IBC Totes: Calling all DIY'ers - any ideas?

[birnkrant]

Dear Brilliant and Creative DIY'ers!

I would love to hear your ideas on how to get salt into my IBC tote.

I will have the totes stacked on top of each other 3 high, and the bottom one will be my salt mixing tank (there will be a pump plumbed in to mix, etc). But I gotta get the salt in there!
The good thing is that my totes have a section on the face of it, between the metal bars, that is about 6" high by 16" wide (see picture). Seems like a perfect place to cut an opening and get the salt in...but, I plan to do 200 gallon water changes, so I need to put one whole bag of salt in at a time.

What are your thoughts on creating a easy and safe way to get all the salt in there without it spilling all over the place? For example, I could fashion a "hopper," but out of what? What design would you use? what materials? Etc, etc? Not looking to go too crazy with a design - simple, quick and regularly available materials that are easy to work with (I'm not asking much...also, please provide me with the world, LOL)

Thank you

 

[SandJ]

This may take up too much room for you....but I would get a brute trash can, add RODI, add salt, turn on a pump and let it mix a little, then transfer the water into the storage container with the pump and hose. That way it is also kinda premixed and would not settle on the bottom.

Or could you plumb the brute into the system so the trash can serves as the hopper. A pump would pull water from the large container, into the brute trash can, and back into the large container.

This way you have a large target to pour the salt into. You can add a small amount at a time so it mixes throughly. And with shut offs and unions you could store it away if needed.

 

[birnkrant]

Hi! Thank you for your idea!
I gues what i didnt make clear was the ibc tote is my mixing container for the salt. It will have a pump mixing it...so i just need to get the salt in there to be mixed.

Thank you

 

[Frey]

Why not just cut out the section you showed in your photo but leave the bottom there like a flap. Super glue a small handle on the front and if you want to really want to go the extra mile you could drill a hole just above and use two pieces of plastic laying around (milk jug caps etc) and use a stainless steel bolt washer and nut to make it so you can close it back up and keep it there. It would be a hopper style using the tote and maybe 3 dollars of materials

 

[birnkrant]

I like it...but I do worry that with just 6 inches, the flap wouldn’t be large enough to prevent over spill of the salt...I would like to pour the bag of salt directly into the tote, not use something smaller to transfer.

That said, it’s an easy enough try! Thank you

 

[Frey]

If you only open the bag or box at the very end shouldn't be too much trouble.
Other option i thought of is go get a large funnel. Drill a hole at an angle in your tote, glue or attach the funnel in place. Pour salt into funnel done.

 

[birnkrant]

If you only open the bag or box at the very end shouldn't be too much trouble.
Other option i thought of is go get a large funnel. Drill a hole at an angle in your tote, glue or attach the funnel in place. Pour salt into funnel done.

What type of funnel are you thinking of? Trying to imagine something that large and where to get it?

 

[Frey]

Go to walmart or similar in the auto parts section. Find one that suits your needs. They make all sizes. I also found one at macys sold as a canning funnel that looks like it could rrally work for you. And i found this one at the website below both under 15$

 

[Frey]

Sorry didn't

mean to attach that so many times. Lol

 

[birnkrant]

Sorry didn't

mean to attach that so many times. Lol

Thank you, so helpful, I didn’t know! Lol

 

[Frey]

No problem. Send me photo when you figure out which way you are going to go and how its working for you. Good luck!

 

[birnkrant]

Sorry didn't

mean to attach that so many times. Lol

How would you keep the funnel from clogging I wonder...maybe a flexible hose spraying/dispensing RO water to clean all the salt through?

 

[Frey]

Small stick, piece of pvc pipe that fits all the way through, i am sure you have something laying around the house. Maybe wash once in a while with rodi water when filling the tub then let dry before adding more salt. I would imagine it will flow right through unless it is wet or damp from moisture

 

[SandJ]

Hi! Thank you for your idea!
I gues what i didnt make clear was the ibc tote is my mixing container for the salt. It will have a pump mixing it...so i just need to get the salt in there to be mixed.

Thank you

Yes, I understood that the container is your salt mixing container. But it would be easier and less messy to pour the salt into a larger container and it is simple to pump water (in this case salt water) into the large container.

The pump in the large container would just add water to the brute, you pour your salt into the brute, and the pump in the brute would add the water now with salt in it back to the big container. It would probably take less than 5 minutes. A 5 gallon bucket may serve the same purpose as the brute. Or I have a smaller 20ish gallon brute I bought from a feed store.

 

[birnkrant]

Yes, I understood that the container is your salt mixing container. But it would be easier and less messy to pour the salt into a larger container and it is simple to pump water (in this case salt water) into the large container.

