automatic milk (BULK) tank washer

[mrnorthshore]

How does every one wash there bulk sap tanks?
I have a 1500 gallon bulk tank, and we use a power washer to clean it every couple days or so.
I am looking at making some sort of automatic washer hooked up to a shallow well pump and use RO water to clean the tank.
Does anyone have anything like this set up on there bulk tanks?
My bulk tank has a stainless steel sprayer (round ball with holes in it) but nothing else.
Any help would be great.
Thanks

[Clinkis]

There are actual bulk tank washers. I know we had one when we were still milking cows. Not really sure where you would find one though. A dairy equipment supplier?

[maple maniac65]

Hot water and a brush

[Chip Burner]

I have a 3000 gallon dairy tank. For several years I have used a pop up lawn sprinkler mounted upside down in the center hole in top of tank. I save a couple hundred gallons of water from steamaway. As soon as the tank is empty I change position of 2 valves and turn on my shallow well pump that I transfer sap int big tank. Works great.

Jim

[wiam]

I would hook up a pump to the sprayball that is in it and see how it cleans it.

[MapleReid]

Climb in with a brush and a hose. Nothing works as well.

[maple flats]

I use permeate water and a pump (3/4 HP SS sprinkler 1" booster pump, connected to a hose with spray nozzle). If I wash it soon after emptying it works great. If it dries, I need to use my pressure washer. I do this on all my sap tanks each time I empty them.

[Tweegs]

I adapted the drain line of my permeate tank to accept a garden hose.
Run the hose to the pressure washer.
The permeate tank is on a platform about a foot above ground and with half a tank (150 gallons)
of permeate, there’s plenty of head to keep the pressure washer supplied.

[BreezyHill]

I have found that the old fashioned bulk tank brush on a long handle and permeate with peroxide works the best for our tanks. as soon as emptied we dump in 5-10 gallons of permeate and add the peroxide. brush the tank down, repeat a brush down in 15 minutes and rinse in another 15 is ideal. If there is not that much time then brush down with solution rinse with permeate. Another that worked well is brush down and same sprayer for washing the lines is used to spray peroxide solution on the tank walls and let stand as long as you can and rinse.

Some days it is a permeate only brush down and a sap rinse and close the valve. 30 minute contact time with the solution kills best but some days there is no time for that.

[mrnorthshore]

Thanks for all the great info!
I might just try and hook up the spray ball that came with the tank to a 1 hp pump I have and see how that works.
If it does not clean good I like the idea of the pop up lawn sprinkler mounted upside down in the tank.

Thanks again
Paul