RO/DI Barrels - top or no top?

[mcarroll]

The plastic is already saturated with vinegar smell from the original contents, so I don't know I'd add any more unless you really like that smell.

Once it's physically clean (washed and rinsed), there's nothing to leach out that's harmful...and I think after a few RODI fills the smell should subside.

 

[Johnseye]

Top. You'll get evaporation. If you store FW not that big of a deal, if SW that will change your salinity. I've also read somewhere about co2 exchange. At least I think it was co2. People tend to seal up water storage pretty tight. I've done the same for good practice. You also may get airborne contaminants, dust, whatever.

 

[DLHDesign]

I've got two of those exact tanks. One of mine had soy-sauce in it :-(, the other vinegar.
I've got a background in homebrewing, so cleaning out nasty gunk from sealed containers (kegs) is nothing new. To clean out my barrels, I used some PBW - which is a food-safe cleaner that is pretty good at breaking down organics and such that cause all sorts of bad things to happen in beer - or tank water. The vinegar took a single rinsing - about 25% full, dump in PBW (whatever the instructions say + 50%), then roll the barrel around for a while (30min?) and then I rinsed it and left it in the sun for a few days (broke down the vinegar faster). The soy-sauce barrel was more difficult - it took 3 such treatments and the sun didn't help at all (perhaps because it's a blue barrel, or perhaps because soy sauce uses better sunscreen... IDK...). Letting the barrel sit with wash water in it for a few hours can help too.

The bulkheads should unscrew to give you two ~2-3" openings, which I found was enough to work with. You can also "drill" out the middle section to get a 3/4" threaded connection both inside and out - handy for if you want to tip the barrels on their side - as I did. Check out my build thread for pics... somewhere in there.

 

[PlanB]

I've got two of those exact tanks. One of mine had soy-sauce in it :-(, the other vinegar.
I've got a background in homebrewing, so cleaning out nasty gunk from sealed containers (kegs) is nothing new. To clean out my barrels, I used some PBW - which is a food-safe cleaner that is pretty good at breaking down organics and such that cause all sorts of bad things to happen in beer - or tank water. The vinegar took a single rinsing - about 25% full, dump in PBW (whatever the instructions say + 50%), then roll the barrel around for a while (30min?) and then I rinsed it and left it in the sun for a few days (broke down the vinegar faster). The soy-sauce barrel was more difficult - it took 3 such treatments and the sun didn't help at all (perhaps because it's a blue barrel, or perhaps because soy sauce uses better sunscreen... IDK...). Letting the barrel sit with wash water in it for a few hours can help too.

The bulkheads should unscrew to give you two ~2-3" openings, which I found was enough to work with. You can also "drill" out the middle section to get a 3/4" threaded connection both inside and out - handy for if you want to tip the barrels on their side - as I did. Check out my build thread for pics... somewhere in there.

@DLHDesign Found it! I just got the exact same tank too! Today as a matter a fact. I just have to wait for friends to help with the tank. You know how many people it takes to lift that thing?

 

[DLHDesign]

You know how many people it takes to lift that thing?

Four of us pulled it from the back of my SUV to the stand; I only had a few steps to go up and we had no special tools.

 

[AZDesertRat]

If I had the room I would use open head poly drums. The removable lids are great when you need to get inside to install float switches, to add bags or buckets and when you need to clean them out.
http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/New-Drums.html

 

[Willz]

If I had the room I would use open head poly drums. The removable lids are great when you need to get inside to install float switches, to add bags or buckets and when you need to clean them out.
http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/New-Drums.html

Nice. I would have paid that to avoid having to clean them...

 

[MaccaPopEye]

I have 2 of these barrels and cut holes in the top and then epoxied on some wide mouth lids that had gaskets. I will post a pic when I get home from work. Keeps them air tight and easy to access.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

As promised here is what I did with mine. I have 2 of them that were used to store vinegar. One is going to be for RO and the other for salt water plumbed together to be a mixing station.

The lid can off of a food safe water storage container and I sealed it on with the same epoxy putty we usually use in our tanks.

 

[harley3]

If I had the room I would use open head poly drums. The removable lids are great when you need to get inside to install float switches, to add bags or buckets and when you need to clean them out.
http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/New-Drums.html

That is where I bought mine. Those guys are great!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Detergents and soaps should not penetrate the plastic (they have a charged or very polar end to them that won't want to enter a plastic, which is hydrophobic and not a good "solvent" for them), while perfumes and scents put into detergents can readily penetrate plastic but generally would not be a big concern in a reef (IMO)

I'd rinse well with warm/hot water, but not use the smell as a guide. The ability to make any bubbles in it might be a better gauge of residual detergent.

 

[Phil Cusimano]

I just bought two 55 gal barrels off craigslist for my RO/DI water, and I was wondering if it would be good to keep the top intact and use the fittings it has, or if I should cut the tops off. Thinking that it would be a lot easier to deal with if the tops were off, but maybe there is a good reason to keep them? Any advice, experience with this?

Top on! I have two 55 gal vinegar barrels, of course, they have screw on tops. so on the RO/DI one I have a 1/4 fitting with a tee feeding both barrels. But the second barrel is where I mix salt, so on that one, I have a uniseal just large enough to run heater and powerheads. Also, both have float switches but that's my setup in the basement keeps any dust from getting into the water supply. Just sharing for what it's worth.

 

[RobBaglieri]

You could cut a large square out of the top with a jig saw and use a hinge to open and close it. Slice tubing down its length and slide it on the cut plastic lid as a gasket.

 

[PlanB]

If I had the room I would use open head poly drums. The removable lids are great when you need to get inside to install float switches, to add bags or buckets and when you need to clean them out.
http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/New-Drums.html

If shipping to FL is reasonable... this looks like a perfect solution.

 

[PlanB]

You could cut a large square out of the top with a jig saw and use a hinge to open and close it. Slice tubing down its length and slide it on the cut plastic lid as a gasket.

These barrels you can also cut the top a few inches from the end, where it is slightly narrower than the remaining barrel top, enabling it to "wedge back in" after you cut it, like a proper lid. I like your idea of making a gasket.

 

[mcarroll]

Unless you can use/move a pallet of 8 barrels, you gotta look harder on craigslist...

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/grd/5750354550.html

from this search that has quite a few options:
http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=rain+barrel&sort=rel

 

[mcarroll]

And @PlanB I forgot to mention much earlier that your sig had me rolling when I first saw it.

 

[PlanB]

Unless you can use/move a pallet of 8 barrels, you gotta look harder on craigslist...

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/grd/5750354550.html

from this search that has quite a few options:
http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=rain+barrel&sort=rel

I wish i saw the ones with removable tops before I bought the ones I have now!! :mad:

And @PlanB I forgot to mention much earlier that your sig had me rolling when I first saw it.

Wish I could take credit, I stole this one from a comedian - forget which. One of my favorites

 

[mcarroll]

What's the big deal, as long as you didn't pay too much? Re-sell them or make rain barrels out of them! Or planters. Or... (And again – I see no issue with using them as-is for RODI storage.)