Water tank made from boards. Welding a water tank with your own hands

home

Systems

A pond at the dacha is not only beautiful element garden design, but also a serious structure that will require the owner of the site to have some skills and abilities in its construction. At first glance, it seems that the process of creating an artificial reservoir can be simplified if you purchase a ready-made container. Whether this is true or not, let's try to figure it out.

Features of creating a reservoir in the country

If natural bodies of water are formed by Mother Nature herself, then when creating artificial pond In any case, significant effort will be required:

you need to dig a pit, the shape of which will depend either on the contours of the container or on the planned “coastline” of the artificial reservoir;
the walls must be stepped and reinforced;
When creating a pond, it is better to avoid strict, straight lines - this way it will look more natural. Finished containers are mainly made in the form of multi-level bowls with smooth, rounded contours of irregular shape;

Advantages and disadvantages of a pond made from ready-made molds

Artificial bowls have long been used in the construction of reservoirs on the site. They have a lot of advantages.

Availability– there is a wide variety of any shapes, colors on sale, and the containers themselves are made of different materials, from expensive and durable to cheap and light.
Speed of installation– the finished container is lowered into a pre-prepared pit, and then work follows to fill the pond with water and decorate it.
Long service life– with proper care, plastic molds can last more than 20 years.
Easy to install- this is the easiest option for organizing a reservoir on a personal plot; it will require minimal effort.
Easy operation– ready-made containers are easier to clean, and you can easily organize lighting there or otherwise make the reservoir original.

There are also disadvantages to ready-made containers.

You can't change the shape of a body of water– while filling up part of the pond is still theoretically possible, expanding the static form will not work.
Dependence on weather factors– cheap plastic can crack in severe frost or become unusable in bright sun, and generally due to temperature changes.

Plastic is easier to damage during installation and during operation. Although modern forms are quite durable, no one is immune from troubles.
In similar containers It’s more difficult to breed fish and plants.
Price. Large containers are quite expensive, the same applies to molds for ponds made of fiberglass or butyl rubber.

Advantages and disadvantages of a reservoir dug yourself

It is not easy to build such a reservoir. But it has a lot of advantages.

Can dig a pond of any shape and depth. There are no barriers for you, with the possible exception of the size of the plot. Absolute creative freedom, which will allow you to create your own work of design art.
Creation costs film pond lower than when purchasing a ready-made container.
Film-based reservoirs are also resistant to temperature changes, sun and frost.
Concrete ponds have absolute strength and reliability.
It is possible to select non-toxic materials and keep them in a pond alive organisms.

When creating an artificial reservoir with your own hands, difficulties often arise. Here are the most typical ones.

All work has to be done from scratch– mark the outlines of the future pond, dig a hole, strengthen the walls, decorate the pond and “revive” it.
Materials and tools will need to be purchased separately. The worst thing is if by the start of construction you have nothing at all.

Reservoirs made from ready-made materials can have a wide variety of shapes:

square;
oval;
rectangular;
round;
arbitrary.

Materials from which ready-made molds are made:

butyl rubber;
plastic;
fiberglass;
cast iron or steel (if the basis of the pond becomes, for example, old bath).

Ready-made plastic ponds

For the production of plastic reservoirs they use polyethylene, pressed under high pressure, or PVC. Plastic pools can have any length, width, depth, color and configuration. The volume of artificial plastic reservoirs ranges from 150 to 2500 liters.

They are installed on small areas and in cases where they do not want to pay special attention to decor.

Main advantages reservoirs made of plastic are:

lightness and strength;
ease of installation;
sufficient service life (10-15 years);
ease of care.

Among shortcomings plastic containers we note the following:

cheap plastic cracks from the sun and frost;
small volumes and the inability to expand the reservoir;
high cost of high-quality containers;
unnatural appearance.

Features of installation of plastic reservoirs

The first thing you need to do is choose appropriate place, to which sunlight would only fall for a few hours a day. Otherwise, the pond will quickly “bloom.” There should be no trees, bushes or other sources of additional debris nearby.

