Storage of Tap water at room temperature for 50% weekly water change.

[Mitchabbots]

Hi All,
At the moment I am cycling my tank (only 1 week in).
I am preparing to use EI ferts with a weekly 50% water change.
Having a 230Litre tank I want to store 115Litres, or so, of tap water. 24+ hours of temperature equalisation to room temperature before dosing and adding to the tank. I don't have the room for 4 or 5 30Litre buckets around the house.
I do have shelving behind my tall fridge/freezer. This looks like a prime spot for weekly tap water storage. Shelving can be replaced with sturdier ones.
I am loath to use hot tap water/kettle as this is a waste.
What containers do you use to achieve storage with tap water?
Gerry cans, plastic containers or something else?
Where would you recommend I buy such containers? (I live in Wiltshire, UK)

Many thanks, Brian

 

[Vandal Gardener]

Have you thought about a water but that youd normally keep in the garden?

 

[LMuhlen]

I am loath to use hot tap water/kettle as this is a waste.

I ask as a genuine curiosity as I live in a different reality, but I wonder if your tap water is colder than the room temperature, I'm imagining that the room is heated. And if that is the case, adding 115L of cold water to your room will generate a demand for room heating equivalent to the heat required to bring the water to room temperature. So unless you have very different costs/efficiency for room heating and water heating, this shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I want to store 115Litres, or so, of tap water

A water butt might be the cheapest option <"Garland 114ltr Harcostar Water Butt (Includes Tap & Child Safety Lid) Electrical World">?

cheers Darrel

 

[Mitchabbots]

Have you thought about a water but that youd normally keep in the garden?

I have indeed. A super cheap as chips option, with the help of a submerged pump and hose. Great option, but after something a bit more palatable as it will be in my kitchen, although more or less out of view.
I'm more inclined to using a lay-flat 150+Litre container with a tap, on some substantial shelving (200+kg rated). I can then fill with a hose, via a tap, and use gravity to fill my tank (using one of the shelves higher than the tank itself) via another hose.
I was just wondering whether I'd missed a trick that others use..

 

[Wookii]

I have indeed. A super cheap as chips option, with the help of a submerged pump and hose. Great option, but after something a bit more palatable as it will be in my kitchen, although more or less out of view.
I'm more inclined to using a lay-flat 150+Litre container with a tap, on some substantial shelving (200+kg rated). I can then fill with a hose, via a tap, and use gravity to fill my tank (using one of the shelves higher than the tank itself) via another hose.
I was just wondering whether I'd missed a trick that others use..

I've used a few various sizes of potable water tanks for storing RO water - this is one seller.

Potable Water Tanks | Slimline & Static Tanks: Page 2 - Tanks Direct

Our range of Potable water tanks, are suitable for storing clean water for human consumption, whether it be for drinking, prepping food or cleaning dishes etc.

www.tanks-direct.co.uk

Some model come with threaded ports at the base to securely add taps.

 

[Mitchabbots]

I ask as a genuine curiosity as I live in a different reality, but I wonder if your tap water is colder than the room temperature, I'm imagining that the room is heated. And if that is the case, adding 115L of cold water to your room will generate a demand for room heating equivalent to the heat required to bring the water to room temperature. So unless you have very different costs/efficiency for room heating and water heating, this shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Interesting, I hadn't thought of it like that 🤔. On reflection, my kitchen is the warmest room in the house with the kitchen heating rarely on. It gets the early morning sun and is also south facing. So, it picks up plenty of heat from the sunshine. Also, with cooking it heats up quite nicely. I have solar panels and battery which keeps the water and electric costs to a minimum. I do believe this will have little impact during most of the year. I will have to look at it with respect to the colder winter months.
Thank you . A good point.

 

[Mitchabbots]

I've used a few various sizes of potable water tanks for storing RO water - this is one seller.

Potable Water Tanks | Slimline & Static Tanks: Page 2 - Tanks Direct

Our range of Potable water tanks, are suitable for storing clean water for human consumption, whether it be for drinking, prepping food or cleaning dishes etc.

www.tanks-direct.co.uk

Some model come with threaded ports at the base to securely add taps.

🤣 I have that exact page open in my browser. Great minds and all that 😆 Sounds like I'm on the right track.
My mate says use the bath upstairs and fill it up from there. It would work but I think there would be additional additives to the water for the tank unless I did a deep clean of the bath after every use. Bath bombs notwithstanding 🤣 Not considered an option! Not that I don't clean my bath, you understand. 🤨

 

[simon_the_plant_nerd]

I have solar panels and battery which keeps the water and electric costs to a minimum.

