Going to single holding tank for SS bays

[Bigmatthew86]

What do I need to do to go to a single gravity fed holding tank & ditching the small individual tanks? They have seen better days & it seems like I could clean up a lot of hoses. I would imagine a single 30-35 gallon tank mounted on the wall or in the attic above the pumps would work but I haven’t been able to find a good how to.

 

[MEP001]

I wouldn't put a tank much higher than the pumps because you may end up with a constant drip from the wands. You'll still need the hoses, so it will only change how it works.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

At the moment it looks like I have 2 inlet hoses for each tank. Would going gravity fed go to just 1?

 

[MEP001]

You're on gravity feed now, but it's from one tank per bay fed with two solenoids. Assuming you aren't running hot water now, yes you can eliminate that tank per bay and pull from a larger central tank. I've done the same with several Futura systems.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

You are a wealth of knowledge. Exactly what you said is what I’ve got lol. The hold tanks are in bad shape & really all need to be replaced. We aren’t running hot water so there are a ton of old hoses waiting to start leaking. I was thinking about going to a single tank instead of replacing everything there now. Would you advise that?

 

[MEP001]

Definitely. The small tank is just bad, the water is always aerated and shortens the life of the pumps. It will definitely help clean up your stands, you'll be able to remove the solenoids that feed the tanks too. You can use 1/2" ID hose to supply the pump as long as you use push-lock fittings so the barb doesn't become a restriction.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

What is the best way to do it? Attach a splitter to the tank & run a hose to each pump?

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Would this 35 gallon tank from tractor supply work? Just add a float valve to it?

 

[MEP001]

You could order a tank with a bulkhead fitting for each pump, or build a manifold out of copper, brass, or PVC, with an outlet for each pump.

 

[MEP001]

I'm sure that tank would work. You might want to put it on a stand so when it's full the water level is at least up to the pumps.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Yes definitely, that’s the plan. Thanks for the help.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

So I’m going to tackle this tomorrow hopefully. Once I get it set up can I remove the solenoids for each pump? Not ever planning on running hot water & I want to clear up some of this clutter. 1 line from the manifold to each pump will be fine? Here is a picture of the manifold I made up & I have a 30 gallon holding tank. Lines will be 3/4.

 

[MEP001]

Is that a single barb for the inlet? That's going to cause a restriction in flow when you have multiple bays running. I suggest a minimum of 1" full flow to the manifold.

You might want to consider 1/2" hose to the pumps. I use blue 1/2" hose from Kleen-Rite and push-lock barbs with flare connectors at the pump tp make servicing easier. You don't need hose clamps since there's no pressure. If you use 3/4" hose, you'll probably have to throttle the valves to get the pumps to pull soap and wax. I never need to with 1/2" hose.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Ok I’ll change the inlet & plan on running 1/2 to the pumps. Beyond that is it fine to remove all the other stuff?

 

[MEP001]

Yes, the stupid little tanks, the solenoids and all the wiring to them, all the hoses back to the ball valves. I've done the exact same thing three times.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Awesome, it looks like a rat’s nest behind the pump stand & I have one tank leaking. Be glad to open it up & stop the leak.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Finally was able to make some progress. Have 2 bays running off the new system. I only had a jobe rojo valve so I didn’t feel comfortable running any more until the new topaz valve comes in. It’s nice to not have a wet floor from leaks. Should have the other bays running off it this week. Been fighting old worn out stuff. Also replaced check valves & got the tire cleaner working. Slowly making progress.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Have 4 of 5 bays running off the gravity feed. Someone decided they wanted to tear my boom down in the 5th bay so it’s down at the moment. Topaz valve fills the tank faster than it can drain so I think everything is going to be good to go.