R/O Water Storage for garage station

[OrthoVet05]

I found these water storage cans which are BPA free (not food grade though) on Amazon... thoughts? I am trying to make a 50 gallon ro/di and 50 gallon ready to use saltwater station and these have been some of the cheaper options. I am not opposed to using Brutes, but really don't want to go through making bulkheads and them leaking to connect them as I have in the past...

https://a.co/d/dgM3Wal

 

[Rocks reef]

My concern is possible leaching of chemicals and such used in the manufacturing process since they are not food grade nor made for potable water.

 

[OrthoVet05]

True true, do you have good sources? A couple of the industrial sites require a minimum of 30-40 barrels to be ordered.

 

[mmorrison55]

Do you have a budget? You can check local farm/feed stores for Norwesco style containers that have the bulkheads already installed.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/water tank/water-storage-tanks?isIntSrch=typeahead

 

[OrthoVet05]

Trying to be logical, just seemed crazy to drop 250 for a plastic bin.. don’t get me wrong, if I have to do it but was seeing if there was an in between before dropping to a Brute.

 

[n2585722]

I used Brute cans but all my bulkheads are in the lids and not the sides or bottom of the containers. I use 3 of them. One for the mix tank, one for fresh saltwater and one for DI water. Each tank has a pump for dispensing water into other containers. The one in the mix tank is used to transfer contents in the mix tank to the fresh saltwater tank when the fresh salt water tank goes low and the mix tank contents is ready for use. My ATO pump draws from the DI reservoir and the AWC fill pump draws from the fresh saltwater tank. Also the DI reservoir and mix tank have refill lines to them from the RODI with solenoids controlled from my controller. The first photo is the lid of the DI reservoir sitting upside down on the Brute can. The second photo is the top of the mix tank lid. The third is all three under my work bench in the garage. The button boxes on the side of the work bench are connected to the controller system. The one above the mix tank has a mix ready and a bench light push button. The middle one above the fresh saltwater reservoir has a fresh saltwater dispense and a AWC halt push button. The last one has a DI dispense button the other button is not currently used. The tubing for dispensing the water also has manual cutoff valves also. Those I leave off unless I want some water from one of them and then I turn it on press the button and release when I want it to stop and turn off the manual valve. The mix tank also have a circulation pump for mixing the salt mix into the water. It is automatically turned on when the water level in the mix tank is above 60% full.

 

[OrthoVet05]

I used Brute cans but all my bulkheads are in the lids and not the sides or bottom of the containers. I use 3 of them. One for the mix tank, one for fresh saltwater and one for DI water. Each tank has a pump for dispensing water into other containers. The one in the mix tank is used to transfer contents in the mix tank to the fresh saltwater tank when the fresh salt water tank goes low and the mix tank contents is ready for use. My ATO pump draws from the DI reservoir and the AWC fill pump draws from the fresh saltwater tank. Also the DI reservoir and mix tank have refill lines to them from the RODI with solenoids controlled from my controller. The first photo is the lid of the DI reservoir sitting upside down on the Brute can. The second photo is the top of the mix tank lid. The third is all three under my work bench in the garage. The button boxes on the side of the work bench are connected to the controller system. The one above the mix tank has a mix ready and a bench light push button. The middle one above the fresh saltwater reservoir has a fresh saltwater dispense and a AWC halt push button. The last one has a DI dispense button the other button is not currently used. The tubing for dispensing the water also has manual cutoff valves also. Those I leave off unless I want some water from one of them and then I turn it on press the button and release when I want it to stop and turn off the manual valve. The mix tank also have a circulation pump for mixing the salt mix into the water. It is automatically turned on when the water level in the mix tank is above 60% full.

What a great automated set up! I would definitely need to sit down and write out all of the components that you have. Seems like a great combination of budget but automated. Thanks for all of the info! Do you have the model for the AWC that you used? Thanks man.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I personally stopped using brute containers years ago. There was talk at one point about some leeching phosphate -- but I can't remember if it was ever substantiated. In any case, round is a waste of space for me.

I use HDPE containers for both SW storage and RO/DI automation.

30 gallons for SW and a smaller square (5 gallons I think) for RO/DI

SW is pumped to tank via a GHL doser 2.2 maxi

RO/DI feeds the ATO via gravity and a float valve. The RO/DI tank has (3) float switches.
1 low level
1 high level
2 fail-safe float switches. 1 in the sump and 1 in the ro/di tank.
1 high float valve fail-safe

The high and low float switches control a solenoid valve.
Low triggers fill
Hiigh stops fill
The logic is in the GHL profilux
It used to be a simple latching relay circuit, but the profilux control allows me to see what is going on.

The fail-safe in the sump and in the ro/di tank are in series with the solenoid. They are literal overfill fail-safes that defeat the solenoid if the sump or the ro/di tank overfill.

The float-valve in the ro/di is a mechanical fail-safe that is a last resort if the solenoid were to stick open.

The setup has gone through a few iterations over the years.

 

[n2585722]

What a great automated set up! I would definitely need to sit down and write out all of the components that you have. Seems like a great combination of budget but automated. Thanks for all of the info! Do you have the model for the AWC that you used? Thanks man.

I use my Hydros controller system to control AWC and ATO. It also controls the RODI and mixing tanks. It also controls things at the tank.

 

[dadnjesse]

US Plastics make quality water Tanks. I have the 25 Gallon for my top off water and it's well made.
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=121925&catid=1451