Another dang project

[LizStreithorst]

I might be able to do it myself.  It would be easier with a helper and easier yet to call Mr. Sharp.  I'm going to give it a go myself.

The lower water storage container sits on a strong metal base.  The one on top is just the plastic surrounded by galvanized steel rods and sits on a piece of ply wood set on a frame.  The plywood is starting to bend in the middle from the weight of 250 gallons of water.  You can see how the 2" pipe has bent inward above the rubber coupling due to the ply wood sagging?  I can't use the container until I do the fix.  I think I know how I'm going to do it but I'm going to talk it through with my neighbor first.  I don't want to go to all the trouble fixing it and find out later that my fix was not good enough.

[BallAquatics]

Post some photos Liz, and we'll over engineer you a fix.   

I've got a book around here somewhere that lists the acceptable span based on the thickness of the plywood and load....

Dennis

[LizStreithorst]

I meant to post pics but I forgot.  Then I got involved with wipe downs, and WC's  It took longer than usual.  While I was waiting for barrels to fill I looked and thought.  The Blue Muse of the fish room came to me and showed me something that will make my project way easier and less worrisome.

Here are the pics I forgot to post earlier.  I'll take a pic of what will make the project way easier after I take a pic of it.

[LizStreithorst]

These containers with feet and a bottom have the same foot print as the container that's causing problems.  It will save a ton of work in plumbing and building.  The only thing that flummox's me is how and where to drill a hole to place the valve.  The bottom of the container comes to the bottom of the second square above the leg.  I could only fit a 1" valve in that space.  A 2" valve will fit inside the first larger hole, but if I use it, I don't get all the water from the tank.

Once again I'm feeling like this job is over my head.   My neighbor will come down today or tomorrow and help me think.

[BillT]

I can't say I fully understand your problem, but if the larger hole is too high off the bottom, it might be possible to put an elbow and short piece of pipe on the inside of the container to get some siphoning or  suction from lower levels.

Some bulkhead have either threads or a slip fitting on the inside side which could let you do this.

[wallace]

If you could flatten the plywood and stop it from sagging, would that solve the problem? Its hard to tell from here, but I wonder if you could add joists to the bottom of the plywood sheet that is sagging.

[LizStreithorst]

If you could flatten the plywood and stop it from sagging, would that solve the problem? Its hard to tell from here, but I wonder if you could add joists to the bottom of the plywood sheet that is sagging.

That's what I though I'd do on my first think.  Then I saw how difficult doing that would be because of plumbing you can't see in the pics.  That's when I though about one of those wonderful containers I use to grow out fish.  Now I've thought about a third way that might be easier. 

What I need to do is stop sweating it and work it out in my sleep.  I have all the information in my head.  What I need to do is stop focusing on it and let it organize itself and work itself out while my back is turned.  It's the way that works best for me.

[LizStreithorst]

My neighbor came and looked at it.  He showed me how to do it the first way without getting into a plumbing mess.  He even told me where he has some treated 2X4's and to come get 6 of  them.  He told me to call when I took the upper container down.  It's not heavy.  it's just large.  I'll manage it myself.  He also said that he's be pissed if I spent money on doing it so I guess I'm stuck doing it myself whether I want to or not.

[LizStreithorst]

It's not quite the piece of cake than Jack said it would be.  I'll be able to most all of it myself but I will need help getting the tank back in place.  Just getting it down was difficult and gravity helps with getting things down.  This is where I am now.

[LizStreithorst]

and

[Mugwump]

..yup...it's down alright.....you ok? 

[LizStreithorst]

Of course.  I know what I'm capable of physically and I'm dang good at figuring out a way that I can do it without disaster.  It will sit like this until next weekend.  Tomorrow I'll be too stressed to work on it because of a silly medical thing.   Monday will be wasted because the anesthetic they give me will make me sleep all day.  Seeing it and working around it all next week will make me crazy.

Off to see this mess and work around it now.  Time for WC.

[Mugwump]

...are you just reinforcing the support base piece, or re-plumbing too?  ...wasn't sure what kind of adjustments that you will have to make,,,

[BallAquatics]

Looks to me like you would be better served by some cross members running from side to side and resting on the metal frame rather than a box with ply.  Several screws down through the ply would secure the cross pieces from moving.  You could also orient the cross pieces to allow for space for the plumbing.....

Dennis

[LizStreithorst]

I was going to do this today but I got to pushing the mower and loving it so much that I did 3.2 miles of mowing before I started to feel blisters coming on  my hands and had to quit.  God, I love pushing that mower.  I must be sick in the head.    After I quit mowing I noticed that my hips were hurting kind of bad.  I never felt a thing while I was working .  It was about all I could do to haul the 2X4 frame outside where I will do the work and drive to Jack's to pick up the treated 2X4's he offered me.  I think I must have arthritis.  It pisses me off. 

I'll get done the part that I can get done tomorrow.  All I have is the veterinarian for my number one dog and my sweet Bruno in the morning and shipping fish in the afternoon.  I want to hire Mr. Sharp to put it all back in place and glue all the PVC connections back.  Jack says he'll be mad at me if don't let him and another strong guy do it.  I don't want Jack to do it.  He's 83 years old.  He has all this stuff wrong with him.  He's not a strong guy regardless of what he thinks.  I need to find a way out of this without putting Jack at risk while not making him be mad at me.  It's a head scratcher.