For reliable installation Once the reservoir is ready, you need to perform a number of simple steps:

Draw the outlines of the future pond on the soil. The easiest way is to turn the shape over and trace it along the contour;
After this, remove the bowl and draw a line 20-25 cm from the one already drawn;
Dig a hole along the contour of the second line and 20-30 cm more than the depth of the container;
Remove roots and stones from the hole and compact the walls thoroughly;
Fill the bottom of the hole with 20-30 cm of sand (which we left “in reserve”) and compact it. The edge of the form must exactly coincide with the ground level, and the base must be strictly horizontal. For accurate measurements, use a level;
Fill the remaining space between the container and the walls of the pit with sand. Do this gradually, thoroughly rinsing with water every 20-30 cm of layer;
At the same time, start filling the container with water, since it is flexible and easily deformed. Continue the filling procedure until the bowl is stable and level in the hole;
Fill your makeshift pond to the brim with fresh water and decorate it with stones and other decorative elements.

Don't forget to change the water periodically plastic pond, because it is standing and begins to “bloom” quickly.

This video demonstrates the simplest scheme for installing a pond from ready-made form. Particular attention is paid to choosing a location, marking contours, digging a pit and filling with water.

Differences between fiberglass ponds

Fiberglass containers come in a wide variety of volumes (up to 6,000 liters). Their distinctive features are:

increased strength and ability to last up to 30 years;
environmentally friendly material, you can even breed fish in such containers;
maintainability;
immunity to UV radiation and resistance to severe frosts.

The technology for installing fiberglass ponds is no different from installing conventional plastic containers.

Bath pond

Baths, produced back in Soviet times, were made of cast iron - a material resistant to high and low temperatures. Therefore, an old bathtub may well become the basis for your future pond. Besides the fact that it will cost you completely free, it has several advantages:

cast iron baths very durable and last almost forever;
the enamel of such a bath is durable and resistant to aggressive liquids, not to mention plain water;
the cast iron bath does not rattle when filling with water;
turning it into a pond is easier than using any other option.

At the same time, using a bathtub as the base of a pond is not always preferable:

transporting a bathtub weighing 50-150 kg to the dacha is quite problematic;
The enamel coating of the bathtub is very fragile if dropped heavy object, in the place where the crack appears, corrosion and destruction of the enamel will occur over time;
bathtubs, as a rule, have the same rectangular shape, so the pond will not look entirely natural.

Subtleties of installing a bathtub as a pond

First of all, seal the bathtub drain hole tightly - you will no longer need it. The further algorithm of actions looks like this:

dig a pit according to the shape of the available container with a margin of 10-15 cm;
lower the bathtub into the hole and use a level to determine that it is strictly horizontal;
carefully fill the pit and thoroughly compact the surface and seal the cracks;
The inner sides must be treated with ceramic tile adhesive. Then you need to wait until the glue dries, covering the bathroom from moisture and debris;
after the glue has dried, lay a chain-link mesh around the perimeter of the bathroom;
then apply a cement-sand mixture to the mesh;
The process is completed by inlaying decorative stones, tiles or gravel.

The glue is applied in order to give the surface the natural color of the bottom of the reservoir, so it is even good if it is applied in an uneven layer.

Film-based pond

Among reservoirs that are built with your own hands, the first most popular is considered to be a film-based pond. His advantages are obvious:

thanks to the film “bottom”, the reservoir can be given absolutely any shape and depth;
over time, the outlines of the reservoir can be adjusted;
the material is subject to restoration and restoration, damage is eliminated without special costs;
the film is frost-resistant.

However, film reservoirs also have flaws:

the film is easy to damage (cut, tear) during cleaning and installation;
the edges of the film that lie on the surface can “melt” from the hot sun;
the folded film bottom requires additional “camouflage”;
if a large reservoir is planned, then the film will have to be glued in several places.

Secrets of creating a pond from film

With the right approach, a film pond can last more than 10 years. In addition to the film itself, a shovel and tools for marking, you will need geotextiles or felt, means for repairing the film and a little artificial materials for the "coastal" zone. The process of creating a pond from film consists of seven simple steps.

