

[acroken]

LOL, i would imagine it will cool after an overnight of degassing :D




this is used to lessen the electric consumption of heaters trying to bring the tap from 65 deg to 84. there is still a need for heaters but only to keep the water temp consistent and it de gases. also it does speed up the aging process since all you are doing is de gassing and allowing the ph to balance. the main reason it takes so long to age water is to get your water temp to where it is needed.

[nc0gnet0]

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/th_barrels.jpg (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/?action=view&current=barrels.jpg)

Crude drawing. This is my setup. You could add a pair of bulkheads to each barrel at the top and connect them if you like, but it really is not neccesary. You could also add another "t" and two additional valves after the drain valve and run an external pump instead of a submersable, I just had a submersable on hand.

The heater is a 1500 watt portable electric hot water heater (RV). Thermostat is a 20 dollar ebay digital thermostat (I use them on my tanks as well) capable of handling 2500 watts. Takes about 1 hour to heat (100 gallons) from 65 to 85.

For simplicity reasons I did not add the airstones (to the drawing), which I do indeed have. I used shower drains for bulkheads, you could use sink drains, or traditional aquarium bulkheads, they would all work. I also have the whole setup near a sump pit in my basement and a 2 inch retaining wall built around it to allow for Murphys law. Should it overflow the water would be caught and flow to the sump.

As I use washer hoses and garden hoses for my filling. I just remove the washer hose from the heater coming from the pump, attach it to the garden hose and fill. When filling tanks on the top floor I have run 1/2 inch pvc pipe up pthrough the cabinent the houses the kitchen sink and attach my hose there.

[nc0gnet0]

this is used to lessen the electric consumption of heaters trying to bring the tap from 65 deg to 84. there is still a need for heaters but only to keep the water temp consistent and it de gases. also it does speed up the aging process since all you are doing is de gassing and allowing the ph to balance. the main reason it takes so long to age water is to get your water temp to where it is needed.

LOl, Ok I misunderstood. Myself I run RO and while I could run it through a hot water heater(before the RO), this would be incredibly ineffiecient (due to the RO waste water).

[nc0gnet0]

Do you still have to use air stones in each barrel if they circulate between themselves for a 24 HR period????
also what size and type of small pump would be needed to achieve this???

Well you don't have too but it uses far less electricity to use an airstone in each barrel then it would to have just one and then run a pump to circulate the water for 24 hours.

[dean9922]

thanks nc0gnet0 and acroken....appreciate the info.....