I Failed At This! Don't Do What I Did With Your Rainwater Tank!

[@deanbarrett511]

Just an FYI the plugs that come from the factory are not sealed or supposed to be water tight they are there to prevent stuff getting into the tank during transport and storage. . You will almost always have a valve on the bottom of each tank so they can be isolated if you ever need to service or clean a tank and not have to drain all of your water. You also have another potential fail by connecting between tanks. If you have 2 tanks to connect you want both bottom bulkheads pointing in the same direction and connect with a pipe along the side. These tanks bulge when full and if you plumb a hard pipe in between there will be stress on the bulkhead fittings and may cause a leak or eventually cause a crack in the tank. In case you're wondering I have been in the plastic tank business for 36 yrs. and have taken RWH certification courses.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you for the tips.

[@kenlyn2208]

I've had this situation a work, at few times. Pull the plug but have your value open. Thread while it's pouring. Takes two people. Saved about 3/4 of the tank.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thanks for the tip. I shouldn't have to worry about it again.

[@Digidoc316]

When setting up a tank, install shut-offs on all your taps. That way, you can install or service pumps, level gauges, or daisy-chain tanks without having to drain the tank. Also, position the debris separator in such a way that you can collect the debris for the compost pile or reactor.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yep

[@rw-xf4cb]

you only need one bulkhead for equalization, supply via a pump and for filling from another source. I always use a gate valve then a T fitting this gives 2 options for use after the valve. ALSO put the gate valve on as the first connection on the tank - as you have it if something bumps that pipe you could damage it and lose your water.

[@kcmgfarm2389]

I love channels that will show the mistakes, those videos are more helpful in my opinion. Thanks for posting this. Kate

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool, thanks. I am trying to keep it real.

[@raincoast9010]

Remember when you join the other tank you need to allow for expansion relief. Also you might want to be able to fill and drain the tanks separately.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yep. Absolutely.

[@rsandi9646]

Make sure to fix any erosion now at the base of your tank. It should be good and packed from the weight of 2500 gallons of water. But if there are any missing or soft spots now underneath, it will lean when full.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Absolutely

[@joemurphy6206]

Another great video! I’ve worked wt my hands my whole life so I’ve got my mind wrapped around making mistakes, but I believe this video will deliver a lot of folks from discouragement who are just getting started🙏

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Awesome! I want to help everyone through my failures and successes.

[@spudrubble]

Might consider a few drops of food grade mineral oil on that ball valve. Had one on my 1500 gallon tank and they can get mighty stiff to turn.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Great tip. Thanks.

[@buildingsoloinarizona1987]

Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from poor decisions. Keep plugging away brother. You're living the dream!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Absolutely! Thanks man.

[@jdollar5852]

Doing things 2x is a way of life. I routinely screw up the simplest things and wind up having to redo things, turning a 2 hour job into a 2 day job. We are fortunate to have a 2.5 acre lake about 100 feet from out door as well as a year round stream along the back of our property so our emergency water needs are covered. We have city water and trash pickup so we will stay hooked up in that regard.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I hear that.

[@zuzax1656]

One thing I thought the other day, if you are using the water only for the gardens, you're ok. But, if it's going to the house, you might consider a DE or sand filter (swimming pool filters). They'll remove most algae, dirt, bird poop, etc., from the water making it less stressful on the sanitation system you have. Chlorine tabs and dispensers are another thing to consider.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Absolutely. All good suggestions. We will probably do a whole video or two just on filtration when we eventually pipe it to the house.

[@rsandi9646]

Also....on our place in Fredericksburg, we had four 2500 gallon tanks. We had since sold and moved. During the snowpocalypse last winter, the people that bought our place said the outlets were frozen. They could not get any water. You need to insulate your outlet.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yep, that's in the plan. Thank you.

[@orijimi]

If you wanted to spare yourself the erosion, you probably could have siphoned the tank and hosed down stuff more uniformly. Also, it works with even very large water heaters to put the tank's contents into a vacuum, pull the drain valve and stuff a nipple with a valve (open at first, closed afterward) on it while it's slowly draining. The same approach may have been possible here, but I am no physicist. But I fully understand the appeal of giving into the most dramatic solution. I tend to take them every time they present themselves. For what it's worth,even with plastic on plastic threads, pro-grade PTFE tape (Ferguson, Hercules, Blue Monster) is the secret sauce. All the same, I hope that your seal holds up the way you've done it. And it may be a no-brainer, but make sure to have a valve on the pump side as well. ;)

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. I don't think a vacuum would work as there are too many air leaks and that 2500gal of water is super heavy. I left the new valve open through this current rain storm because I still do not have the parts for the valve on the pump side. Shortages at the stores here.