Presumably then you’re storing captured energy in your DHW cylinder before charging the batteries?

Assuming an aquarium temperature of 25C, a mains water temperature of 5C and a DHW cylinder temperature of 65C, you would be mixing water in the ratio of 2:1 mains to cylinder to get a 25C mix. That’s about 40litres of hot water for your water change. So about 2.5kWh of energy maybe.

Depending on how big your PV array is, where you live and what time of year it is, you may generate that in a day or less than an hour.

If you only do it once a week, I’d say that’s a free water change without the need to put a 100litre water butt in your kitchen.

EDIT: worth considering, 2.5kWh of gas is about 15-20p in the UK.

 

[Mitchabbots]

Presumably then you’re storing captured energy in your DHW cylinder before charging the batteries?

Assuming an aquarium temperature of 25C, a mains water temperature of 5C and a DHW cylinder temperature of 65C, you would be mixing water in the ratio of 2:1 mains to cylinder to get a 25C mix. That’s about 40litres of hot water for your water change. So about 2.5kWh of energy maybe.

Depending on how big your PV array is, where you live and what time of year it is, you may generate that in a day or less than an hour.

If you only do it once a week, I’d say that’s a free water change without the need to put a 100litre water butt in your kitchen.

EDIT: worth considering, 2.5kWh of gas is about 15-20p in the UK.

Certainly, food for thought and very doable.

I may have to do this in the beginning. I'm not enamoured about mixing hot and cold water into a bucket or whatever and transferring to my tank as I will need 100 to 115 Litres or so. I do not wish to attach anything to my mixer tap. I may have to mess with the plumbing, but that is not my preferred option. Extraction of water is easy though. A bucket for rinsing and then a pipe out of the front door into the front garden.

I have an outside tap just outside the kitchen back door. It would be very easy to fill up the kitchen butt from there with a hose and nozzle. I will use a dedicated hose from the butt to the tank (rolled up and hidden away behind the tank when not in use), with an adjustable nozzle to restrict water change flow, should there be an extreme temperature differential, but should be ok as the kitchen tends to sit on a yearly average of 20.1C (have smart thermometers around the house). I have a 400W heater in my OBM850 that should sort that in short order.

Thanks for your suggestion Simon.

Cheers, Brian

 

[Koaan]

Great option, but after something a bit more palatable as it will be in my kitchen, although more or less out of view.

Have you checked around websites for your home improvement big box stores?

I use this one from Home Depot in the States,

without the geraniums.. Unobtrusive, 190L, lightweight resin, has a flat back to sit flush against the wall and can be tucked away in a corner of the house when I'm not using it.

 

[Mitchabbots]

Have you checked around websites for your home improvement big box stores?

I use this one from Home Depot in the States,
View attachment 219632

without the geraniums.. Unobtrusive, 190L, lightweight resin, has a flat back to sit flush against the wall and can be tucked away in a corner of the house when I'm not using it.

Yep, that's something different. I was hoping to gravity feed my tank, but then I would just need to connect an inline pump. The UK ones I've seen tend to be somewhat 'raw' and designed to be ignored in the garden. I will take a look and see what the UK has to offer. Either that or raid the garage for some paint on a raw one 😆
Edit: Found some starting at £300+. Hmmm 🤔

 

[Conort2]

Is there any reason why you won’t use an adapter on a mixer tap? This is the easiest option if you’re just using tap water for water changes.

 

[bazz]

I've used a few various sizes of potable water tanks for storing RO water - this is one seller.

Potable Water Tanks | Slimline & Static Tanks: Page 2 - Tanks Direct

Our range of Potable water tanks, are suitable for storing clean water for human consumption, whether it be for drinking, prepping food or cleaning dishes etc.

www.tanks-direct.co.uk

Some model come with threaded ports at the base to securely add taps.

That's exactly where I got my 130l from, they appear to offer all different shapes and sizes for almost any space, here's a pic of mine, the pump has a hose pipe connector on it, perfect.

 

[Mitchabbots]

Is there any reason why you won’t use an adapter on a mixer tap? This is the easiest option if you’re just using tap water for water changes.

I have a nice new mixer tap and the business of getting the tap in the right place to get the required temperature is, to me, a big faff and pretty wasteful (unless I save that to raise to room temperature). Certainly, as I don't get instant hot water. I like the idea of letting room temperature heat up the water to a point where I can add it without much fuss. As I have a week to make this happen, I feel it is less stress and appeals to my "don't mess with my domestics" situation. It seems I'm also okay with spending a bit of money on potable storage too. Strange!

As an aside, my tank is on the other side of a stud wall partition where I'm going to place the water storage. That brings up all sorts of other possibilities