First of all, mark the contours of the future reservoir on the ground, giving it any shape and depth.
When digging a pit, alternate ledges and “thresholds” - this gives the banks strength and the earth will not crumble. The width of the “threshold” is about 30 cm, the slope is 45-50 degrees.
Dig a pit 15-20 cm deeper than the expected depth of the reservoir - this reserve is needed for compacting crushed stone (5 cm layer) and sand (10 cm).
Clear the bottom of roots and stones and line it with geotextile or special felt. Constantly compact the bottom.
Keep the film in direct sunlight for 2 hours and begin to overlap the bottom with it. It is advisable that the pit be covered with a single piece of film. If a whole piece is not enough, glue the individual parts together with a special PVC glue for film.
Lay out the film as evenly as possible. Fill the pond a third with water, after 2-3 hours – another third, and after another 3 hours, finally fill the pond with water. This is necessary so that the film gradually stretches under the weight of water.
Trim the excess pieces of film around the edges and start decorating - lay stones along the coastline, launch representatives of flora and fauna and enjoy the beautiful view.

The video shows the stages of creating and strengthening a simple pond on a film basis.

Concrete pond

A concrete pond belongs to the category of structures that are built “to last forever.” This is caused by a number of reasons:

concrete has incredible strength and durability;
the reservoir can be given any shape;
Concrete pond is easy to maintain;
concrete structures are compatible with any engineering equipment;
low cost of cement.

However, concrete ponds also have certain flaws:

building a concrete bowl is quite difficult;
additional treatment with frost-resistant agent and liquid glass is required;

Algorithm for building a concrete pond

If you're ready to surprise the world with an in-ground concrete pool, then... preparatory work should look like this:

dig a pit with a margin of 20-25 cm necessary to compact the bottom (make the walls of the pit with a slope of 20-30 degrees);
do not forget to make ledges (thresholds) to enhance the strength of the structure;
remove remaining roots and small stones;
fill the bottom with a 15 cm layer of crushed stone and compact it;
lay down waterproofing coating, starting from the center of the pit to the surface of the earth.

The composition must be mixed in a ratio of 3:1 (three parts sand to one part cement);
the quantity should be enough to completely fill the pit in at least one layer (6-7 cm thick);
make a mesh of wire and reinforcement with a cell diameter (7-10 cm);
press the mesh into the unhardened concrete so that its edges protrude slightly above the coating;
after the layer of concrete reinforced with reinforcement has dried, prepare a new solution;
moisten the walls of the pit with water and pour a second layer of concrete 5-6 cm thick;
level the bottom and walls of the concrete bowl;
let the concrete harden, and then apply a layer of liquid glass.

As you can see, each type of reservoir has its own advantages and disadvantages. Which one to choose is up to you.

specials.usadbaonline.ru

Advantages and disadvantages

There are many advantages to such a pit (or septic tank for sewerage), and all of them are of great importance for the profitability and safety of the sewerage system.

A plastic container is:

absolute tightness;
safety for nature and people (the soil remains clean);
independence from power supply;
the ability to choose any volume convenient for the owners;
light weight - the septic tank blank can be lifted and installed without any problems;
resistance of the material to aggressive environments and corrosion;
ease of installation (the walls of the container can be easily sawed to connect pipes);
low cost.

The owners include the following disadvantages:

the likelihood of the tank floating during periods of spring floods;
danger of compression, deformation and cracks in winter period when the soil freezes:
the need for regular sewage disposal activities;
the appearance of an unpleasant odor - waste decomposes through the process of natural decay.

However, with a reasonable approach and care in operation, owners can avoid any troubles with a plastic container. In fact, the advantages of plastic cover all its possible disadvantages. This is a cheap and quite practical structure that helps solve the problem with sewage waste.

What to choose?

Make your choice suitable container made of plastic or polymers is quite simple. The main selection parameters are working volume and strength.

For a family of three to four people, a container with a capacity of 2,500-3,000 liters is sufficient. It will allow you not only to wash the dishes and take a shower, but also to install a washing machine, dishwasher, bath.

As for strength, preference should be given to products with a wall and bottom thickness of at least 1.2-1.5 centimeters. The safety margin will allow the container to resist soil pressure. And sufficient weight will keep it in the soil. True, for greater reliability, it is still better to further strengthen the container.

Two options are suitable for the needs of the owners.

Plastic barrels

Regular plastic barrels with a capacity of 200 liters. To increase the working volume, it is necessary to connect two or three barrels in series using overflow pipes. The total volume of sewage should be three times less than the working volume of these storage wells! On average, one person consumes 200-400 liters of water per day.

