Tank stand that will hold

[stoweski]

Looking for ideas on what fellow sugarmakers use to hold up a reservoir tank. I'm going to move up from a 200 gal to a 600 gal tank. 4800 lbs is a heck of a lot of weight - not that I'll have it completely full to capacity.

I currently have 8" concrete posts somewhere between 2' and 3' in the ground with 4x4 posts anchored to them. I made a frame out of 2x4's to hold the tank. Works out well and has shown no sign of stress with a full 200 gal tank... about 1600 lbs.

I'm afraid of using the same stand with a 600 gal tank knowing the weight of the sap inside.

Beef it up? Go with a stick built structure? Look for steel angle iron? Some kind of concrete structure?

Thoughts? Picts? Ideas? Anything would be helpful!
Thanks!!!

[whalems]

couldn't you use both tanks? Leave the 200 as a head tank and the 600 as a holding tank. put a pump and float switch and your all set. Just a thought.

[ennismaple]

Our evaporator feed tank is 300 gallons and it sits 8ft off the ground. We have 4 hydro poles in the ground to bedrock (which isn't very far down in our woods!) and the platform frame is full dimension 2x6 hemlock. I know its overdesigned but that's better than a huge, loud crash! I'm skeptical that your 4x4's and 2x4 platform can hold 2.5 tons.

[christopherh]

I could use some ideas to. Right now I've got 6 or 7 pallets holding up my 300 Gallon Tank. It works, but I was thinking of using 4X6's when I make my permanent one.

[allgreenmaple]

I used 6'' x 6'' + 2'' x 10'' joists & 2'' x 10'' for deck. Pic in my photobucket, head tank is 321 gallons.....http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z463/allgreenmaple/sugarhousepics004.jpg

[stoweski]

I was afraid of that. Moving up to 6x6's with 2x10's. Thought I might have to go that route... though it would hold my truck after it's been built! I definitely am not thinking of using the 4x4's and 2x4's... though using the 4x4's somewhere in the construction could be a possibility.

I'm going to use the 200 gal tank in the woods for collecting as both of my mainlines run away from my sugarshack. The 200 gal tank is a poly tank that is a pain to clean. The 600 gal tank is stainless with an open top. Should suit me nicely but I absolutely want to make sure it's not going anywhere. It'll be under cover but not inside the shack. I actually have 10" to play with height wise which is nice.

Thanks for the help... and the pict. Overdesign is definitely better than crash, bang, and slosh!

[adk1]

I have the same issue. I have a 200gal poly truck style tank that I was given to start out. I dont have it set at all yet. This is because I dont have the evap yet (gettign it tomorrow) so I dont really know how high I need to set it. I guess as long as the putlet is higher than the float box that is good right? I ahve been thinking about how to set the tank. I think for this year using pallets will be the way to go for me. I dont have time to make something permenent and next year I will build a overhang off the back of the saphouse for wood storage etc since right now it is simply pallets and metal roofing covering the wood. I have access to plenty of pallets and I think that this will be the way to for my first year! thanks for the idea!

[allgreenmaple]

Nice thing about how the lapierre head tank sits on the platform, is the main supports sit right on the 6'' x 6'', win win situation, as 321 gallons is some weight for sure....

[adk1]

I put my tank on pallets. 6 altogether I believe to get the height I needed. I leveled them up the best I could with a slight angle toward the valve. I made a larger hole in the tank for ease of cleaning so I cant actually store 200 gallons in it anyways. Should work ouot well for my first year as a buddy of mine gave it to me.

[Ausable]

First off - I believe in overkill - the stronger the better. That said - If You have to use pallets - I would make sure the support wood in them (3"x3" or 4"x4") either lines up or criss-crosses pallet to pallet and I would bolt them together so they become one.

[Shaun]

When building I always try to notch post so that all load are BEARING not SHEAR. You can use 2X12 and if all you do is nail it to your post it is only as strong as your nails. It takes a little extra time, you will have no worries.

[adk1]

Good point in which I didnt do. However, I did use 2 heavy duty ratchet straps cris-crossing them to holed them together. THen I did the same on the tank. so there are 4 of them altogether.

[stoweski]

I actually notched all of the support posts and lag screwed the 2x10's that were attached to them. Went with 4x4's as joists with a 2x6 bolted to the 2x10 under them. I don't think they're going anywhere! The back corners of the tank sit directly over the 6x6 posts while the front is on the 2x10... I had to use my existing posts on the front and they were 6' apart whereas the 6x6's are new and I could place them wherever I wanted.

If this puppy moves I'm going to be surprised. I could probably park my truck on it!

[TunbridgeDave]

We have our 325 gal feed tank sitting on two cantilevered beams outside (which is where it should be) the end of our sugarhouse. We made a couple of 4x8 ash beams and ran them from the center beam in the sugarhouse out over the beam in the end wall and they stick out about 5 feet from the building. There is enough room for the tank and a plank to stand on to wash it and change the sap filters. Works great. We actually have a bulk tank underneath sitting on silo staves that the releaser dumps into. Great use of space!5116

[stoweski]

Dave, you leave the top of your tank uncovered? Ever find anything interesting in there?

My tank is outside but covered by the sugarshack roof extension for my wood pile. I was going to build a tank cover but if the roof will do I'm good with that.

[500592]

Dave how high are you lifting sap to the releaser?

[adk1]

I have mine covered with a piece of plastic. I made a larger hole where the tank was cracked for ease of cleaning. IT is a 200 gal poly truck style tank

[TunbridgeDave]

We extended the roof over our tank so there isn't anything falling in it other than some ash from the stack sometimes. In the off-season we just flip the tank over.

We have our vac pump down in the greenhouse where a fresh supply of water is. That's the pipe you're seeing coming from below. The sap runs into the releaser by gravity.

[Amber Gold]

Wood is stronger than you think, and like someone else said, it's only as strong as your fasteners. I've built a tank stand 8' in the air supported on 4x4's on the outside and the bolted to the SH wall on the inside and it held a 380 gal tank. My current tank stand I think is good for a 1000 gal tank and is two 2x8 stringers w/ a 2x4's @ 12" O.C. deck. The inside is bolted to the SH wall and the outside is bolted to two 6x6 posts which support my shed roof. I'm intending to build another platform just above the tank for another 1000 gal tank. In hindsight, I wish I had notched out the 6x6's for the 2x8 because it would be a stronger connection. The platform's only 6" off the ground, so if needed I can always add some additional support, but I think it should be fine. The upper tank will only be ~4' off the ground. If connecting a beam to a post, use lag bolts at a minimum, notching is better.

[markct]

Here is a picture of how my tank is mounted, its a 200 gallon milk tank, when i framed the RO room addition i put a heavy header of 2x6 doubled up with plywood between them and then made a steel frame from 4 inch channel and 6 inch i beam to make the brackets that reach over the eaves, they are then bolted thru the wall with many half inch bolts and washers, not lag bolts but all the way thru. This picture doesnt show it but there is now a railing and a pole with a light and the tv antenae mounted to it also attached to the frame. I originaly wasnt going to put a railing but standing up on the deck where you would wash the tank it starts to look like a long ways down especialy with a little ice on the deck!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150384535753582&l=b32fc4897c