Rainwater Collection System Part 3: Covering The Totes
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- Опубліковано 24 тра 2011
- Using 275 totes for rainwater collection and water storage just made sense to me. In this video I show you step-by-step how to cover the totes to block out the sun in order to stop any algae growth. It is very easy and goes quickly. Because the 275 water totes stack so easily I decided not to use 55 gallon barrels. By using these totes I avoided having to build an entire support/storage system.
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@LDSPrepper It does amaze me that people will commit to a project that could cost several hundred dollars and take a couple of weeks but be unwilling to spend an hour listening to directions ;-)
Standard 6 mil plastic isn't UV stable and only lasts a few years. Another option I used was to remove the frame and apply firring strips to the outside of the frame by drilling/screwing from the inside. Put the tote back into the frame, and once everything is in place, box the whole unit in with PT plywood or T-1/11 exterior siding. Paint to match the house (the neighbors may apreciate that). Be sure to use screws that aren't so long as to penetrate the tote. Foam board insulation can also be fit between the firing strips before adding the siding, if desired. (Hint: Drill the holes in the metal frame a little oversized to allow for expansion/contraction.)
If stacking the tanks, one sheet of plywood will cover one side of both tanks (any small gaps can be trimmed out).. I like screws so I can disassemble things in case of a 'screw-up' ;-) Add a little trim and a roof and you're set for a long time. This method also keeps the water warmer in winter, and especially cooler in summer, more so if insulation is used (plants generally don't like hot water).
Thanks again, David, for your hard works (and sorry if this has been covered in the many comments).
I'm glad these videos were helpful. Yes, you must put the supports back.
another idea for keeping the algae growth down is to cover with a couple of layers of burlap. Then grow some vines around it, and let them cover the whole tote. The burlap will eventually go away with the weather, but by then the vines will do the sun blocking.
Clematis armandii is a flowering vine whose leaves lay flat. It is also an evergreen, so you get year round coverage. It's a beautiful plant.
Keep the detail! There are too many videos out there that are inspirational only and don't get down to the nuts-and-bolts of a DYI project. Great work, and thanks.
These have been up for 2-3 years. I have one corner on one tote that is showing UV damage. But that is it. It is a 5 minute fix. No problem.
Good job on wrapping your Christmas presents! This is a great project. Thanks for sharing.
So far so good. They have been there over one year and they are solid.
Absolutely brilliant piece of work!!!
Awesome! Thanks for doing this and for sharing your success.
A buddy came and helped me get it over my fence, I was surprised at how heavy the frame was. I'm basically copying your setup since it seems awesomely simple except for my just using the one 330 gallon.
Thanks for all the great info!
I thought it might but I have tested it many times. It was 107 degrees here yesterday and the water was very cool in the totes. I'd say around 60-70 degrees. I was amazed.
I have a garden hose attached. I just raise the end of the garden hose up or down until the water stops coming out. Then I know what the water level is. I used an electric water pump when I went off grid for a week and had to water my garden with only the water in these totes. It worked great. You can use an AC or DC pump. A DC pump allows you to hook it to a battery and the battery to a solar panel. Best of luck with your project.
You did an Awsome Job! It looks Great.
Pete
WOW...Your vids are awesome!! Thanks so much for helping us out!! You are a real blessing!!
@geokite I love the idea! Thank you for your comment. I can imagine it would be beautiful and go great with the garden.
nice detail!!!!!!! i am in the process of repeating what you have made. thanks for the video
Good question. I have six totes on my property. Four are on the north side of my house. Two stacked one on the other is on the south side. After about two years of direct sun exposure from morning to evening I have one corner of black plastic on the top tote on the south side of my house that is starting to show wear. I'm going to put some black duct tape on it. That should easily take care of it.
The pressure is awesome right at the nozzle. But put a 15' garden hose on and it really drops. We use it to fill buckets to water the garden so the plants get rain water vs city water. If I were going to use a hose I would get an electric pump.
