Water tank

“ If the dwelling draws its supply from a well or a cistern, the water is usually lifted by means of suction-pumps, generally located, for convenience’s sake, inside the house, at the kitchen sink. If the cottage has any plumbing fixtures on the upper floor, it becomes necessary to force water by a lift and force-pump to a small reservoir or tank under the roof, from which it is distributed to the fixtures under a constant head of pressure. Such water tanks should be made of cast iron well painted, or of wrought iron well protected against rust. Slate tanks are also very good. ”

“ Where a steel tank is sunk, or a masonry tank is constructed, regard must be paid, both in the design of the tank and in the manner of construction, to the level of the underground water in the neighbourhood, as in certain cases special precautions will be needed to avoid trouble from the pressure of the water on the outside of the tank until it is balanced by the pressure of the water with which the tank is filled. ”

“ There may be no practical difficulty in constructing a large circular wooden vat or water-tank, but there cannot be any great actual economy, except in those countries where suitable timber is very cheap, and iron very dear. The wooden tank must be made of selected materials, and by skilled workmen; but however carefully constructed it cannot be expected to last so long as an iron tank. In many parts of the United States of America there are excellent examples of the circular wooden tank, strongly put together, and covered with a light ornamental roof. ”

“ The latter can be painted at intervals, so that it will not rust, and is safer than wood alone to prevent leakage.
Care must be taken to give sufficient strength to the wooden tank; it should never be made of less than two-inch stuff, and should not depend upon nails or screws alone for holding the sides together. Figure 56 shows a suitable way to put together such a tank. Certain firms that make windmills and agricultural implements generally can furnish wrought-iron tanks, warranted to be water-tight, of suitable size to go in an attic. ”

“ A rain-water tank, less than a quarter full of last winter's rain, must keep clean her house and her, and for drinking she was served by a galvanised tank in full sun, which she was lucky to get filled once a week. ”

“ A disadvantage of the tank system is that the tank, if placed high enough to supply all flows, is sometimes so far from the boiler that the water loses much of its heat in the course of circulation. Also, if for any reason the cold water fails, tank A may be entirely emptied, circulation cease, and the water in the boiler and pipes boil away rapidly. ”

“ All these defects, including that of the necessity for very substantial foundations under the holder to support its enormous weight, may be overcome by adopting the second method of construction. It is clear that the water in the centre of the tank is of no use,--all that is needed being a narrow trough for the bell to work in. Large rising holders are therefore advantageously built with a tank formed in the shape of an annulus, the effective breadth of which is not more than 2 or 3 inches, the centre portion being roofed over so as to prevent escape of gas. ”

“ But if tanks are constructed of substantial and enduring materials, they possess little if any advantage, on the score of expense, over hot water pipes, while they occupy much more room and are unsightly objects in a well ordered green-house.
Wooden tanks are frequently used where the heat is required to rise perpendicularly from them. If constructed of good pine plank, well put together with white lead, and thoroughly painted inside and out, they will last for several years. Scarcely any heat will be radiated from the sides and bottom of a wooden tank. ”

“ In this respect many farm and country houses are found to be but very imperfectly supplied. Often the tank is placed only slightly higher than the second story of the house. As a result, the water flows sluggishly at the bathroom faucets, and, in case of fire, no effective fire stream can be thrown. Where a reservoir is suitably located above the house, the pressure is sometimes lost by laying pipes too small in diameter to furnish an ample stream. Elevated tanks should always be placed so high as to afford a good working pressure in the entire system of pipes. ”

“ The gas vents should be made large enough so that access can be gained to the sludge chamber through them when the tank is empty.
Precautions should be taken against the wrecking of the tank by high ground water when the tank is emptied. With an empty tank and high ground water there is a tendency for the tank to float. The flotation of the tank may be prevented by building the tank of massive concrete with a heavy concrete roof, by underdraining the foundation, or by the installation of valves which will open inwards when the ground water is higher than the sewage in the tank. ”

“ A settling tank is simply a galvanized iron tank with a large faucet at the bottom. The bottom can be made to taper to the center and the faucet placed in the center, so all the water can be drained off, or the bottom can be made flat with the faucet close to the bottom, and the tank can be set slanting, so the water or Lard will all drain out. ”

“ This is not always possible, because of flat ground, but in many such instances reasonable distance and fall may be secured by raising both the house sewer and tank and embanking them with earth. Cases are known where tanks adjoin cellar or basement walls and the top of the tank is used as a doorstep; in other cases tanks have been constructed within buildings. Such practices are bad. It is difficulty to construct an absolutely water-tight masonry tank, and still more difficult to make it proof against the passage of sewage odors. ”

“ I have, in describing the fresh water tank, given instructions for its formation, and here desire only to caution the beginner to repress, as much as possible, any desire for mimic arches, caves, and grottos. In the first place, it must be remembered, that every cubic foot of rock work displaces a cubic foot of water, and reduces the capabilities of the tank for supporting a number of creatures. The more rock the less water, and the less water the fewer animals. ”

“ A light flap valve to keep out the cold in winter is also a desirable feature for the overflow pipe. The tank must be water-tight, and while it is possible to make a wooden tank water-tight, it is wiser to line a wooden tank with lead or sheet iron. ”

“ When the water in the soaking-tank becomes overcharged with dirt, by a simple arrangement it can be emptied and refilled with clean hot water from the square tank, in which a constant supply is kept up, in eight or ten minutes. ”

