Cold water storage Tanks

[Colin68]

Can anyone suggest something for the following little issue .. a hotel customer of mine has 3 x 400 litre storage tanks (connected in series) sat in the loft space, these supply the hotel bathrooms, showers, WC's and basins, .. these little dinosaurs have no lids on any of them ..(lovely!) .. apart from replacing them all with new ones .. sure as hell won't get lids for um right? .. any suggestions for some sort of covers?

 

[kirkgas]

flat plastic panels from somewhere, corrugated are available (like garage roofs) in various sizes, DO NOT use timber they will get covered in black mould and spores and all sorts will drop into the water and you will poison everyone

 

[mark_mc]

plywood?? clean them out 1st.
or get the size and check with your suppiler may hit lucky

 

[mark_mc]

god never thought of the mould man.
no joke we were contracted in to fit plywood covers on tanks in schools were lids were missing a potential death wish

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

plywood?? clean them out 1st.
or get the size and check with your suppiler may hit lucky

no plywoods not acceptable i agree with kirk plastic must be used but i am a little curious to the ops set up connected in series ?as in tanks bolted together with 22mm this is a very poor set up to have at least one of the tanks will stay full of stagnant water

 

[easyt]

Laminated Loft insulation boards.

 

[Colin68]

the whole set up is 3 tanks in line connected length ways, in a small roof space .. 1.6 metres hight .. the connections from each go out the main feed pipe, it's set up so the water feeds from the all 3 at the same time I guess .. didn't look at it in too much detail .. the building is 550 years old (tanks are 545 years old he he). I was there on another mission but spotted the covers missing .. I am convinced the guy will not want to replace the tanks but I will inform him of the regulations and the potential risks of contamination

 

[stani]

just mention .................... Legionella............ works everytime

 

[Colin68]

he he .. that'll do it

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

could try clear perspex seen that dirt cheap down the sunday market or failing that plastic roof sheets as said

 

[justlead1]

Why not take the dimensions of the tops. Pass on to sheet metal shop and have made from galv sheet. making sure the loft access is big enough to pass them through.

 

[Colin68]

yeah .. I might have a look into some perspex sheets in black .. need to add a vent to the lid I guess

 

[dontknowitall]

My sign-writer sold me some plastic stuff for a small panel below a raised shower tray (about £3.50 or something silly like that.)

They have all sorts of materials for estate agent signs, weather proof shop signs, etc, etc.

Just a thought ...

 

[darren-]

Also make sure the overflows have rodent screens fitted. Was working in a school about 2 weeks ago and there was a wasp nest in the 2" overflow pipe. The tank had a tight fitting lid but there was still dead wasps in the water, not nice

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Also make sure the overflows have rodent screens fitted. Was working in a school about 2 weeks ago and there was a wasp nest in the 2" overflow pipe. The tank had a tight fitting lid but there was still dead wasps in the water, not nice

seen that before wasp bits coming through the taps and dead rats,bats and mice

 

[diamondgas]

Isn't it By-law30?

Krickey that came from the woodwork! Must be By-law99 by now! . Anyways by-law 30 insisted on none contamination of stored water etc and introduced certain criteria to adhere too! Whatever the current by-law regs are should help you sway your punter to the necessity to change...? Or not!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Isn't it By-law30?

Krickey that came from the woodwork! Must be By-law99 by now! . Anyways by-law 30 insisted on none contamination of stored water etc and introduced certain criteria to adhere too! Whatever the current by-law regs are should help you sway your punter to the necessity to change...? Or not!

yes it is bylaw 30 or was????? anyway we all know the regs insulated tanks,close fitting lids,filter and dip tube on the over flow,little breather thing that always breaks on the lid and any dead animals removed from the tank first apparently they dont give the water "flavor"

 

[LegionellaSlave]

I wouldn't use the showers in this hotel. There's always a lazy tank when they're used that way. Hotels and the like should only have one tank on line with no deadlegs to minimise the risk of legionella.

 

[stevetheplumber]

I wouldn't use the showers in this hotel. There's always a lazy tank when they're used that way. Hotels and the like should only have one tank on line with no deadlegs to minimise the risk of legionella.

why should there always be a lazy tank if the draw offs are on one end and the ballvalve on the other water must flow through

 

[LegionellaSlave]

In theory it should and could work. But I've found it doesn't. I found three tanks all on line and (two lazy ones) the level was slightly higher in one tank. I corrected it and drew off from a tap. All three ball valves started trickling. When i returned for the next ppm about six months later, same thing! Two lazy tanks. We ended up just having one tank in use with no dead ends.
I suppose it's similar to balancing a htg or circulating hw system.