IBC caged tanks

[PerryFamily]

Looking for some help hooking multiple tanks together.

Looking to link 3 tanks together to feed my RO with raw sap ( not ideal I know but just gotta get through this year). I have one already that has male pipe threads in the valve already. Just picked up 3 more and assumed they also had male pipe threads, ( u know what assuming does ), these have a really coarse male thread, BALLS!!

Any idea on adapting to these threads?

My other thought was to tap the inside of the valve and just use a male adapter.

Open to suggestions, thanks in advance.

[JAMIE]

Hi,
If you have very coarse threads they are 2 inch buttress threads.i just hooked up to sets of tanks together and got the fittings from US Plactics.you need to order 2" buttress x 2" male NPT fittings and adapte from there.Make sure to put a valve in the line after theres just in case! The whole thing was very easy after you figure out what fitting combs you need.the fitting cost 13.94 @ and they can be purchased on line at www.usplastics.com.i set mine up with cam locks to dismantle the lines for cleaning.this company also has great pricing on banjo made cam locks.good luck i hope this helps.

[PerryFamily]

Jamie- Sounds like just what I am looking for. My other thought was to cut the adapter that came with it and use a fernco / no hub connection.
Thank you.

[JAMIE]

make sure to look at all the tanks close as some of these tanks also come with 2" npt threads from the factory.They make for a nice cheap set up and with the skid built into the bottom they at sure nice to move with the skidsteer with forks.

[farmall h]

PerryFamily will the tank accept a camlok fitting at the valve? I am in the same situation of hooking 3 tanks inline. Not sure of the brand I have but they have the plastic ball valve that will accept a 2"(?) camlok fitting. Have not measured it yet...just put them in the sugar house.

[JAMIE]

farmall h,

In all my looking i was unable to locate a 2" buttress threaded cam lock fitting.Thats not to say they are not out there.I reduced mine down to one inch and paralleled the tanks.Mine feed the head tank so i think the one inch will be fine.

[PerryFamily]

Jamie / Farmall- no these do not have a camlock fitting. But I did look at the us plastics site and they do have adapters from buttress x female camlock. Not sure the size of the camlock though.

The "ballvalve" in these tanks, do you trust them? Wondering if once full, will the static pressure cause them to leak?

I got mine in western Mass. Had a soy material in them. They cleaned up really well. Hoping to give them a final hot water douche tomorrow.

I have noticed alot of tanks for sale ranging from $125-$160. I paid $95. Maybe the threads / cleanliness justify the price difference? Dunno.

for the price, maneuverability ( with forks as well ) and availability, they will for sure work for a season.

[JAMIE]

I paid $100 each for mine.No i don't trust the ball valve that comes with the tank.I question how well it would work over the long run.One thing i notice with mine is that the colder it got out side the stiffer it got.Hard to turn,thats why i put a ball valve after the tank valve.Would not be a good scene if the tank was full of sap and you could not open or shut it in a hurry!

[Paul VT]

I agree. Don't trust the valve. The do tend to leak.

I have a cage tank that I use to feed my evaporator. How do I know if it is a IBC tank? I need to get a fitting for it because the contraption I use now works for 1/2 inch line but I need to go to 3/4. So I need to get fittings that attach. On the outside of where the valve goes into tank it appears to have male threads. Does the valve unthread from the tank? I tried turning it out by hand but I don't want to break the tank? There is a plate on the cage that says FLOBOX. Any help is always appreciated.

[heus]

Atkinsons in Ontario had all kinds of cage tank fittings when I bought a tank from them 3-4 years ago.

[maple flats]

A company by the name "Basco" also has fittings. You will find lower prices from companies that don't cater to maple producers. For the IBC tanks you use, make sure you know what was in them. It must be a food item and you are far better off if it was a mild flavored item. Good ones to get had fruit juice concentrates such as apple or orange, cooking oils such as canola, safflower, or even vanilla extract. Strong flavored things can show up in the syrup flavor. A tank with an unknown history are to be avoided.

[68bird]

The tank I picked up is a Sultz. Had food preservitave in it.No smell at all! I need fittings also. Basco's site is very good. Cheap money too!

[heus]

Good point with Basco. I have ordered from them, too.

[blac]

I took a 2" cam lock cap and drilled a hole in it and used a 3/4 hose fitting threaded on both sides and put a backer nut on the back of the cap, you can use any size you want up to 11/4 the gasket comes with the cap. A little teflon on the threads and no leaks so far..