“ The James River is mined with fifteen tanks below the iron battery at Chapin’s (Chaffin’s) Bluff. They are to be exploded by means of electricity. Four of the tanks contain 160 pounds of powder; the eleven others hold 70 pounds each. All are made of boiler plate. They are arranged in rows as per diagram, those of each row being 30 feet apart. Each tank is contained in a water-tight wooden152 cask, capable of floating it but anchored and held below the surface from three to eight feet, according to the state of the tide. ”

“ This is done in a large wooden tank filled with water. If, however, a river or canal runs through the works, a series of wooden tanks, the sides and bottoms of which are pierced with holes, so as to allow of the free circulation of water, should be sunk into a wooden platform that overhangs the surface of the river in such a way that the tanks are immersed in the water, and of course always full. During the time that the cotton is in the water a workman turns it over constantly with a wooden paddle. ”

“ In the installation of sprinkler tanks, it must be observed that they are placed some distance above the highest point of the top floor, the distance usually required by the Underwriters being 20 feet, if it is possible of attainment. The tank should always be roofed, have a ladder from the roof of the building to its top, and a steam pipe inside to prevent the water from freezing in winter. ”

“ The system of leaching, as it is termed in the States, is conducted as follows:—Iron tanks are used, with suitable piping, that allows pumping from one tank to another, and also to pump from any one of them up to the causticising tanks in the alkali-room. There is also a water-line by which water may be pumped into any of the tanks, and there is a spout used in washing away the black ash sludge. The leaching-tanks have false bottoms of 2in. by 2in. stuff, placed crosswise, over which is a layer of gravel, on which lies a layer of straw, by which the liquor is filtered. ”

“ I may mention that a great effect has been produced in the case of a tank on one of my coffee estates by thus digging pits to catch water that would otherwise run directly down into the tank, to be largely lost by the overflow during heavy rains, and a similar effect has been produced on the property of a neighbour. In fact, the effect produced by such pits on the supply of water in tanks is far greater than one could have imagined to be possible, and I may therefore, in passing, call particular attention to the advisability of such pits being made near tanks used for agricultural purposes. ”

“ The water-supply for drinking and cooking purposes is almost wholly derived from rain-water stored chiefly in underground tanks; there are very few good wells. Many of the better class of houses have their own rain-water tanks, and there are large tanks belonging to the naval and military authorities. Large storage tanks have been constructed by the sanitary commissioners with specially prepared collecting areas high up the Rock. ”

“ Automatic operation is more common than hand operation. The hand-operated tanks are similar to manholes so arranged that the inlet and outlet sewers can be plugged while the manhole or tank is being filled with water either from a hose or a special service connection. When sufficient water has been accumulated the outlet is opened and the sewer is flushed by the rush of water. A sluice gate, flap valve, or a specially fitted board is sufficient to fit over the mouth of the inlet and outlet during the filling of the tank. ”

“ The settling tank should be located as far as conveniently possible from the dwelling, and especially from any wells or springs, in order that leakage of sewage, which may always occur, will not lead to the contamination of a water supply or of the soil near the residence. It may not be possible in every case to locate such tanks more than fifty feet away from the house or from the well, but the distance should never be less than this, and when located at this minimum distance from the dwelling or from a well, especial care should be used to make the tank water-tight. ”

“ A tank is an artificial receptacle for liquids, thus: a tank engine is one which carries the water and fuel it requires, thereby dispensing with a tender; tank-iron or steel is common plate used in building tanks. Steel is cheaper than sheet-iron. A cistern is primarily a natural reservoir—a hollow place containing water; more commonly an underground reservoir or tank. Closed pressure tanks are usually cylindrical shells similar to a horizontal steam boiler, having bumped or rounded heads to save bracing. Closed pressure tanks are used extensively in connection with hydraulic elevators ”

“ The tank is filled every night, by the use of horse-power, with the purest of water from a never-failing spring upon the premises, and distributed to all parts of the house by iron pipes. About fifty gallons of the water are used daily for each patient. ”

“ The necessary facilities for conveniently putting out fires, can be arranged in a short time and at comparatively small expense, by placing a boiler-iron tank of some thirty feet in height, on the top of the present reservoir on Murray Hill. This tank to be filled and kept full of water by a small steam engine provided for that purpose.
And as an additional security I would propose that the present City Hall be raised an additional story, and covered with an iron tank that would hold some ten feet of water. The outside of this tank to be made to represent a cornice around the building. ”

“ The water is forced through a half-inch iron pipe to a large tank in the attic of the house situated on the hill above. The tank, which holds about five hundred gallons, supplies the house with pure, cold water for all purposes. As the water is always flowing into the tank it is provided with an inch and a half overflow pipe, which carries the surplus water back into the glen. Thus, through a series of pipes and a ram, the water is conveyed from the reservoir throughout the house. By building a small dam farther down, we made a fair-sized pond on which to domesticate some wild fowl. ”

“ The simplest method of construction of the dosing tank is to make it a part of the sedimentation tank by means of a cross wall, which latter must be strong enough to withstand the pressure of the water on one side when the dosing tank is empty. ”

“ If a tank, into which water is continuously pumped, can be placed at a great elevation, the water can then be used in hydraulic machinery in a very convenient way. Each hydraulic machine is put in communication with the tank by a pipe, and on opening a valve it commences work, using a quantity of water directly proportional to the work done. ”