[@rw-xf4cb]

Also get some 1000L (250G) IBC tote as they can capture the water keep for animals, garden and/or fire fighting....

[@rickthelian2215]

Hope you get some rain soon....

[@CountryLivingExperience]

We’ll get more for sure

[@dysfunctional_vet]

plastic compresses heavily on the weight of water so removal of that plug under pressure would be a bear. it might be possible to place a wooden box shaped the the wall on the inside with a soft rubber gasket, and pump the water out by vacuum thus creating an ambient pressure inside at the plug to the outside pressure which might allow you to remove the plug, plumb the fitting and then reflood the void (cofferdam) and you would not lose the water. a bit of work, but if rain is not frequent, that would would pay off. hope this helps

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool. Thank you.

[@waltereason832]

I would suggest using a brass nipple to a brass valve, in the case something hits the pvc pipe it will break after the valve and you will not loose the water. If this happens after a SHITF situation it could be real bad. Pile dirt around the valves so if there should be a sudden freeze there is no way the valve will break. I am in an 8B area and the water seems to be a heat sink to valves that are close to tank and metal.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I hear ya. Thanks for your thoughts on it.

[@marilee324]

Another approach to supply....since ading another bulkhead adds another potential leak at the tank and are expensive...you could have added a tee or tees down stream of tank valve to pipe to suction side of future pump.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Good suggestion. I can still do that.

[@pobo6113]

When I set up my homestead I relied on a family member that said he knew what he was doing. I since learned that I did not put on a ball valve on my 1550 gal. water tank. Because that water is my only water I have not fixed the issue. I need to get a second tank, transfer the water then fix my connection. We live we learn. It that I don’t know what I don’t know so I have to learn as I go.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Learning is about failing first sometimes. Those are commonly best lessons.

[@rw-xf4cb]

Put the valve (gate valve ete) as the first fitting on your tank having it on some end of pipe can result in loss of water if that pipe is damaged - I would use metal (brass gate valve) valves for extra resilience as plastic ones are more likely to fail over time especially in sunlight the tap mechanisms become brittle and then you have difficulties turning on/off when needed. Brass gate valve with screw top also doesnt stick out as much and less likely to get damaged should animals, people or machinery bump it!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

A brass valve is a good idea.

[@loubzac3]

Glad it happened now and not when you are dependent on it

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Absolutely!

[@southcountyhomestead]

Ooops. Thank you for sharing the good and the...well...not so good.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. Gotta show it all.

[@ironleatherwood1357]

When we lived off grid in middle Tennessee for 3 years I made to many mistakes. My biggest one probably was wasting a ton of money on digging a well. Sulfur water big time but mainly collecting rain water is the best option in Tennessee. Tennessee gets the 6th most rain water in America. We now live back on grid, live and learn.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I understand. Luckily I have a few different sources at this time. Glad I learned early.

[@debbiemoore4228]

Awesome job dog. Check out " Off Grid With Doug And Stacy" they have a 7 ft drop, " no pumps no problem " is his moto, working for 10 yrs now. Thx, lots of good info.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yep, I watch them all the time.

[@kfrazman1]

I have been looking for a resource to show what parts I need (ball valve, bulkhead, pipe, etc). I have a 2500 gallon Norwesco. I want to set up for rain catchment and eventually connect a pump. Any resources to share with more details? This is so new to us. Godspeed.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yes, we just did a video on that. Here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnrLnJuqncqbeqs

[@ProvidingResources]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. 💖💖We are looking into some type of rain catchment system for our garden. We are researching and came across your video. The best life lessons are those taught the hard way. However, your lessons are a blessing viewers like us. Thank you for sharing your journey. I appreciate this! Can you grade the ground so the water runs away from the tank?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you for the kind words. We are happy to share. Yes, we will continue to grade away from the tanks so that the area is stabilized.

[@frodrickfronkensteen9241]

Probably late to this conversation... but don't punch any extra holes in your tank if you don't have to. Simply "T" off your supply. One branch of the "T" goes to the first tank. One branch of the "T" goes to second tank. "Bottom" of your "T" supplies BOTH tanks to the pump. And don't feel bad about the wasted water. We all do it. I hate to even mention this but... dude, it gets worse with age. Keep your sense of humor... you're going to need it ;) Hang in there. Good video.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you and yes. We got that advice from a few others. We have not added the pump yet but will be modifying where we pull the water from.