Thanks for posting all that you do. I am setting up a basic rainwater collection system to water the garden using a single IBC. Being familiar with the plastic you used I ordered a 10' x 13' pond liner. It was $60 for one and I had to trim off some of the 10' edge to put across the center where the 13' ends did not meet, but other than that, it worked great. It's designed for a lifetime of use under water and it's UV resistant. I might add a first flush later to get potable water, just in case!
Great series! I used it as a template for building my system. I want to mention that in my case at least, wrapping the totes and not putting the support bars back through the top of the tote causes 1-3 inches of play in the totes between full/empty. This could possibly cause some unexpected consequences in your PVC.
Great job. I actually leaned my tote forward. With it level the last few inches never empty so leaning it forward it drains completely.
The black blocks the sunlight so no algae grows in the water. The water keeps very cool even in 107 degree weather.
Great Video! Just what I was looking for. I have two totes that I was installing in the spring and was wondering how to go about this. Cheers!!!
@hoz49 You have some great skills. I thought about spray painting them but it was so windy here I never had a day I could do that. I was also concerned the paint my scrape off when putting them back into the crates. After putting them in I don't think that is a problem. If you do paint some I'd love to see a video. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks, you are always a great help
Blessings
Very nice you make it look easy, mine didn't come so good. I guess I will have have to come to Texas with my Christmas presents for you to wrap, lol
Perfect videos!!! Thank you!
You do not have 'two tons' of pressure at all. Water pressure is a product of water head pressure which is only determined by the height of the water level in a system like this. If you have only a gallon of water and it was put in a tube the diameter of a drinking straw that ran up vertically it would have far more pressure than your stacked IBS tanks combined. Conversely if you had 1,000,000 gallons of water and it was only 1" deep you have almost no pressure whatsoever at the bottom of the tank. The only metric that matters in water pressure in a free standing gravity fed system is the height of the water column compared to the exit point and volume means nothing.
P=pgh. P is your pressure at the bottom, p is water density, g is the gravitational constant, and h is height. You cannot change anything but the height in a static system like this.
I am not nit picking but rather want people to understand that when you need some good hydraulic pressure there is only column height to measure and when it comes to flow rate it is a combo of that pressure and the diameter of plumbing used throughout.
I know im asking the wrong place but does any of you know a method to get back into an Instagram account?
I stupidly forgot my login password. I love any help you can give me!
@Titan Eden Instablaster =)
@Makai Fernando i really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and im trying it out now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Makai Fernando it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D
Thank you so much you saved my ass :D
@Titan Eden You are welcome =)
"I don't tie bows." lol This is a great series. Nice job!
No problem at all. For me it was less work doing it this way. And I was building these when it was windy. I didn't want to paint in my garage.
How about Krylon plastic paint, and you can paint it in your choice of colors.
I have used black plastic here in SE TX for this purpose. Over a couple of years it falls apart. Gets brittle and is easy to tear. I think black undercoating may be the answer and use plastic to. This would give you a layer of protection with the plastic until it ripped or fell apart and then the rubberized undercoating should last several more years. Just an idea.
Yes, after you purify it. I use a Berkey water filter system.
Disturbing lack of flannel for a DIY video. Good job, thanks for sharing your mistakes and tricks, that’s often more useful info than the basic how to.
@BexarPrepper I considered what to do in order to be able to check the water level. I decided to just knock on the plastic. I will be able to tell from the echo how full it is. I could cover it with black plastic and then cut a strip in the plastic and cover the strip with black duct tape then peal back the tape to check. But that was too much thinking for me. I'll just knock.
@dagrote I try do to be as brief as possible but still give all the details so someone can do what I show. I know a lot of people can't sit still for a 15 minute video. But those who do will learn a lot. Thanks for commenting and for your support.
