How To Clean Rainwater Catchment Tanks

[@davidlittle611]

For those wondering about drinking the water: I have been drinking my off grid catchment water from a 500 gallon system for 2 years. I try for 1-2ppm chlorine bleach when I have to truck my water in before I pump it into the holding tank. Then I have a 3 inline filter system that steps down from 15 micron, 5 micron to 1 micron. I change the 15 micron twice as often as the other 2. I then have an inline UV filter that I haven’t hooked up yet, but is supposed to make the water safe for drinking. Instead I run my water through a 5 gallon bucket filter system with 3 ceramic gravity filters, and dump that prefiltered water into my Berkey that includes 6 Black Berkey gravity filters. Praise God this system has worked great for my family here off grid in Hawaii for several years.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

That’s great! Thanks for sharing

[@ezcaps8094]

My tank is 20 years old and has never been cleaned which led me to this video. We use screens on our downspouts so most of the debris is caught before it goes into the tank. I wish we had a first flush diverter. Tight cover keeps the mosquitoes out. Buy the expensive one (I forget what its called) it has the most light protection so nothing grows on the liner, plus it lasts a lot longer so amortized over the years its actually cheaper than the shade cloth. We have a 20 micron followed by charcoal 5 micron followed by UV sterilization so the water is safe to drink, but we only consume the water that also passes through the 0.5 micron charcoal filter in the refrigerator. We also drink county water because rain water, besides being acidic, has no minerals in it. Thanks for the great video.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

How was your water tank looking after 20 years of no cleaning?

[@Didiandlee]

Thanks for this. Recently moved to fern acres. Water catchment already installed but has been stagnant for months so I’m in the process of cleaning everything up

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Good luck! Might have to empty and start all over

[@cyrusjulian187]

Do you drink from it? If so what would you do differently from video? Mahalo 🤙🏾

[@annchee1329]

I always learn something from all your videos; Looking forward to your “new” homestead videos

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Thanks. That’s all I ever hoped this channel to accomplish

[@samanthatomlinson1531]

Just moved to fern acres. These are so helpful!!!

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

I’m glad they’re helpful, if you ever have questions, just ask

[@JustinC905]

Right on! This is the video I needed. I was trying to find it on Jason Fleck's videos. Seen this prior and couldn't find it. Had to search, and bingo-bango. Thanks for the info! In the midst of doing this currently, the algae has started to suspend in the water more. So I'm waiting a bit to see if it'll settle again to do some more vacuuming. Was just reviewing the video to see if I missed any details regarding the vacuuming. Got Uncle Tilo's filtration system installed a week ago. A new cover support system, and cover to go on. Thanks for the info!

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

I wish I had this video too way back when I first got my tank.

[@DON-yq2op]

Great video I appreciate the extra information and just a little tip on putting in the bleach is heavier than water and it will sink right to the bottom if not mixed with water before you dump it in, I learned this from a woman on another video about 5 years ago. Just have your bleach and a gallon bottle and submerge it a little bit then fill up 3/4 of the way and then shake it real good and then put it in your Holding tank that way it Doesn't just sink to the bottom and sit there cause it will. And I thank you for your information on a few things that I didn't know especially about the baking soda I'm in Arizona it may not make that much difference here but I'm gonna give it a shot anyways

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Thatʻs a great tip! Thank you. I always get these great tips after I post a video that I wish I was able to include into the video. Too bad KZbin doesnʻt make it as easy to edit videos as it is to edit blog posts at a later date.

[@hawaiijudy]

Thanks for this great video on cleaning the catchment! You make it look easy & we'll give it a try! ❤😮

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

It’s not that hard really. Easier if your tank is low like mine

[@bobuhler1511]

Im happy your channel is doing so well

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

It could be doing better. It provides a modest income, but not quite what I was hoping. I think I’m transitioning into something else but I plan on keeping the channel going part time

[@danlboom2092]

Dilute Baking soda in a 5 gallon bucket of water before adding to catchment tank water supply. Do not cast directly in water. Over all this video is very a informative DIY guide.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Mahalo for the tip. I'm pretty lazy when it comes to.my tank. Cant be too hard to follow your advice in the future though. Thanks for bringing it up.

[@carterfilimon2738]

@@HomesteadinHawaii how much baking soda for how many gallons of water

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

@@carterfilimon2738 You have to test your water to get the desired ph. Ideally your water is alkaline and not acidic so add enough baking soda until you get just onto the other side of alkaline.