[@frodrickfronkensteen9241]

@@CountryLivingExperience In my search for booster pumps... I came across a brand called "Walrus" (I think). It seemed reasonable in price. Don't know if that helps, but... there it is. If you have a pump brand you are keen on, please share it. I'm still shopping/saving for our booster pump.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thanks. We have been looking at the RainFlo which seems reasonable. www.rainharvest.com/pumps-and-controllers/above-ground-pumps.asp

[@zuzax1656]

I am new to your channel and like what I've seen so far. Just so you know, I had plans to build a system like this for my own place, but never got the chance (fire). I do have a question, though. Have you thought of putting in a "T" fitting between the tanks for the supply line to the pump? With a valve on each side of the T, you could use water from either, or both, tanks, and be able to isolate either tank or pump, for upgrades, repairs, or replacement, without cutting off the supply to the house. It may sound paranoid, but I tend to plan for worst case scenarios, such as contamination of the second tank's water. As I understand, it gets pumped to the house through the first tank. That would contaminate both tanks. Just a neurotic thought.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. Glad to have you here. I did think about the t-fitting between but the reason I did it this way was because of where I want to locate the pump. I wanted the pump underneath the shop portion of my barn and a shorter run to electrical which is already there. Otherwise I would have done it similar to as you suggested.

[@tommcgivern4800]

@@CountryLivingExperience You obviously do what you feel is best, but I'd think fewer bulkheads in that tank would be best. (how are you going to get the new bulkhead on the inside of the tank (to make the seal), it'd have to be bigger than the diameter of the hole you'd have to cut to put it in, so it'd seal. If you T off the pipe that spans tanks, you could run PVC around the tank to the pump under the barn, this poses its own problems, (exposed PVC to be stepped on/broken) but that would think traffic would be minimal in that area).. Anyway.. best wishes however it goes.. really appreciate your videos.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@tommcgivern4800 Thanks Tom. Good thoughts. Fewer bulkheads would be better.

[@zuzax1656]

@@CountryLivingExperience I understand wanting the pump protected, but that doesn't preclude the T fitting. The water going to the pump from the tanks is gravity fed. Remember the pressure when you removed the cap? That's the kind of pressure you will have going INTO the pump. If anything, you may need a valve just to control that pressure. The only downside might be the vulnerability of a pipe from the T to the pump, but it could be either buried or encased in a removable tile/pipe (concrete half pipe).

[@marilee324]

@@CountryLivingExperience I was thinking the same thing...also, if you turn the tank 90 degrees and pipe a spring check, then isolation valve then tee and manifold the tanks together your pump supply would be closer to your barn and you will prevent backlog between future tank(s).

[@carolewarner101]

Oops!

[@GrowingUpGoudie]

Don't waste your money on bulkheads. Use a uniseal and save a bunch

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Not sure what that is. I’ll check them out.

[@DavidD03820]

You didn't need to let all that water out in that short of time. Just make a siphon out of PVC pipe and send the water out of a garden hose to water your lawn, then send the rest out the back of your property. You don't even to even glue the PVC fittings together, you can reuse everything afterwards when its all done.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

All done now. It ended up watering a few fruit trees downstream.

[@oliveacres7743]

Just curious, why didn’t you try and screw on the valve with it open then close it after it was tight? Just asking.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

The force of that water was way too high.

[@gardeningperth]

Won't the water level between the 2 tanks? So none of them will be empty providing there's actually water to distribute between the tanks.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

That is correct.

[@rperry1410]

Don't waste all the water you have saved install your new tank with the proper fittings and then pump the water into your new tank and fix your old tank and connect them together

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Too late. No big deal.

[@mikerichards6311]

👍

[@relacionsustentable2319]

dang just forgetting something so small can create such a huge problem,, homesteading is not easy. your dog created a chicken Mote,,LOL

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It sure can. Yes, I will not use the dog to dig moats around my buildings on the homestead.

[@Jinjerbread317]

Why couldn’t you use up the water that was in the tank and then insert the valve?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

There was no way for me to contain the water once I took the plug out of the bulkhead.

[@benjones8977]

I failed my whole way to success in going off grid! 🤣

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I totally understand. Failure is the best way to learn sometimes.

[@benjones8977]

@@CountryLivingExperience It’s probably why it was a good thing I started at 24 V, otherwise I would’ve killed myself by electrocution! 😂 I don’t know how many times I got shocked, as I was new to electricity. I learned to make sure you insulate your ground wires, the hard way!

[@MH-Tesla]

None of your viewers gave you any crap about that old hat? Lol. They are hard to replace when you find one you love!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Lol. Not yet.

[@adamfields45]

You should never join talks with Hard PVC tanks will shift and this will snap, then you lose both tanks of water and probably stuff the tank flange

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Interesting. Thanks for the heads up.

[@workinprogress3609]

A chicken moat!🐓🐓🐓

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Lol. Yep.