Eurocubes

For large families and cottages best choice will become a European cube. Now you can find waste containers of this type and purchase them at a very affordable price. Sectional ones are also assembled from Eurocubes storage septic tanks. Resourceful owners complicate the design by adding a compressor and an aerator. The result is complete wastewater treatment plants at a budget price, but with good functionality and efficiency. The main advantage of any Eurocube is its shape and sufficient capacity. Rectangular corners allow owners to save on excavation work. After all, when installing barrels or tanks, you have to remove “extra” soil in large volumes.

Principle of operation

Any plastic container functions simply. Waste accumulates in it and gradually settles. In the silt that has settled to the bottom, natural processes of decay begin - they begin to work anaerobic bacteria. As a result, a characteristic smell appears near the sewer drain - this is one of the obvious disadvantages of such a system.

As the tank is filled, the liquid and bottom sludge are pumped out using sewage disposal equipment. To save on calling specialists, you can install a structure with several sections that allow the water to settle several times and be purified as much as possible. From the last container, the liquid flows by gravity to the filtration field or into a filter well with a reliable natural filter at the bottom (sand, crushed stone, peat, etc.).

Filtration into the ground is prohibited if the wastewater contains harmful chemical impurities or fecal matter. The entry of hazardous substances into the soil can cause infectious diseases or poisoning among residents of the house.

Construction device

The containers are placed in the pit in stages - the first one is always higher than the next one. That The same principle applies to overflow pipes. The incoming pipe is located 20 centimeters above the outgoing pipe. This design ensures high-quality movement of liquids by gravity. The liquid that enters the sewer naturally fills the first container, and then pours into the second, and so on.

The containers are installed on a sand cushion at least 20 centimeters thick. During installation, backfill is used using a mixture of sand and cement. On top there is a ceiling with hatches and ventilation pipes(for each individual section with a diameter of 11 centimeters).

How to choose materials?

When choosing building material You must first pay attention to its quality.

The container must be solid and not chipped or cracked. The optimal wall thickness is from 1.2 centimeters. But the main attention is paid, of course, to calculating the working volume. So for a family of three you can install three Eurocubes with a total capacity of 3,000 liters. Three cubic meters of volume will make the life of the owners as comfortable as possible.

It is allowed to use used containers without signs of wear.

Their purchase will save the family budget.

How to install?

To carry out installation work, a minimum of tools are required:

shovel and bayonet shovel;
grinder and drill for making technical holes.

The list of main components and materials is much wider. You will need:

glue suitable for working with plastic;
sealant;
clamps for connecting pipes;
sand and cement;
cables for fastening containers;
the containers themselves;
flanges and couplings;
plastic pipes (diameter 11 cm);
pipes for arranging ventilation (sewage pipes may also be suitable).

Installation work includes the following steps:

Containers are being prepared. Holes for pipes are cut. The input is located 20 cm from the top edge, and the output is 40 centimeters - this provides the height difference necessary for proper operation. Holes for ventilation pipes are also prepared.
A pit of suitable dimensions is dug. Sand is poured onto its bottom. If additional fastening of the containers is planned, the bottom is filled with concrete. At the same time, metal loops are installed to secure the cables.
The containers are lowered into the prepared pit and secured to the bottom. Pipes are connected and ventilation is installed. All joints are carefully treated with sealant.
Backfilling is in progress. You can use sand, but it is better to backfill with a mixture of sand and cement (five to one ratio). The containers must be partially filled with water to equalize the external pressure from the soil!
The roof of the building is insulated mineral wool, which will ensure uninterrupted operation of the sewage system during the cold season.

Typical mistakes when performing installation work is:

no slope of pipes towards septic tanks;
the presence of multiple bends and turns, which increases the risk of system clogging.

Price issue

Eurocubes are widely used in industry for transporting various liquids. Therefore, you can purchase used products for a price of only 3,000-5,000 rubles. There are more cheap options. At such a budget price, owners will receive spacious and durable containers with a reliable frame made of galvanized steel.

Installation of an installation consisting of several Eurocubes is quite simple. If for some reason the owners cannot cope with the task on their own, you can turn to specialists for help. IN installation work usually included excavation, installation and connection. This will cost about a third of the cost of Eurocubes (from 5,000 rubles, depending on the region).

Correct operation

Homemade septic tanks require regular inspection and maintenance just as much as industrial models of treatment plants.