[Kngowods]

We just bought 4 275 gal for $50 ea they had some sort of syrup in them I would have to read the label to know exactly what it was. 2 are 2"npt and 2 are the buttress thread we are gonna try a rubber coupling to go over the thread seams like it will work if that doesn't work Lexington container.com has the fitting for $8.

[Paul VT]

Is your tank a IBC? I have a tank and it says FLUBOX. Wondering if it is a IBC. The valve I have looks a little different then the ones I have seen online.

[Kngowods]

Me? I'm pretty sure they all say IBC.

[Paul VT]

Me? I'm pretty sure they all say IBC.
I have also seen tanks that are schutz. I hope they all use the same threads. I guess I will find out when I order and receive the fittings that I need.

[RunInCircles]

Kngowods, I tried clamping a coupling over the buttress threads on mine. I'll never know how much sap I lost from the leak. I did remedy the problem with a LOT of teflon tape between the threads, but I wish I'd known the name in order to come up with the proper fitting.

As far as I know IBC isn't a brand, but rather a category of shipping container: Intermediate Bulk Container. The fittings vary. Thanks to those who share your success stories with Basco. I'll check 'em out.

[Kngowods]

Thanks ill have to try it

[David in MI]

I have also seen tanks that are schutz. I hope they all use the same threads. I guess I will find out when I order and receive the fittings that I need.

The Schutz tanks have different threads on them than most others.

[RunInCircles]

I found this from Basco; a good resource:

http://www.bascousa.com/images/smartbuys/components%20compiled%20book%20WITH%20LINK.pdf

[RunInCircles]

So I'm trying to set myself up with this system to quickly switch between tanks:

6414
(My IBCs do have a valve built in, but I do not trust it. I want backup to protect precious sap!)

In searching for such fittings I found the reference table on this page:

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/storage/bins-totes-containers/containers-ibc/s60x6-female-buttress-x-2-male-npt-pipe-thread-ibc-valve

From what I gather, you'll want to match your IBC manufacturer to its respective type of Buttress thread. As I have Schultz, I'm looking for S75x6 Buttress fittings.

Hope this helps others...


Another question I've had is in regards to Camlock vs. Quick Disconnect (QD). I've seen both mentioned, so are the terms just being used interchangeably?

[Yellzee]

6928

Is this the 2 inch buttress connection?

[maple flats]

No, that looks more like NPT (National Pipe Thread,) or a non taper similar thread, thus the gasket. A buttress thread is very course, like 2 or 3 deep threads in the entire length of the nipple sticking out of the tank valve, something like 3 or 4 per inch.

[Yellzee]

the cap threads nicely onto a 2" male NPT fitting I have, so it must be 2" NPT.... hopefully not NPS

[David in MI]

I have 10 of the IBC tanks made by Shutz. Before purchasing your fittings make sure that you verify that they will fit your tank. I don't know about the others but the earlier poster was correct, Schutz tanks do have different fittings. I get mine from Dayton Industrial Drum (Global Industrial does not carry fittings for the Schutz tanks). My contact is Dave K and his number is (937) 253-8933.

I use mine as collection tanks for our gravity tubes, transport tanks in my dump trailer and a transfer tank on the 3-pt hitch of the tractor. I've only used them a single season but have not yet had any leaks from the valves.

[Paul VT]

I have a shutz tank. It has buttress threads. I recently got fittings for mine through the Cary company. They were very helpful and researched this for me.

[MillbrookMaple]

We have 10 IBC tanks around the farm and they have several different types of connectors. My favorite ones have male cam locks right on the valve. Some have NPT threads and for the odd ball ones I just put a Fernco style rubber fitting on it and put a cam lock end on them. On those I also put a second valve on them because the design of the valve with those tanks is terrible. I can get those fittings at my local hardware store and have not had a leak in the last 4 years.

[RunInCircles]

Yes, that's what I ended up doing as well. Filled in the massive threads with a generous quantity of Teflon tape, 2" flexible coupling, 2" to 3/4 NPT thread, 3/4" Camlock...and it's not leaking...yet. I'm just hoping ice doesn't clog up all those fittings. I'll post a picture when I can.

I ordered two ball valves from Global Industrial that didn't end up fitting, but weren't cost effective to send back. The customer service rep was kind enough to give me a credit anyway so I'm only out the initial shipping charge. Kudos to that; more Camlocks in my future sometime...

[Yellzee]

I actually unthreaded the valve from the tank and there was a butress
Fitting on the tank. Swapped the valve for one with a butress at one end and camlock end and im in business.