200 gallon pickup tank, cleanup ? anyone cut the top to make access hatch ?

[smokeyamber]

Ok I have a 200 gallon pickup truck style poly tank that I want to use. I was mostly clean and used previously for moving water. I used a long handled brush and hot water/bleach solution on it once and it is mostly clean now. Question is I don't see how to get it REALLY clean and was wondering if anyone else has made an access hatch on one of these to help with cleaning ? For now I don't need to use this storage since I have my 60gallon barrels, but I would like to if I get a sap torrent have the option.

Loving the new snow here, now I have sap cooling piles ! :D

[wiam]

I got sick of trying to wash mine and cut a 16" round hole dead center on top. My plan was to get a cover like on bigger tanks.................but I have not got there yet. Works great for washing. I use mine for storage of permeate so slosh is not a problem.

[adk1]

I ahve the same tank. yeah, I cut a big hole offcenter of the tap as it had a big star crack there anywyas. I would say 16-20" hole.. Makes it much easier to clean for sure. Unfortunatly, I only have about 140 gallons of capacity now.

[smokeyamber]

So ADK how did you seal up the new hole ? Didn't consider the reduced capacity, but I think I will be ok with that since I have 120 gallons of storage already and only 40 taps... for now.. ;) Not a gathering tank so slosh is not an issue, just critter crawling in and dying in there ... :(

[adk1]

I didnt. I just cover with a tarp

[mike z]

I got a truck tank, and was disappointed that it would not drain completely. This came to my attention as I carved the top opening some to get a pump in it. I wanted all the shavings out. I finally drilled some holes around the lid and tip it upside down to drain. Glad I didn't get a bigger tank; I'd have to have help turning it.

[user587]

I did something similar per attached - not sure if it's the same tank you have or not. 1/16" alum, cut (6) 2" wide arc-shaped pcs to form a circle. Screw (SS screws) alum. to underside of cover, to have proper drainage. Then (3) thumbscrews tapped into tank material to hold down. It works great for me, through rain and snow. Lots of room to reach in and clean with brush on a stick. Then flip the tank over to drain when desired. (I also added a drain in the bottom of the tank, the standard drain leaves sooooo much liquid in the tank)

5507

[smokeyamber]

I did something similar per attached - not sure if it's the same tank you have or not. 1/16" alum, cut (6) 2" wide arc-shaped pcs to form a circle. Screw (SS screws) alum. to underside of cover, to have proper drainage. Then (3) thumbscrews tapped into tank material to hold down. It works great for me, through rain and snow. Lots of room to reach in and clean with brush on a stick. Then flip the tank over to drain when desired. (I also added a drain in the bottom of the tank, the standard drain leaves sooooo much liquid in the tank)

5507

user587, a picture is worth a thousand words, perfect,:cool: I will get to work on it and be able actually clean the sucker now ! Bottom drain will go in when I get it setup in the woods on a platform. Goal it to feed the head tank with it, but first I have to move the shack... For now it stays on the ground for storage and I will pump it out to the headtank.

Thanks again to all for making this thing usable with the quick ideas !:mrgreen:

[Z/MAN]

A fast way to make an opening that you can cover is to set a five gallon white pail on the tank. With a marker trace the round bottom of the pail onto the tank. Now cut out the round opening in tank and then cut the bottom off the pail. Now set the pail which is tapered into the opening and you have a sealed opening and you can use the pail lid to close it.

[Dennis H.]

I did exactly what Z/Man did but with a 55 gal drum on its side and I used a 2 gal pail as the access hole.

The only thing I did differently is that I left the bottom on the pail and drilled a bunch of 1" holes in it.
It acts sort of like a slosh baffle to keep the sap from splashing up and poping the lid off. I don't snap my lid on.

I guess a plus to cutting the bottom out would be that the pail would more easily shape itself to the not so perfect cut circle.

