Newbie Question O' the Day

James Pop

New member
Why the 250/300 gal tanks when most are just carrying around a fraction of that volume at any one time? I see folks talk about only being able to carry 1000 lbs of SH(119 gals) without needing CDL or other HAZMAT quals. Isn't trailer space precious? Tanks everyone (pun intended).

James Populis
 
The restriction on the sh is due to hazmat regs. I've an 18 foot trailer with a 525 gallon tank for my 8gpm pump. I always try to start a job with 200 to 250 gallons in case the source flow is slow and so I can start right up when I get to a job. Some times I have commercial accounts that have no water handy. I can run an hour on a full tank. It is also a buffer for low flow source situations. I hate having to wait on water.
 
Hello James!

Are you talking about water supply take for your machine, or for chemicals (SH, etc)?

By the way, more information would help:

PW flow rate
Trailer size
residential or commercial (or ratio)
 
We use the availability of our 325 gallon water tanks to provide 45 minutes of work time when no water supply is near by. Neighborhood entrances are a prime example or a long fence out on a road. I pull two 5.6 gpm units off mine so having an extra supply on site where water is slow is nice.
 
Do you guys keep your large tanks full all the time? Or just fill them up when you expect to need it?
 
Do you guys keep your large tanks full all the time? Or just fill them up when you expect to need it?

We have a 275, but normally carry 100 or 125 gallons. Hook up to the house cut off water after 2 sides are done and run back down to 100 or so and leave.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Remember, I'm new and don't have a trailer yet, just a portable commercial grade PW that I hook to a house supply. So, be gentle. You use the tanks because it's a more reliable source of the water pressure needed to run equipment?
Also note, I haven't done any jobs for pay yet. Just my own and a neighbors. Going to do another neighbors house next Saturday
 
Remember, I'm new and don't have a trailer yet, just a portable commercial grade PW that I hook to a house supply. So, be gentle. You use the tanks because it's a more reliable source of the water pressure needed to run equipment?
Also note, I haven't done any jobs for pay yet. Just my own and a neighbors. Going to do another neighbors house next Saturday
When you are running a big pump like an 8gpm pump you cannot always rely on the flow from a hydrant to to keep up with the pump. So to keep from starving the pump and damaging it you need a reserve that can always supply it. If you start with half a tank and start running low on water shut off and let the tank fill some. Even with 8gpm most of the time residential hydrants will keep up, but I've had several recently that would not.
 
We carry 525 gallons of water in each of our rigs as we do a lot of fleet vehicles that do not have a water supply on site. As well as up here in Maine whenever we do a house that is outside of city water supply we bring our own as well water is unpredictable up here. Trying to find a city water supply for the winter months now.


Don't judge, they are dirty
Our box truck is set up with the tank in the front like this:
20140620_214614.jpg

And our cargo tailer is set up with the tank in the middle:
20140620_214621.jpg
 
We have a 275, but normally carry 100 or 125 gallons. Hook up to the house cut off water after 2 sides are done and run back down to 100 or so and leave.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

+1 Never travel with more than 80-100 gallons unless going to job where were no water is there.
 
I ran out of water for the first time yesterday. Started with 120 gall to the home, started filling when I get to the jobs, never finished the back pool deck and ran out. The home I was at could not keep up, funny thing is I do another home 2 streets away and have no problem with water supply. Had to shut down doing the front, did not want to run out. 8gpm goes fast.
 
I ran out of water for the first time yesterday. Started with 120 gall to the home, started filling when I get to the jobs, never finished the back pool deck and ran out. The home I was at could not keep up, funny thing is I do another home 2 streets away and have no problem with water supply. Had to shut down doing the front, did not want to run out. 8gpm goes fast.

Tell the customer not to take a shower, laundry,dishwasher...while you are there.


Make sure the house spigot doesn't have a vacuum breaker. I remove them every time before i hook up. It appears the older the house is, they are always bad...
That's a big problem too, probably 50% of the houses that have them, are fused onto the spigot, and if you try unscrewing it with pliers you can break the pipe. Sometimes if you you push the little stub that sticks out a bit, that opens the valve up.

I just bought another feed reel, after upgrading to 10 gpm's. I ran out of supply three or four times with just a single feed hose.
 
That's a big problem too, probably 50% of the houses that have them, are fused onto the spigot, and if you try unscrewing it with pliers you can break the pipe. Sometimes if you you push the little stub that sticks out a bit, that opens the valve up.

I just bought another feed reel, after upgrading to 10 gpm's. I ran out of supply three or four times with just a single feed hose.

I have 2 supply reels.. its handy ( except you have to wind up another reel ). As far as the vacuum breaker..... PB blaster....... or a propane torch to heat up the threads......
 
Back
Top