Before taking off the cross bars on top of the toad, remove about 1 inch of the bail through which the strut passes so that you can push it down through when you've completed the wrapping. This wave remains at tote level without having to cut and seal the top of the plastic.
pardon me asking but did you use a food grade container I bought 2 of them and mine was food-grade having an issue getting the oil residue completely out I got it about 70% out but I need it completely out any ideas how did you get your tanks clean enough to store water in
I considered that but with the wind and how many cans it would take I chose the plastic instead. If you spray paint please let us know how it went.
I'm researching and learning to build my rainwater harvesting system. Thank you for putting these detailed videos together! What do you think of an idea i saw pics of covering with simple wood frame/plywood to block light and improve aesthetics? I'd have to price materials, but it seems like it might be cheaper than roll of plastic.
@pkbjorn35 I'm not sure how important it is but it made sense to me so I did it.
@roadhog1986 remember to lay a strip of tape know before you paint so that you can have a water level guage.
Mine face South too. Since I have them wrapped in black plastic I have no algae growth at all.
Great videos, Ive really learned so much from you.
my ques. ~Can you tell me what KIND of paint to use on food grade plastic? Also how often do these need cleaning?
Blessings ~
@roadhog1986 I'll make a follow up video so others will know when I experienced and they can decide what to do.
THANK YOU FOR THIS! You did a great gob describing it. I live in Arizona where the heat is a issue. Do you think it is important to keep it in the garage to eliminate a portion of the heat and sun. direct sunlight would corrode the plastic within one summer here I fear. Any thoughts?
I love your video! I got three tote last week and about to have fun on them :)
BTW: Why you cover the tote with black? Keep it cool in high temperature?
Hi ldsprepper, I've been watching a few of your videos now and have decided to subscribe. My question is concerning the cinder block, did you just basically put them on the ground? I used to work in landscaping so my experience is with retaining wall block, and we always put stone underneath. Are you not concerned with the block sinking?
So, it worked? It stopped the algae growth? During these years i mean.
@jwwm2 Great idea.
Do you know where I can buy a new on/off valve for the bottom of these tanks
just a note.... when putting the plastic tube back in the metal frame. put tape on the sharp edges to keep from tearing your plastic wrap.
I cut out a hole for the top screw on lid.
I think the wrap was a good choice but I would like to add that maybe some kind of adhesive along with the tape would be good too keep the insects from crawling in in the long run because Im sure the tape wont last long also maybe painting just the spot where you made the slip over the valve I will do mine soon I hope I can video tape it but very informative videos thanks
where did you buy the 275 gallon tote? Can drink this water as well?
How do you feel about painting the tote with Rustoleum Black paint designed to be used on plastic lawn furniture?
Also, I contacted the manufacturer and spoke to one of their engineers and the totes in your videos are designed to be stacked no more than four tall when filled with liquid.
I just found a source for 275 gallon toats and immediately looked at youtube for information. EXCELLENT video..
What State do you reside.
Thanks,
Glenn,
SC
The spigot that comes with the tote will not fit a garden hose. Watch my other rainwater collection system videos to see how to make that connection.
The black plastic stops light from getting into the container. If light gets in then algae will grow.
Now that you’re in Idaho how do you stop them from freezing? Or do you have an underground system?
place a piece of copper tubing or REAL copper penny's this also keeps the water free of algae.that's what they use to do in the old west😆
Sphinx Hutc, copper will make the water taste terrible, the pioneers used a silver dollar in the water barrels to keep it fresh, Alge free and it killed bacteria.
Hello, is that plastic the kind use for laying foundation ? How long does the plastic last ? Would you need to change the plastic at some point ?
nice
I have read that the Husky black sheeting is not UV treated and will begin to deteriorate within a few months of exposure. How are yours holding up?
I was wondering if you have your water in direct sunlight? I live in Las Vegas, lds too, and my backyard faces south so the water will always be facing the sun. Do you think there'll be a chance of anything growing I don't want in the water?
Is there enough overlap for 300/330 gal totes? Or would I need 16 ft/longer than 14 ft?