[@PoisonousOne]

Aloha 🌺 Thanks for this video! The only vacuums I looked at for catchment had those silly mesh bags attached to them. Great for big chunky leaves that sink to the bottom bits not much else! Guess I'm hitting Hilo Home Depot today! If it works for me like it did in your video, I will NOT miss emptying the thing to scrub it down by hand.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

It should be a lot easier for you now. Good luck

[@PoisonousOne]

@@HomesteadinHawaii Working great so far. (Stopped halfway thru due to rain). I did want to come back to mention, if something happens to your pool/spa hose, unless you need the 35' don't waste money on another one. The 25' sump pump hose fits that vacuum just fine and is only $12.99.

[@chrishoagland8]

Thx for posting the video, im a hove resident. Do you have any tips on how to circulate the water you vacuumed out back into the tank while filtering the dirt?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Can try out a panty hose on the others end of the discharge hose and maybe it could filter the water as it gets vacuumed out so you could return it back to the tank. I’ve never bothered. I just wait till it’s rainy to do the job.

[@suzannemcclure7412]

Very helpful. I wonder if chlorine hurts internal parts of my water pump. I'm going to try what you have demonstrated re: removing sediment.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Could be worth running some experiments. Pump with chlorine pump without.

[@barrylitchfield8357]

Great job on the information and the video! I have a 1550 gallon black plastic tank. There's two openings, one 16" lid for the inlet on top, and one 2" threaded outlet near the bottom. I'm way too big to get inside the tank. Any ideas about cleaning this type of tank? Thanks, Barry

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

I think I’ll make a video on that. My mom has that kind of tank.

[@barrylitchfield8357]

@@HomesteadinHawaii Hey, that would be great! I'll be looking for that video. 👀😁

[@raymondpalacios3032]

Just ran across your video. I have a 5,100 gallon water tank. I use it to store water from my water well. I use the water for watering my fruit trees. In the summer clean water is being filled constantly. It's been since 2019 that I bought the tank. It's a dark green tank so it blocks all sun light preventing any algae growing, plus it's always being used. My issue it has sediment from the well water that settles at the bottom. I like the hose you used. I will pick up some next week. I will use up the majority of the water and use the suction you used along with the hose and connect it to my shop vac. Sorry for the long story.

[@thomasreto2997]

Thanks for that. Appreciated 🌈😃🤙

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Glad it could help

[@HawaiianReloads]

Solid vid bro! I gotta do this to my tank too. Puna life...

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Proper maintenance keeps things around longer. My tank is 20 years old now!

[@wheepingwillow24u17]

QUESTION: CAN ONE USE AN ABOVE GROUND SWIMMING POOL FOR WATER CATCHMENT? COVER IT AND USE IT? THANKS SO MUCH

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Sure can

[@sallysallysally]

Thanks for another great video! Curious to know what factors came into play when you were originally shopping for the cistern. Thanks again!

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Price and size really. These are the standard type water tanks in puna. Mine was about $1000 for a 3k gallon tank. Normally its $1 per gallon with other tanks. If you are in a drier area or use a lot of water you would need a bigger tank. 10k gallon is.minimum for insurance.

[@jamesramey3549]

Thank you for sharing, Aloha!!!!

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Mahalo

[@Cjandlindseyland]

super informative thanks for the great info

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Mahalo for watching

[@punabob]

Sucking on the hose is Dangerous! An easier way is to lay the hose in the water slowly, allowing it to fill completely with water as you put it in. When it’s all the way under water and full, cover the end with your hand and quickly pull the end out of the tank and lay it on the ground. Then let go. Perfect siphon!

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Thanks for that. Sucking sucks

[@Dog_gone_it]

My dad would use cholrine n ph balancer.

[@aaragon0902]

Great video - thank you!!!

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Glad it could help!

[@chickenchoker]

Keep videos coming

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Thanks for watching

[@jamesdone8244]

If the 14 day stay at home order is lifted in November we are coming out to look at property in the puna/volcano area

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Good luck. Hawai'i is really hurting right now. We'll see how this all plays out I guess.

[@jamesramey3549]

My wife and I would love to Homestead there as well

[@kealiih6215]

I have a property for sale if interested in mt view volcano area...I also live offgrid. Aloha

[@jamesdone8244]

@@kealiih6215 possibly! PM me

[@kealiih6215]

@@jamesdone8244 how do I PM you?

[@MrGreyLeaf]

Worked great! Thx

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Glad the video was helpful!

[@jaykun68]

Is it possible to change the outside metal skin of the catchment tank. I have bad rust on mines but I see the studs and nuts that hold the metal skin to the tank. Just wondering if it’s possible to change the skin

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

You can definitely change the metal. Can u do it full? Probably not. In the future try paint it every year. I’ve had mine for 20 years no rust

[@headbangerministries]

So if this tank is not for drinking water you then have a second tank for the drinking water? I'm assuming if this is not for drinking you must use it for washing, toilet, showering?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

It could be for drinking water if I installed a uv filter or a quantum disinfection filter but I don’t have one. So the tank is for all water uses in the house and then we fill up 5 gallon jugs at the county water spigots. My moms place next door has drinkable water which I show off in another video, 3 ways to make rainwater drinkable

[@Daone685]

Thanks Brah!!!

