Water Tanks

[202marcellus]

I need to buy a water tank for the new house. I wanted to get some opinions about the pros and cons of the construction material of the water tanks. Which material is best or does it matter?

[dotcom]

Get stainless steel. will last 30 years.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Get stainless steel. will last 30 years.

Not my 2,000 liter "stainless steel" tank, died in about four months, rusted out from the relatively high salinity out here at Klong 10, Thanyaburi.

FYI, the mooban main water supply was put in by the developer with some sort of real cheap 8 inch "cement" piping.  In the 11 years + we've lived here parts of the two main lines have broken 30-40 times, which takes a day to three or so days to repair, depending on holidays, availablity of workers, etc.

So, we ended up getting four 2,000 liter plastic tanks a year ago, working fine.

Attached the niece this morning while waiting for the school van to take her off to her daily lobotomy in the Thai school system, and three of the tanks.

Mac

[Smithson]

How much are those tanks each?

[dotcom]

Home Pro sell em.

[lopburi3]

Hard to believe the SS tank was really SS. I have two Diamond brand tanks - one 15 years old and one 10 and no sign of rust on anything but hinge to top cover. Even the old galvanized steel square tanks would last about a decade. But that is here in Bangkok and not the Dead Sea.

[Gary A]

One thing to keep in mind if is if the tank will be outside, don't buy the translucent plastic ones. The algae inside will grow the same as it does on the inside of the translucent hose we use for the garden. I have a 1,500 liter fiberglass tank for our drinking water. It cost about 12,000 baht but still looks like new after more than two years.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

How much are those tanks each?

Delay in reply, up to Amphur Wang Muang for a couple of days.

Those 2,000 liter plastic tanks run about baht 8-9,000 each.  We got a discount as the

mooban developer brought them in when drilling a new deep well for the mooban water supply.  The old well had gone TU and the entire mooban was without water for 10 months!  After a lot of negotiation, got the new well.

Mac

[Sakeopete]

Home Mart has some very attractive plastic tanks that look like sandstone carvings. Much nicer than the standard blue tanks and plastic should last 500 years.

[jaideeguy]

agree with above about thee blue poly tanks growing algae and i did some leg work locally and found those 'sandstone' looking tanks and the dealer said it was algae proof. they look so much softer than those brite blue tanks.

[Boncuk]

Hi friends,

I new to this forum. To briefly introduce myself to you: I'm Hans, a German, tired of German politics and now living in Phetchabun.

Algea like it warm and some light too. A plastic tank, even if it's blue is not completely dark inside, and most of all, if exposed to direct sun light.

The first measure should be a roof wide enough to protect the tank from sunlight. Also the plastic material it's made of will last considerably longer. A good side effect will be less heating of the water too. Taking a close look at a PVC-hose you will discover the time stamp when it becomes unusable.

Another good idea would be a small circulation pump which takes care of some water movement inside the tank. Movement ist most annoying for alea to develop well. Suck the water from almost the buttom (not to whirl the dust) and feed it back on top using a spray bar. (Some holes punched into a PVC-hose will do.) This measure takes care of extra oxygen applied to the water slowing down again the growth of algea.

BTW, I'm looking for a medium size water tower of 7 to 10m hight. Any link will be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Boncuk

[jaiyenyen]

agree with above about thee blue poly tanks growing algae and i did some leg work locally and found those 'sandstone' looking tanks and the dealer said it was algae proof. they look so much softer than those brite blue tanks.

I bought one of the 'Sandstone' effect ones the other day. It was cheaper than stainless and had a 20 year guarantee as opposed to stainless which only had a 6 year guarantee.

Apart from that, I think they look much better, all the pipes enter the tank at the bottom so you don't see 'out of line' blue plastic pipes running up the side of the tank.

[Gary A]

We live about 85 kilometers from Chum Pae. There is a dealer there who has hundreds of plastic tanks and also steel towers. He is located about 8 kilometers west of the city on highway 12. He has many other products made of the same plastic, coolers and even boats. He was showing us some of the typical blue color tanks that were more expensive than the others. He explained that the higher priced ones were two ply. The first layer was made of black plastic and the outer layer was the typical blue plastic. A look inside the tank made it obvious. No light coming through the sides thus no algae.