[Ragged View]

Great cover solution.
When you put the drain in the bottom of your tank, did you put the tank up on legs/skids to accommodate the drain? If so, how?
Also , where did you find those thumb screws for the top?
Thanks,
Mark

[whalems]

(I also added a drain in the bottom of the tank, the standard drain leaves sooooo much liquid in the tank)

Do you have pics of the drain you installed?

[smokeyamber]

A fast way to make an opening that you can cover is to set a five gallon white pail on the tank. With a marker trace the round bottom of the pail onto the tank. Now cut out the round opening in tank and then cut the bottom off the pail. Now set the pail which is tapered into the opening and you have a sealed opening and you can use the pail lid to close it.

This may be my setup mainly becuse I will be filling this tank from buckets and from my long mainline connected to dumpstations. The bucket can have a filter cloth on it and sounds real easy to open it up and fill. I may also make the more pemament cover as well for off season storage. Great ideas and much appreciated ! :D

[Z/MAN]

This may be my setup mainly becuse I will be filling this tank from buckets and from my long mainline connected to dumpstations. The bucket can have a filter cloth on it and sounds real easy to open it up and fill. I may also make the more pemament cover as well for off season storage. Great ideas and much appreciated ! :D

I cut just the top few inches off another pail and installed a filter in it and I just drop it into the new opening in the tank and use it for dumping buckets. Real easy to remove and clean!

[user587]

For the bottom drain, I used McMaster p/n 36895K112 http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/115/=ggif5x

No pix of the bottom drain, maybe later, getting busy with sap though :). The drain is simply a hole drilled in the bottom of the tank, installed near the standard drain. My tank floor is domed upward in the center, so I put the floor drain near the perimeter. I put the long side of the drain fitting down (out of the tank) for best draining.

The tank is up on a platform - it's my head tank, just outside the building, approx. 8' off the ground.

For the screws, I used McMaster 91185A941 http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/3094/=ggihbe

I also like the bucket-style opening, and use it for many various collecting barrels. But for the larger head tank, the bigger opening is a lot better for quick and easy cleaning. See photo of the bucket-style opening with debris filter.5529

[Ragged View]

Thanks for the info/sources User587.
So is there any type of adhesive that would work on one of those poly tanks that would allow attaching, say, 4x4 skids to give room for a bottom drain & give it some protection as the tank gets moved around, in and out of a truck?
Thanks,
Mark

[Z/MAN]

For the bottom drain, I used McMaster p/n 36895K112 http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/115/=ggif5x

No pix of the bottom drain, maybe later, getting busy with sap though :). The drain is simply a hole drilled in the bottom of the tank, installed near the standard drain. My tank floor is domed upward in the center, so I put the floor drain near the perimeter. I put the long side of the drain fitting down (out of the tank) for best draining.

The tank is up on a platform - it's my head tank, just outside the building, approx. 8' off the ground.

For the screws, I used McMaster 91185A941 http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/3094/=ggihbe

I also like the bucket-style opening, and use it for many various collecting barrels. But for the larger head tank, the bigger opening is a lot better for quick and easy cleaning. See photo of the bucket-style opening with debris filter.5529

WOW! When that tank is full the front wheels must be three feet off the ground:o

[pamaple]

This is a good idea. I have two 425 gal tanks that I hate to clean and are impossible to get perfectly clean. I will be cutting holes I the top like the picture so that they are easy to clean.

[user587]

WOW! When that tank is full the front wheels must be three feet off the ground:o

well of course you see the 3 buckets counterweight on the front, right? :)

When the terrain was decent, I would fill the rear tank half full (25) and 3 full buckets on the front for 40 gal total load - a full load for sure.

[user587]

Attached are pics of the added drain, and the overall feed tank installation.
55555556

[adk1]

that is a serious platform there. I have the same tank. I like the drain idea. I did the same thing with installing that fitting directly in the bottom. but I didnt use rigid pipe like you are, I used clear poly tubing and used pipe clamps etc

[smokeyamber]

Follow-up to my original post, I cut the hole, installed the bucket and it is great !! Thanks to everyone and hope your seasons went well !