Repair work may be necessary if the drain is clogged. It will be necessary to clean the overflow and sewer pipes. For such work it is better to hire a professional plumber. To avoid problems with clogging, it is necessary to periodically add to the storage container. biological drugs containing special cultures of bacteria that are capable of breaking down fatty plugs and deposits.

Maintenance includes:

Regular pumping out of the contents of the container. Frequency depends on intensity of use sewer system and the volume of septic tanks. Usually this is from one to three pumpings per year using special equipment.
Insulation of the lid during the cold season, which speeds up the processes of decay and wastewater treatment.
And, of course, you must follow the simplest rules - do not dump large mechanical waste and hygiene items into the sewer.

greenologia.ru

Building a rainwater tank with your own hands

"Fresh water is very important element food, approximately 150 liters per person are consumed daily in Germany, of which only 3 liters are spent on cooking.

Yes, water is (still) relatively cheap. In our country, 1000 liters of tap water cost about 6 euros, including the cost of sewerage. And now the first problem is obvious! When I water my garden with tap water, I have no drainage at all, for which I still have to pay! Another socially created problem is that I have to pay for storm drains on my property even though I don't use them.

What if you try to collect rainwater in a special tank and water the garden with it, and also use it for cleaning, flushing the toilet or even for washing, while saving quality tap water? In addition, rainwater has its own advantages:

It's better for washing
Does not form limescale in the washing machine
Better tolerated by plants, etc.

Rainwater collection tanks are sold on construction markets, but the smallest of them (1,500 liters) costs 2,000 euros. It's so expensive that it will never pay for the work done. Water barrels can be purchased much cheaper. But in the hot season, the water in them quickly deteriorates, begins to smell disgusting, and all kinds of insects infest it. It is also not suitable for an underground tank. In my country, the temperature, starting from mid-summer, as in winter, fluctuates in the range of 5-10 degrees above zero.

Those whose hands grow from the right place and who are not afraid of physical work can easily build such a tank on their own and quite cheaply. Here is my progress report.

Experience in operating a septic tank

My tank survived 14 days of cold with a temperature of -20°C without any problems, although the water reached almost to the hatch. The ice thickness was about 15 cm.

More than 5 years have passed since the start of construction, and as of 2013, I have not yet noticed a single damage.

Water intake in 2008 - 4000 liters
Water intake in 2009 - 7000 liters
Water intake in 2010 - 8000 liters (Construction costs paid off)
Water intake in 2011 - 8000 liters
Water intake in 2012 - 5400 liters
Water intake in 2013 - 1000 liters

Water reservoir. Instructions with pictures

Construction began in September 2007.

In mid-October 2007 I was already at a depth of 2.20 m in a hole with a diameter of 1.40 m.

At this depth I poured concrete 10 cm thick. For the walls I took 100x25x5 cm concrete curbstones for 1.40 euros/piece from a nearby construction market. I posted from them round wall 15 stones high right on a concrete pad. This was in the first week of November, then my construction slowed down due to weather conditions. In April 2008, construction continued. The stone-lined pit had an internal diameter of 120 cm and an external diameter of 130 cm. Its height was 201 cm. At the end, I cleaned out the grooves between the stones using the same concrete.

I treated the inner surface, including the base, with a hydro-binding sealing solution to prevent water from seeping through. This solution is diluted with water and becomes similar to a yogurt mass, which is very convenient to apply with a regular brush for wallpapering. I left each layer for a day to dry completely. 5-6 layers are usually enough; in any case, you can always treat the inner surface again.

I made small holes between the hatch and the wall. I did not treat this transition with hydraulic solution; it remained water-permeable. That's enough. At least I've never had a flood before.

Hydraulic mortar (25 kg bags on construction markets) is a cement-synthetic mixture that serves to protect surfaces from water penetration (as well as from water loss from the inside). The hydraulic solution fills all pores and is applied several times after the first layer has dried.

I filled the space behind the curb stone with crushed stone and concrete.

At the height of the top three rows of stones, I made several holes - two for the filling pipes and one for the pump pipe.

The tank is open. The hatch is large enough to accommodate a ladder.