[lopburi3]

That is a quite large operation and recall owner did want us to buy the two ply type when there several years ago but was not aware of the reason at the time. As it turned out the Wat decided on single wall to save money.

[Pez]

I need to buy a water tank for the new house. I wanted to get some opinions about the pros and cons of the construction material of the water tanks. Which material is best or does it matter?

One issue not mentioned so faris that of safety. The Granite looking ones are guaranteed to be food safe as is SS. Are the Blue ones safe - I guess you cant filter out the toxic effect's of many plastics. ie the plastic bottles we use for water, cola etc etc are made from different layer of plastic, the inner-most layer is food safe. One layer gives strength, another gas retention. So not all plastic is suitable for drinking water.

I use a blue one to collect water from the roof which I then water the garden with. 1000L - 3000Bht my 1600L SS tank is for the house 12000Bht.

[chownah]

Don't forget that there is another option....concrete....either reinforced concrete and block or stacked concrete rings.

Chownah

[Maigo6]

We live about 85 kilometers from Chum Pae. There is a dealer there who has hundreds of plastic tanks and also steel towers. He is located about 8 kilometers west of the city on highway 12. He has many other products made of the same plastic, coolers and even boats. He was showing us some of the typical blue color tanks that were more expensive than the others. He explained that the higher priced ones were two ply. The first layer was made of black plastic and the outer layer was the typical blue plastic. A look inside the tank made it obvious. No light coming through the sides thus no algae.

I bought my Tank from the same guy, I also bought the more expensive one I think.

The steel for the water tower I bought myself ( on his recommendation )galvanised steel, and had a welder in to make the tower on site.

Mine is 5 - 6 Metres high and gravity fed to the house, seems to work OK, but could do with a bit more power to the shower.

If I put an electric pump in the line, will I still get water in the house during a power cut ?

[Smithson]

Don't forget that there is another option....concrete....either reinforced concrete and block or stacked concrete rings.

Chownah

Chownah, you beat me to it. Those concrete rings certainly seem to be a cheaper option, I've heard large ones are only 100+ Baht each. They usually join them with concrete, but I've seen this leak. I was wondering about silicone?

[chownah]

Don't forget that there is another option....concrete....either reinforced concrete and block or stacked concrete rings.

Chownah

Chownah, you beat me to it. Those concrete rings certainly seem to be a cheaper option, I've heard large ones are only 100+ Baht each. They usually join them with concrete, but I've seen this leak. I was wondering about silicone?

Ours doesn't leak...the rings have mortar in the joints and the mortar has a waterproofing agent in it. The same waterproofing agent was mixed some cement powder (and maybe some water too but didn't watch) and applied on the inside as a slurry.....works fine.

Chownah

[Rinrada]

We have then dotted around the place but cost 130Bt each...must have been the de luxe version..

There is a guy who hasa e farm down the road and he has about 10 of them abount 3 mts dia and 10 mts high but think he uss them for silage rather than water.

Next visit we gotta do some bore holes and will need to arrange fo a load of new ones but to be eco friendly i will paint them..Green...

[Gary A]

We live about 85 kilometers from Chum Pae. There is a dealer there who has hundreds of plastic tanks and also steel towers. He is located about 8 kilometers west of the city on highway 12. He has many other products made of the same plastic, coolers and even boats. He was showing us some of the typical blue color tanks that were more expensive than the others. He explained that the higher priced ones were two ply. The first layer was made of black plastic and the outer layer was the typical blue plastic. A look inside the tank made it obvious. No light coming through the sides thus no algae.

I bought my Tank from the same guy, I also bought the more expensive one I think.

The steel for the water tower I bought myself ( on his recommendation )galvanised steel, and had a welder in to make the tower on site.

Mine is 5 - 6 Metres high and gravity fed to the house, seems to work OK, but could do with a bit more power to the shower.

If I put an electric pump in the line, will I still get water in the house during a power cut ?