Wrapping seems the way to go. If you paint it to much prep work and then using good quality paint not from a can but real paint, like for a car would be way to expensive. Good job. Thanks for inspiring others as I am looking for my catchment needs right now. Mahalo
Only question I have on this particular video is how you fill this up once you put the black plastic over the lid?
Could you please tell me the dimensions of these 275 gal totes? I need to determine where they will fit.
The freezing issue can be solved by putting in a solar powered aeration system.
Will the spigot on the bottom fit a standard waterhose?
Just bought a tote for water storage and after watching your video, I have decided to go with plastic. This may be a silly question, I like how the top and water cap are completely covered with the plastic without any cuts, but then how do you fill it up? lol
I found only 4 mil Husky black plastic sheeting, do you think it will do the job instead of the 6 mil?
best* :)
I'm picking up a 330 gallon one today here in houston. How heavy is just the plastic jug?
@Ten35xray Thanks for putting up with my detail. I'll try to be as brief as possible in future videos. I try to cover everything I would want to see if I wanted to learn how to do this.
a large kill coil might work as well.
I drain mine in october i live in south Dakota froze my pipes one years had to replace my pepes the water is free so I just drain them now befor winter get her
1 psi is = to 27.7” of water column. So to keep it simple if you want 10 psi your water needs to be at least 277” off the ground.
@enriquesonora1500 It has so far. I won't be able to tell you how long it lasts until it starts to break down. When it does I 'll post it here.
Just watched your video on wrapping the white totes with black plastic... does it have to be 6mil or can I use 4mil?...
i wss thinking about covering the one i just got my wife says its too big .. but she always does with other things.. once i hook it up i want to see how much water goes in the tote in the tote i got
How long does the black plastic last with the weather sun etc?
How long is this the black plastic cover going to be last ?
Hello Thxs the great info, but why are wrapping the totes in black plastic? Thxs again!
what kinda container is that i would like to see if i could do it also ty
@artbiz45 Yes you could.
Do you think you could use black plastic contractors garbage bags cut at the seams to be flat? They are thick (we've been using the same bag for our bottles and cans for about 5 years now) and large, and run about $10 for a box of 20 or so.
Hello and thank you so much. What is the thickness of the material?
I see some for same gallonage but weigh 133 lbs and some 50 lbs, yet dimensions are almost identical. The prices are $140 and $55 respectively.
I have been looking for you for sometime now, this is an awesome channel.
Hi LDS Prepper. Have you had any problems with your water freezing and damaging your totes, PVC/\ or ABS?
Maybe things have changed in the last 3 years, but I just picked up a 330 gal tote, and mine is 40 inches wide...I was told by the dealer that the only dimensional difference is the height. I'm trying to figure out whats difference that makes with the wrap dimensions....Also, my cage has markings for both 275 and 330gal, implying that a 275 will fit in my 330 cage
I believe RustOleam, metal paint is also for plastic.
Elevate them for more pressure. I'm building a rack for mine putting them about 4 ft off the ground. Still won't be a lot of pressure but for a drip system it will be fine.
I didn't use paint. But they do make paint that will stick to plastic.
Before you start to fill that I recommend you dig below it, and fill about a foot or so with gravel. That will help keep it level when the soil becomes saturated with rainwater. If it leans against your house it could damage it, and you'll regret not taking this step.
So instead of the Plastic, could we use Heavy Black Paint coats instead? Then a layer of Hard Polyurethane?
Just curious.
Do you know if that frame will rust?
Would it be eaiser just to build a wooden box?
It is to keep sunlight out thus preventing any algae growth in the water.
Thanks for the kind words, but this is LDSPrepper's video, not mine. Since you asked me, however, my opinion is that you'd be better off building an enclosure around a rainwater storage system like this. That said, I'm fairly sure the plastic sheeting LDSPrepper used would last longer than a year. I'd guess at least a few years.
Will these freeze in the winter I live in Ohio and don't have room to store these.