I made the manhole cover in my own garden. I dug a hole 10 cm deep and 140 cm in diameter, placed an old zinc bathtub there upside down and poured a concrete area around it. But first I laid a film on the ground. When the concrete hardened, I removed the bathtub, put a film in its place and filled everything with concrete up to the top edge. Now I have a top cover with a hatch. To make it easier to lift such a lid (50 kg), I installed two handles in it.

Both covers, as well as the base of the tank, later had to be reinforced with steel.

Here the tank is closed. Both lids close tightly and prevent dirt, animals and children from getting inside. To make the structure look more attractive, you can scatter crushed stone around it. On the left and right of the building you can see pipes for collecting rainwater.

In the lower third of the pipes I installed homemade filter for coarse dirt.

The filter is, of course, very simple, but effective. It consists of a funnel-shaped PVC pipe, which is simply inserted into the collection pipe, and a round tea strainer. Cleaning this filter takes only 10 seconds.

I installed a special pump to pump out water. I already had the hose. I built a separate booth for the pump without any frills. In it he serves me faithfully, protected from wind and bad weather.

The top cover can only be opened when the door is open.

Which is locked with a key.

Results

The volume of my tank is 2300 liters, which is enough for a whole garden.

The pH of the water is 7.1 and contains no nitrates at all.

Four-stage filtration system

In the gutter
In rainwater collection pipes
In the hose
Built-in filter in the pump

Such a tank must be cleaned every 5-10 years. After about 3 months, a silty sediment, the so-called sediment, forms at the bottom. This layer consists of “good” bacteria that purify the water.

Therefore, it is very important that the pump hose does not touch the bottom of the tank.

The construction time was about 300 hours, the cost without a pump was approximately 100 euros. I believe that it is simply impossible to do it cheaper and better. Even if I’m just an amateur.”

We hope that this guide to action will help you make your site more comfortable and economically profitable.

On our website, the topic of water at the dacha has been raised quite often. The fact that water is the source of life is not so much a beautiful phrase or metaphor, but rather a harsh reality, everyone who, in the summer heat, finds themselves without water in the central water supply (if there is one at all in their dacha) will have to be convinced. You can’t wash yourself, you can’t water the garden, and you can’t do anything at all without water.

Here is one of the options that allows you to get out of this situation. A tank under water, raised by the author to a height under natural pressure will supply you with water in the event of such force majeure situations. For those who were unable to find water on their property, build a well or make, for example, a well for some reason, a water tank mounted at a height with their own hands, this is the simplest and cheapest solution in financial terms. For example, it can easily be used to build a summer shower at your dacha with your own hands (more details at the link).

We use the dacha only when summer time(from April to September), so we placed the reserve water tank outside the house. The obvious advantages of this solution include the absence of additional loads on building structures, as well as an almost complete guarantee against leaks and flooding of premises under any emergency situations with storage tank. The only thing I would like to mention right away is that we do not use water from the main water supply for drinking due to its high iron content (brown water).

As a water pump storage tank we took a plastic barrel with a volume of about 190 liters. Previously, it served as a container for storing concentrated pineapple juice. This choice was dictated by the fact that a plastic barrel is much lighter than a metal tank and does not need additional protection against corrosion. There was also no need for major modifications to the barrel to store water. I only had to cut out the top bottom, since the hatch in it was too small and inconvenient.

To install a water barrel outside the building, we had to make a so-called overpass, on the top platform of which we installed a water tank with our own hands. The materials for the construction of the overpass were water pipes cross section 50 mm. To connect the structural elements, threaded plumbing couplings, tees and elbows were used. The height of the overpass is approximately 3 m. To climb to its upper platform, a ladder was mounted on the back side of the overpass. The ladder rungs are made of steel plates, which are attached to the posts with bolts and nuts.

After assembling the overpass, we connected the container to main pipeline, which runs in the ground next to the overpass. To do this, a valve was installed at the outlet of the pipeline at ground level, from which pipes with a cross-section of 15 mm were run up and entered into top part tank. Branches for the shower were made at a distance of approximately 1.5 m from the valve.

A float valve from the toilet tank was installed on the pipe in the upper part of the tank. The valve allows you to automatically fill the tank to the maximum level and always have the necessary supply of water. To prevent leaves and other debris from getting into the pressure tank, we cover it with a round metal lid on top.