I think you'll want to put in a bypass with a single valve. When my power goes off I have no water. I really haven't checked out why but the bypass was easy to do. My tower is only about three meters high but at least we have water when I open the bypass valve. I then shut off the power to the pump for when the power comes back on. If you don't close the bypass valve, the pump runs and doesn't shut off. If you were clever I suppose you could install a solenoid valve. When the power comes back on the valve would close and the pump would start.

[kamalabob2]

I was urged to purchase a DOS Polyethylene tank and two Mitsubishi pumps at our rental house in Satuk, Buriram. The only problem was that the float valve which cost a few hundred baht seemed bogus to me. The pump that delivered Municipal water into our 1000 liter tank was running and attempting to refill the tank far too often in my opinion. When it came time to do a water supply plan for our new home the builder suggested I have a survey done by a Buriram "Pump and Tank" specialist.

They sent a knowledgeable technician to our new home and he sketched out a pump and tank plan. He looked at our existing rental water supply and suggested I purchase a 250 baht Firstco RADAR "Liquid Level Control Switch". It immediately cut down on the pump usage as now the pump only runs when the tank level reaches a sensible refill level. The builder, technician, shop owner and myself had two meetings in Buriram to select items and agree upon a firm price. I have since seen similar "liquid Level Control Switches" at Home Works for about 500 baht.

This Chinese Thai owned shop had lower prices on the Hitachi MW-P400EX Inverter water pump than any other vendor. I also purchased two Diamond Brand Sandstone 2000 liter Polyethylene Water tanks at a lower cost than comparable DOS brand tanks of the same size, material and warranty. We purchased two plastic water filers from this shop, a second Mazuma stainless steel water filter from Buriram Supply near the Bamboo Bar in downtown Buriram. We moved a Mitsubishi water pump from our rental to pump water from the Municipal supply to the series of filters. It took a day and a half for the installation and test of our water pressure. In our tests the water was sufficient pressure in all the bathrooms and both the inside and outside kitchen. However once we actually move in and people use the water in real life we can see if the pressure form the Hitachi Inverter pump is sufficient. This Buriram shop also showed us a 500 liter stainless steel "Pressure Tank" if our water pressure is not sufficient. This shop also showed us several models of Mitsubishi SUPER PUMP and the new Mitsubishi Inverter Pump.

We only obtained permanent electric supply on Thursday. The electricians have not installed the grounded sockets in the pump room of our garage yet.

QUESTION: What is the best method to GROUND a Mitsubishi Pump or Hitachi Water pump? There is a green grounding wire coming off of both pumps. Are grounding rods a safe solution?

[Maigo6]

I think you'll want to put in a bypass with a single valve. When my power goes off I have no water. I really haven't checked out why but the bypass was easy to do. My tower is only about three meters high but at least we have water when I open the bypass valve. I then shut off the power to the pump for when the power comes back on. If you don't close the bypass valve, the pump runs and doesn't shut off. If you were clever I suppose you could install a solenoid valve. When the power comes back on the valve would close and the pump would start.

Thanks Gary, a bypass will be the way for me to go.

Probably more reliable than a solenoid too, my water well pump is also turned on manually and off when the water overflows out the top of the tank.

Very high tech...

Edited February 17, 2008 by Maigo6

[Frotting]

Hi friends,

I new to this forum. To briefly introduce myself to you: I'm Hans, a German, tired of German politics and now living in Phetchabun.

Algea like it warm and some light too. A plastic tank, even if it's blue is not completely dark inside, and most of all, if exposed to direct sun light.

The first measure should be a roof wide enough to protect the tank from sunlight. Also the plastic material it's made of will last considerably longer. A good side effect will be less heating of the water too. Taking a close look at a PVC-hose you will discover the time stamp when it becomes unusable.

Another good idea would be a small circulation pump which takes care of some water movement inside the tank. Movement ist most annoying for alea to develop well. Suck the water from almost the buttom (not to whirl the dust) and feed it back on top using a spray bar. (Some holes punched into a PVC-hose will do.) This measure takes care of extra oxygen applied to the water slowing down again the growth of algea.