The pump in the large container would just add water to the brute, you pour your salt into the brute, and the pump in the brute would add the water now with salt in it back to the big container. It would probably take less than 5 minutes. A 5 gallon bucket may serve the same purpose as the brute. Or I have a smaller 20ish gallon brute I bought from a feed store.

That is an excellent point! Thank you.
My first thought with your idea was that it would be easier to just pour a salt slurry in...Kinda taking off on that and ideas above, Here is a thought, what do you think?:
I could have a container large enough and strong enough to hold the 50+ pounds of salt in 1 bag that I attach to the side of the totes (BTW, It is in my garage, so I have a lot of room). Have that container connect to the salt water mix tote by pvc. I could also have the RO water come down into that tote (RO container will be the top one of three totes) and create a slurry of salt to get it into the bottom tote - just as you mention.
Thoughts on a container to do the slurry, attach to the side of the IBC totes, and be strong enough? It can't be too high either off the ground or side walls because I have to 1. get the bag of salt into it and 2. I need get the slurry into the top of the IBC tote. Also, it needs to be big enough (wide?) to put all the salt in as well as the r/o water which will be making the slurry. Initially, that RO water will take a few minutes to mix into a slurry. I imagine during that time if the container wasn't wide enough/was too tall and narrow, it would be hard to mix the salt at the bottom (kinda create a brick) and the water could overflow...hmmm, what kind of container would you suggest/think of...

 

[birnkrant]

Taking off on the above ideas, allow me to explain my set up a little more - maybe generate more ideas? (I'm sorry if this is self evident).
The bottom salt water mixing tote will have a pump on the ground outside the IBC tote that takes the salt water from the bottom of the IBC tank and feeds it in through the top at the lid.
As such, I wonder what people thoughts are on the following take off on #SandJ 's Idea?
I could put a container/bucket/trash can next to the tote, relatively low so easy to get the salt in, but big enough to easily create a slurry. Have the R/O water feed that bucket through gravity from the top tote to create the salt slurry. Then feed that slurry into the external pump through a 'T' in the PVC prior to the pump intake? The pump would then be used to push the slurry up into the IBC tank salt mixing tank?
Solutions with this:
Container could be relatively low, easy to put salt in
Most all the salt would get in
Could these be problems:
Slurry to thick for a pump?
Would the T create a back up of water from the tote to the container the salt goes into? I could solve that with a ball valve before the T and after the tote, prior to the slurry entering the intake PVC of the pump, I guess.
Seems like this might be a lot of steps, maybe there is a simpler way?
Other problems you all could see arise?
Thank you, Jonathan

 

[HuneyBear]

Have you thought of plumbing in a venturi and using the vacuum port to suck the salt into the system. Same principle as mixing for spraying farm fields. https://flexpvc.com/cart/agora.cgi?p=PVC-Venturi-Tees&xm=on
They are pretty cheap through there.
that combined with a cone bottom tank and you could just pour the salt into the cone bottom tank and the Venturi vacuum does all the work. With a rinse water line run to the top to help clean out the tank it would work. https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/i...QeQzZ_efd8cNXSDWc62OJuzXcnyvlrwEaAsWIEALw_wcB
I’ve actually been thinking of building one myself. I just don’t mix enough at a time to warrant it just yet.

 

[birnkrant]

Have you thought of plumbing in a venturi and using the vacuum port to suck the salt into the system. Same principle as mixing for spraying farm fields. https://flexpvc.com/cart/agora.cgi?p=PVC-Venturi-Tees&xm=on
They are pretty cheap through there.
that combined with a cone bottom tank and you could just pour the salt into the cone bottom tank and the Venturi vacuum does all the work. With a rinse water line run to the top to help clean out the tank it would work. https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/i...QeQzZ_efd8cNXSDWc62OJuzXcnyvlrwEaAsWIEALw_wcB
I’ve actually been thinking of building one myself. I just don’t mix enough at a time to warrant it just yet.

That is quite elegant solution, very cool idea!

 

[lapin]

I would look at something like this with a 90 at the bottom going into the tank with a uniseal
Not sure where to get something like this in the states

Xtraflo Hopper - Chelmsford Plastic Warehouse

Xtraflo Hopper is available in Black.

www.chelmsfordplasticwarehouse.co.uk

 

[birnkrant]

I would look at something like this with a 90 at the bottom going into the tank with a uniseal
Not sure where to get something like this in the states

Xtraflo Hopper - Chelmsford Plastic Warehouse

Xtraflo Hopper is available in Black.

www.chelmsfordplasticwarehouse.co.uk

That would be great. I will look, thank you