Water was supplied to the house directly from a pressure storage tank. To do this, we drilled a hole in the bottom of the tank, stretched a 15 mm pipe from it towards the house and led it inside through a hole in the upper part of the wall. All pipe connections are threaded. In the house, the pipe was extended to the water tap in the kitchen.

To drain water for the winter, a hole was drilled in the bottom of the barrel into which a short pipe with stopcock. To quickly empty the pressure tank, simply open the tap and drain all the water.

To collect polluted wastewater, a filter well-septic tank with a depth of 2 and a diameter of 1.5 meters was made in the ground directly under the overpass. Since we only need the removal of household Wastewater, which do not contain feces, then such a simple water treatment scheme is completely justified and completely safe from an environmental point of view.

Below are other entries on the topic “How to do it yourself - for a homeowner!”

Hot water from heating at the dacha We heat water from heating Gas in...

Water at the dacha with your own hands is the most cheap way We supply water to the country house...

Summer shower with your own hands in one day Summer shower - how to make...

Do-it-yourself boiler repair - cleaning the heating element How to clean the heater in a boiler...

Do-it-yourself eco-car wash on the site How to do it environmentally at your dacha...

Paving a recreation area at the dacha with old parquet - photo and paving diagram Do-it-yourself parquet area Neither for...

DIY Christmas wreath - master class How to make a living Christmas wreathHow...

Subscribe to updates in our groups.

At the dacha or at garden plot Water storage tanks are always needed. Gardeners usually use metal barrels or tanks as such reservoirs. But purchasing a large-volume metal container and delivering it to the site can be quite expensive, especially in areas remote from industrial and transport enterprises.

Therefore, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the experience of those who do without metal containers and make water storage tanks from scrap materials.

Cheap container for large volumes of water

The photo below shows one such operating tank. It is designed to service the heating system of the room in which quail are kept. For this case, the appearance and aesthetic qualities of the tank were not of decisive importance: the functional qualities of the tank and the cost of its manufacture were paramount.

For such a tank with a volume of approximately 1000 liters, it would be necessary to buy 5 metal barrels of 200 liters each, and in the region where the quail lover lives, the cost of decommissioned barrels was unreasonably inflated. Therefore, it was decided to make a film tank in a wooden frame.

The first step was to select suitable boards: two unedged wide 40mm pine boards were found. They were marked to length and cut with a chainsaw so that each made up the side walls of a rectangular box.

These boxes were placed one on top of the other, so the edges unedged boards I had to straighten it with an ax so that it wasn’t too crooked and so that the top box would rest steadily on the bottom one.

The boxes were nailed down at the corners with 100 mm nails so that the structure being created could be visually assessed. Nails here play only a supporting role for preliminary fastening of the box, since the main load from the gravity of the water is taken by the frame tying made of strong rope.

Tightly tied with several turns of strong rope, the first box formed the first floor of the tank frame. A second box, tied in exactly the same way, was installed on it, which made up the second floor of the frame. The frame was not made entirely, but floor by floor, since there was no assistant nearby, and everything had to be done alone.

Once the stability and reliability of the structure had been tested, construction of a waterproof shell inside the frame began. To do this, you need a durable film that does not allow water to pass through. In our case, an old truck awning turned up. A waterproof liner was cut out of it into the container.

It is cut with a small margin so that the useful volume of the tank is maximum (the excess awning is wrapped on the sides of the frame and does not interfere with anyone).

To be on the safe side, two more layers of thick film were laid on top of the awning: in the event of a leak, the cost of eliminating it would be much greater than these two extra layers of film.

After a year of operation of the tank, no signs of structural wear were detected. The useful volume of the tank is 750 liters, but water storage tanks of the described design can be made of arbitrary dimensions to suit the size of the room.

If necessary, the tank can be easily disassembled and assembled for reuse. Only a few hours are spent on direct manufacturing; more time is spent on preparing materials and design.

Where is a heat accumulator used and how is it designed?

A thermal energy storage device is nothing more than an insulated iron tank with pipes for connecting water heating lines. The buffer tank performs 2 functions: it accumulates excess heat and heats the house during periods when the boiler is inactive. The heat accumulator replaces heating unit in 2 cases:

When heating a home or with a boiler that burns solid fuel. The storage tank works for heating at night, after wood or coal burns out. Thanks to this, the homeowner can relax in peace, rather than running to the boiler room. It is comfortable.
When the heat source is an electric boiler, and electricity consumption is recorded using a multi-tariff meter. Energy at the night rate is half the price, so during the day the heating system is completely powered by the heat accumulator. It's economical.