BTW, I'm looking for a medium size water tower of 7 to 10m hight. Any link will be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Boncuk

Another German guy living in Phetchabun has just such a tower. Built it out of concrete column construction. Go and have a look. He lives 5km south of Phetchabun in Tambon Ban Tok. A new place on the side of a hill, west of the main road about 2 kilos.

[Crossy]

We live about 85 kilometers from Chum

If I put an electric pump in the line, will I still get water in the house during a power cut ?

My tower is only about three meters high but at least we have water when I open the bypass valve. I then shut off the power to the pump for when the power comes back on. If you don't close the bypass valve, the pump runs and doesn't shut off. If you were clever I suppose you could install a solenoid valve. When the power comes back on the valve would close and the pump would start.

No need for anything clever like solenoids etc. A simple "check" or "non-return" valve bypassing the pump will do the job fully automatically

[lopburi3]

QUESTION: What is the best method to GROUND a Mitsubishi Pump or Hitachi Water pump? There is a green grounding wire coming off of both pumps. Are grounding rods a safe solution?

As you say you have grounded electric use the wire to your electric ground. Just attach the electric ground wire to the point on pump that green wire is attached.

Do you really have to pump up the water from supply side to fill your ground level tank? It is generally a very bad practice as you can draw in ground contaminated water, or even your neighbors laundry water when you pump to negative pressure. Or did I misread?

[Gary A]

We live about 85 kilometers from Chum

If I put an electric pump in the line, will I still get water in the house during a power cut ?

My tower is only about three meters high but at least we have water when I open the bypass valve. I then shut off the power to the pump for when the power comes back on. If you don't close the bypass valve, the pump runs and doesn't shut off. If you were clever I suppose you could install a solenoid valve. When the power comes back on the valve would close and the pump would start.

No need for anything clever like solenoids etc. A simple "check" or "non-return" valve bypassing the pump will do the job fully automatically

Good idea Crossy, that will work. A one way check valve will close when the pump builds more pressure than from the tower.

[kamalabob2]

Thanks for the replies on the grounding issue. The electricians used a ground wire and a copper rod into the earth for both electric water pumps. The Hitachi Inverter Pump gave us great water pressure on the ground floor of the home as well as the 2nd floor. However it turned on when ever someone opened a tap. This seemed to me a waste of electricity. I went back to the Pump Shop in Buriram and explained the situation. The owner who UNDERSTANDS and speaks English gave me a written proposal with a firm price to have his staff install a Grey metal 500 liter pressure tank, some more pipes and valves. It took about three days for some parts to arrive and his staff came on two days to install these items. They made adjustments as we tested for pressure on all the showers. It worked 100% and now the Hitachi Pump rarely is operated. We have great pressure in showers on either floor even if the washing machine or dish washer are operating. I thought this shop used good materials, there was no "funny business" about the prices and the crew while they look like extras from "Pirates of the Caribbean" were pleasant and professional. Here are some photos of the pressure tank installation. Those Thai Visa Forum members smart enough to plan a high water tank tower could perhaps avoid this expense and apparatus to have water pressure on the 2nd floor without using electrical pumps.

[dotcom]

Kamalabob. Sweet set-up. To judge a free standing pump one needs to know how many watts the pump is rated for (gross not net) & LPH or delivery. Liters per hour Liters per minute etc.

Your header tank is really massive, I have a large one but not as big as yours.

I have had 2 400 watt Mitsubishi's in a row but this time I got a Taiwanese made pump. It has a smart controller on top that won't let it run if no suction water is present. Has little lights to tell you the status. I will get the brand name & post it here.

Water towers might be great for a farm.

The formula is .4328 psi per foot. (AKA the hydrostatic pressure of water). So to get 50 PSI at your showerhead 50 / .4328 = 115 feet. / 3.28 (ft/M) = 35 meters tall. You can buy a tiny piston pump to fill it during off peak hours (10 pm to 6 am).

[dotcom]

Sandstone tanks. The latest & the greatest. The last tanks you'll ever buy.