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

No worries

[@808melani]

Very nice💕

[@andreasoares5025]

Howzit Sean. As I’m pricing everything to make the move, the water catchment quote was around $10,000.😩😭 I know you said you started small so what did you do for water in the beginning and does that quote sound accurate?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Problem us when you are going permitted you need a 10k gallon tank. And it always has been said that you can expect to pay $1 per gallon. That said try shop around, probably can find a slightly cheaper installer

[@96771]

Solid bro, thanks 🤙🤙

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

You're welcome

[@mariahspencer]

What would you suggest for an underground tank with frog infestation?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

I’d get a light and a pole extension for the pool vacuum and get to work. Idk what to do about frogs though. Salt?

[@michaelduggan9793]

Do you do tank cleaning? I’d rather not use uncle Tilo if I don’t have to.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

I don’t do it for a living but you can contact Walter beasley

[@john.james-rambo]

How many liters or gallons is that tank brother?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

3000 gallons

[@john.james-rambo]

@@HomesteadinHawaii Thanks for your reply brother !

[@minorityreporter9104]

Got any tips on how to get rid of car tires🤔

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

$5 a pop at Sears or build a playground

[@TradeWinds66]

Hard/soft is about mineral content, not pH.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Darn. Wish it was easier to edit on KZbin

[@TradeWinds66]

@@HomesteadinHawaii other than that small detail the video was very informative, helped me tack on another service for a client after pricing a roof for pressure washing in ainaloa.

[@gregmwheeler]

Hello, Sir: Great video. Just wondering-if you had tons of cash while building up your home systems, would you have bought your current tank, or something like ferro cement or something else? Or would you still go with your current tank?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

My current tank has served me well for over 20 years for low cost. Ferrocement would be cool but cost a lot. I don't see my current tank going anywhere soon

[@gregmwheeler]

@@HomesteadinHawaii Sometimes I make the mistake of going for the big-cost option, thinking it'll make sense in the long run, but it seems like, with a bit of care and attention, your solution IS a good long term solution, at lower cost. Thanks for replying, and for making this content.

[@3000gtwelder]

Where do you get your drinking water from if you don't use that?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

County water spigots

[@3000gtwelder]

@@HomesteadinHawaii Isn't that a pain doing that all the time? How much harder or more money is it to make that water drinkable? I am going to be way out in Fern Forest, and I don't want to have to ship in all my drinking water. Do you use that water for washing dishes, or just for closes and showers? Sorry for all the questions.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

@@3000gtwelder keep the questions coming! The water we catch from our tank is used for everything but drinking. We even have a ceramic filter by our sink that supposedly makes our water drinkable but we just use it for cooking water (we used to use it to drink but I got sick a couple of times, turns out the ceramic filter was installed with the plastic still covering it, it got fixed but I dont trust it). Uv filters weren't an option because of our solar. Berkey could work but I'm excited about these quantum water filters to do the whole house. I'd rather get one of those than a berkey where I constantly have to refill. When it really comes down to it...priorities. the water at the spigots doesn't bother me too much so I spend my money on other projects.

[@3000gtwelder]

@@HomesteadinHawaii Cool! Thanks for the info. Yeah, I'm starting to look at solar systems also now. Do you know a good store on the island to buy at, or is it better to buy online and have it shipped there?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

@@3000gtwelder solarman

[@sNEAKYnIGHTmUPPET]

um, Ph has absolutely nothing to do with hardness, just acidity. Second, if you're going to add baking soda, why not use THAT to clean the sides? If you don't drink this water, where do you get your drinking water? Why not just UV Sanitize it and drink it? Also, what do you do for power, I can't find a video on it?

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

Thanks. I get my terminology mixed up sometimes when making these videos. I'm still a relative newbie. I dont know why I dont use baking soda to clean the sides, maybe because I never even thought about it. Thanks for the tip! We were getting drinking water at the county spigots but I recently just got a clarify quantum disinfection system that requires no power. Better than if for off grid. MUCH cheaper. I have still yet to make a solar panel video.

[@3in1Supadiverta]

The video shows time wasting high maintenance. You seriously need to improve the quality of the water diverted to the tank so that you eliminate your current water losses, unnecessary spending and time wasted.

[@HomesteadinHawaii]

The test tells me I need to clean up all aspects of my water system. Which is now testing fine