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MO cabin
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# Posted: 12 Mar 2012 10:23pm
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Has anyone seen or tried a water tower. I have seen articles on people who built towers 15 feet off the ground and have a 375 gallon tank on top. I know water is about 8.5 pounds a gallon. I would use the water to fill the toilet and fill the sink for doing dishes and filling a bucket for showers. I have tried batteries and a pump but was kind of a hassle. I am trying to use as little electricty as possbile at my cabin.
How far away from the cabin could I put the tower? How to build the tower? Any other input?
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cabinbiscuits
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# Posted: 12 Mar 2012 10:48pm - Edited by: cabinbiscuits
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I bet you could build the tower in the same manner that you would build and elevated deer blind up off of the ground. You could use a 6x6 on each corner with cross bracing between them, and a platform on top. Then put a 330 gallon IBC water tank or something similar on top. The key is in the cross bracing, with a height of 15', I think double X braces on each side would be in order.
http://shadowhunterllc.com/elevators-section/4x4double-8.html
The only thing is, most of the elevators for deer blinds are made for 4x4's and not for 6x6's, so you might have to fabricate your own elevator brackets. That will be a lot of weight obviously with that many gallons in the air.
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johng
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# Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:01pm
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Here ya go. http://www.water-towers.com/wtrsforsale.html
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MO cabin
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 07:08pm
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has any one built their own water tower and has some advice?
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Martian
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 07:49pm
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How much water do you want to store and how much pressure are you trying to create? Don't forget, it takes at least as much pressure to lift the water up to the tank that you will be creating. Do you have a hill above your cabin to put the tank on?
I searched for a picture of the one on our place, but don't have any. This was an old, abandoned homestead. Somebody, years ago, built a rock tower about 12' high. The tank has long since rotted away, but the cradles for the support timbers under the tank are still good. Its 8' in diameter, straight sided. The pipe runs up the inside and was fed by a windmill. Someday, I want a hot tub up there!
Tom
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:50am
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Quoting: Martian Someday, I want a hot tub up there!
Now that would be sweet!!!!!
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MO Cabin
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2012 10:25am
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I would like between 300-600 gal in a metal container. How far away do you think I can put the tower. Could I put the tower several hundred feet away (300-400). What type of pipe and what diameter should I use. Would the clear plastic flex tubing work?
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Martian
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2012 10:44am
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Okay. So, we need to support a maximum of 4500lbs. I would use 20' 6X6 treated timbers set 3-4' deep with reinforced concrete pads poured at the bottom. Figure an 8' square base, but it could be smaller depending on the tank dimensions. Regardless, you want the tower tapered slightly. I would add several sets of 2X6 cross-bracing and one set of horizontal bracing let into the 6X6's spaced evenly from top to bottom on all sides. A good, strong platform on top, and you'd be ready to set the tank. Fill it slowly to allow any settling to take place; it shouldn't settle if the base is securely set.
I would use black plastic pipe for distribution; one inch should do it. You can put the tank as far away as you need to get the most head pressure. The flow rate may suffer some, but you'll get plenty of water.
Or you can do what the homesteaders here did years ago and build a rock one like this.
The walls are roughly 12" thick.
Tom
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MO Cabin
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2012 11:43am
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That is awesome. Thanks for the help. I wish I could build the tower you have. Would you surround the pole with concrete or fill the holes with dirt
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Martian
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2012 12:51pm
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In this case, I'd drill through the 6X6's in a couple of places and put in rebar then pour concrete around them. Its probably overkill, but........ Build the structure before you pour the concrete. That way you can make small adjustments to keep the center, top and bottom, lined up.
My first move would be to dig the holes and pour the pads. After the pads cure, stick the poles in. Screw temporary braces around the bottom and square it up. Set some temporary crossbracing to stabilize the top. I'd frame up the tank support on the ground before going up and notching the poles to accept it. Set the top, and plumb down to verify the top and bottom are centered. Make any adjustments needed to ensure the weight is transferred straight down; thus distributed equally. Pour the concrete around the bases making sure nothing moves, and let it cure. Install all your cross/horizontal bracing and then finish the tank deck. Mount the tank and run the water line; don't forget to insulate it. The same line is used to fill the tank. Turn on the tap!
Tom
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trollbridge
Member
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2012 07:48am
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Martian you NEED to put a hot tub up there!!!!! Pronto!!
Just curious...what does the inside look like?
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Martian
Member
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2012 08:07am
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Quoting: trollbridge Just curious...what does the inside look like?
Just like the outside, but rougher; dirt floor. There is a non-working, yard-art handpump sitting inside.
Tom
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MO Cabin
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2012 10:17pm
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I was thinking what about a tower made of concrete blocks or cinder blocks. Would they support almost 5000 pounds
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BlaineHill
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2012 10:52pm
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I used to subscribe to Mother Earth News before they decided to go for the green. At least they still make their interesting articles available to the rest of us. Here is a cool article from 1976:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1976-05-01/I-Built-My-Own-Water-Tower.a spx
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Martian
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2012 07:59am
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MO Cabin, I have no doubt either concrete or cinder blocks would support the load, but they would require a good footing below the frost line. Any movement at the bottom of the tower gets magnified by the height. I don't work with those materials very often, but I think you would want cross bracing every 5-6 feet to stabilize the walls, too.
Why do you want to use the blocks?
Tom
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lulus
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2021 06:28pm
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What is the purpose of the water tower ? Water Towers in Poland
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2021 07:11pm
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Just throwing this out for thought.....
You want to conserve elec.
Yet have to run a pump quite a while to fill that high up tank (after all the work to build it).
Compare that to running a small pump for a short while to meet your inside wants/needs.
I get it that flipping a pump switch on/off for a short term water flow is a hassle. How about putting a 20-30 gal tank up high in the cabin to fill each day and run water off the gravity you get from just there? Tip, a bigger 'pipe/hose' flows more volume than a small one.
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TranquilMan
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2021 01:52pm
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Hello MO Cabin,
Looking at the fine print in your initial post dated March 2012 - almost 10 years ago, I'm wondering if you ever built your water tank tower. Anyway, for a simple solution to a small cabin experience, a 5000 pound water tank on a supporting structure seems like over-kill to me. The first 20 years of my small cabin experience used a 375 L black poly tank above an outdoor shower with a 1 inch poly line running about 50 ft. down a slight slope to the cabin sink. I would fill the tank when necessary every 3-5 days with an electric 1/2 HP utility pump powered by my generator (~5-8 minutes). Then I got fancy a few years ago by adding a 12 VDC pump, battery, small 30 W solar panel, and 5/8 garden hose giving us pressurized water from the lake on demand. The gravity feed system is still there for back-up if the pump system or battery fail. Your situation might be more complicated but there wasn't much information in your post.
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2021 02:41pm
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I don't think MO Cabin is on here anymore. That and this nearly 10 year old thread was resurrected by a spammer, as is often the case.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2021 05:07pm
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Thing is that the subject matter IS still pertinent to 'what we do' so a zombie up aint necessarily a bad thing.
Hmmm....almost sounds like Im thanking a spammer
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