(quoted) I snapped a bunch of pictures but can't post them right now as I have to run (maybe it will be a different thread as this is getting a bit off topic from the "trucking" aspect). (end quote)
It's interesting that the law requires tanks and cisterns.
Some areas of CA require residential properties to have fire sprinkler systems, like an office building.
Retired wrote, on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 11:19:38 -0400:
All residences out here in the mountains, AFAIK, are *required* to have sprinkler systems.
In fact, here's a picture of the three 5,000 gallon tanks for one relatively new residence I explored today.
The two tanks (10,000 gallons) to the right are for the sprinklers. And only the overflow from them, is what feeds the left-most tank, which is the 5,000 gallons for the residence.
Interestingly, the tank fill level was set too low:
Such that, when we lifted up the weights, water started gushing in:
Our informal plan is to check everyone's well setup, to ensure at least they have the maximum water available.
We'll also test each of the wharf hydrants, in order to figure out if they're working or not.
Stormin Mormon wrote, on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 11:03:25 -0400:
I don't think the law *requires* the cistern, but, the tank farm I just visited had five 5,000 gallon tanks, plus what I call a ~20,000 gallon "cistern" and another 500 gallon water tank.
Water is pumped from the well into the bottom of the 1st tank:
That 1st tank is connected at the bottom of the 2nd tank:
It then overflows out the top of the 2nd tank to the 3rd tank:
It then flows out the top of the 3rd to the top of the 4th:
From that 4th tank, it flows to the 5th 5,000 gallon tank:
There was also a tiny 500 gallon tank which we will make use of when delivering water by truck from the hydrant:
And, in our examination, we found the supply leaking out of what I call the 20,000 gallon "cistern" (I don't know what to call this mostly underground rectangular water reservoir):
The weights were hanging high and dry, but no water was there:
So, this house, at least, was minus 20,000 gallons of potential fire-fighting water in this extreme fire hazard zone.
On Tue, 1 Jul 2014 03:04:08 +0000 (UTC), "DannyD." wrote in
Wow! Five 5k gal tanks at $3500 each plus shipping.
It's not cheap living up there.
DannyD. wrote, on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 03:29:41 +0000:
I think I got the *direction* of flow wrong in that description. I'll have to re-annotate.
I get the impression this is in the east hills, so you probably missed the grass fire in santa teresa yesterday ...
DannyD. posted for all of us...
And I know how to SNIP
I was going to question that because it is much easier to fill from the top because the pump does not have to fight the water weight. Also, would the pump then have to overcome the weight of the water in the other tanks?
Is this a setup for one dwelling or several? Interesting, thanks for the post!
Around here they convert used gasoline fuel oil tankers to fill swimming pools. Only problem is water weighs more and the cops stop them for overweight.
From my understanding, it's all based on the height of the lift. Fill from the top means
15 feet (I'm guessing) lift, where filling a nearly empty tank requires eight feet (again guessing) lift.Tekkie® wrote, on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 16:51:43 -0400:
Yeah. Nobody noticed, so, I could have gotten away with the mistake, but, I had to correct myself if for no other reason than my own netizen integrity.
It's a single residence with multiple buildings on it.
The water comes up from one well, into the top of the 5th 5K gallon tank, which, IIRC, is the wharf hydrant tank, and then from that 5th tank, it overflows into the 4th tank, which is the secondary building main water supply.
From that 4th tank, it spills overhead into the 3rd tank, which is the water supply for the main building, and then from that 3rd tank, it spills over the top into the 2nd tank which is tied at the bottom to the 1st tank, which has that 4 inch wharf hydrant pipe going into the ground.
So, of the 5 x 5K gallons = 25,000 gallons, 15,000 gallons are reserved for fire while only 10,000 gallons are for household water.
I'm glad you appreciate the effort, as, by posting this information, we can all learn, and, by way of contrast, we can compare to how you guys do it where you live, where, presumably, most of you have far more rain than we get (we get rain only in the winter and then literally ZERO rain from about March to about November) although we do get good fog which waters the taller trees.
Interesting. 5 pounds per gallon versus 8 pounds per gallon is a pretty big difference. I called recently to fill my swimming pool, and the cost was $225 to $250 for every 3,800 gallons. The truck is a stainless steel tanker, which, the company (Bay Area Water Trucking, 408-683-0500) says is periodically inspected by the FDA (I was surprised at that) for cleanliness. They get their water, like all the bulk water trucking firms, out of the San Jose Water Company fire hydrants, which costs them only about 1 cent a gallon.
Interestingly, with just a tank and a truck, we can get the same water from the same fire hydrant for the same price; so all the cost is in the transportation.
CRNG wrote, on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 03:42:45 -0500:
You're not kidding.
A while ago, when I was filling my pool, I had called this company to ask how much it would cost to have water delivered, and they quoted $225 to $250 for every 3,800 gallons. Bay Area Water Trucking, 408-683-0500
These guys were even more, IIRC (I think it was $4,000): Franks Water Service 408-353-1343
So, to fill my pool, for example, would be at about $2,500 to $4,000 at local prices. For that kind of money, I could buy a 500 gallon tank, and rent a Hertz truck, and make
80 trips. OK, after calculating the number of trips, I just decided I'd need at least 1,000 gallons to drop it down to 40 trips. Even that's a lot of trips. Maybe I'll just use the garden hose. ....Stormin Mormon wrote, on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 17:17:28 -0400:
It was my mistake to show the flow backward.
The tanks all seem to fill from the top.
Then, they either overflow at the top, to the next tank:
Or, they are connected at the bottom, in series:
For example, my (rather puny) tanks are both connected at the bottom, and there is no separate tank for fire only:
Mine seems to be the anomaly as every other tank I've seen has been plastic, fatter, shorter, and they all had a separate tank (or two) for fire only.
Unfortunately, one of mine is leaking at the bottom somehow:
Which I don't know really how to fix.
On Fri, 4 Jul 2014 16:51:43 -0400, Tekkie® wrote in
LOL! That's really funny. I guess you aren't a fluid dynamics "tekkie".
I noticed! If your tank is filled to 8 feet over the ground, the pressure at the bottom is "about" 4 PSI. Makes no difference if the tank is 100 gal, or 20,000 gal. Same PSI to fight. Based on water height.
If your fill at the top is 16 feet up, you'll need "about"
8 PSI.
You also noticed?
Yeah, nothing like trying to pump backwards against a
20,000 gal tank that's two feet high. Compared to fill at 12 feet.... ha, ha.CRNG posted for all of us...
And I know how to SNIP
What is funny? Never professed to be...
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