On the left in the photo is a 400 liter buffer tank from Drazice, on the right is a Kospel electric boiler complete with a storage tank hot water

Important point. A hot water accumulator tank increases the efficiency of a solid fuel boiler. After all, the maximum efficiency of a heat generator is achieved with intense combustion, which cannot be constantly maintained without a buffer tank that absorbs excess heat. The more efficiently wood is burned, the less it is consumed. This also applies gas boiler, whose efficiency decreases in low combustion modes.

A storage tank filled with coolant operates according to simple principle. While the heat generator is heating the rooms, the water in the tank is heated to a maximum temperature of 80-90 ° C (the heat accumulator is charging). After the boiler is turned off, hot coolant from the storage tank begins to flow to the radiators, providing heating for the house for a certain time (the heat battery is discharged). The duration of operation depends on the volume of the tank and the outside air temperature.

How does a factory-made heat accumulator work?

The simplest factory-made storage tank for water, shown in the diagram, consists of the following elements:

the main tank is cylindrical in shape, made of carbon or stainless steel;
thermal insulation layer 50-100 mm thick, depending on the insulation used;
outer skin – thin painted metal or polymer cover;
connecting fittings embedded into the main container;
immersion sleeves for installing a thermometer and pressure gauge.

Note. More expensive models of heat accumulators for heating systems are additionally equipped with coils for hot water supply and heating from solar collectors. Another useful option is a block of electric heating elements built into the upper zone of the tank.

Factory production of heat storage devices

If you are seriously concerned about installing a heat accumulator and decide to make it yourself, then first you should familiarize yourself with the factory assembly technology.

Cutting blanks for the lid and bottom using a plasma machine

It is unrealistic to repeat the technological process in a home workshop, but some techniques will be useful to you. At the enterprise, the hot water storage tank is made in the form of a cylinder with a hemispherical bottom and a lid in the following order:

Sheet metal 3 mm thick is fed to a plasma cutting machine, where it is used to produce blanks for end caps, housing, hatch and stand.
On lathe Main fittings with a diameter of 40 or 50 mm (thread 1.5 and 2”) and immersion sleeves for control devices are manufactured. A large flange for the inspection hatch, about 20 cm in size, is also machined there. A pipe for insertion into the body is welded to the latter.
The body blank (the so-called shell) in the form of a sheet with holes for fittings is directed to rollers that bend it to a certain radius. To get a cylindrical container for water, all that remains is to butt weld the ends of the workpiece.
A hydraulic press presses hemispherical caps from metal flat circles.
The next operation is welding. The order is as follows: first, the body is welded using tacks, then the lids are tacked to it, then all the seams are completely welded. At the end, fittings and an inspection hatch are attached.
The finished storage tank is welded to the stand, after which it undergoes 2 permeability tests - air and hydraulic. The latter is produced at a pressure of 8 bar, the test lasts 24 hours.
The tested tank is painted and insulated with basalt fiber no less than 50 mm thick. The top of the container is sheathed with thin sheet steel with a colored polymer coating or covered with a thick cover.

The storage housing is bent from a sheet of iron on rollers

Reference. To insulate the tank, manufacturers use different materials. For example, Prometheus heat accumulators Russian production insulated with polyurethane foam.

Instead of cladding, manufacturers often use a special cover (you can choose the color)

Most factory heat accumulators are designed for a maximum pressure of 6 Bar at a coolant temperature in the heating system of 90 °C. This value is twice the trigger threshold safety valve installed on the safety group of solid fuel and gas boilers (limit - 3 Bar). The production process is shown in detail in the video:

We make a heat battery ourselves

You have decided that you cannot do without a buffer tank and want to make it yourself. Then get ready to go through 5 stages:

Calculation of the volume of the heat accumulator.
Choosing a suitable design.
Selection and preparation of materials.
Assembly and leak testing.
Installation of the tank and connection to the water heating system.

Advice. Before calculating the volume of the barrel, think about how much space in the boiler room you can allocate for it (in terms of area and height). Clearly decide how long the water heat accumulator should replace the inactive boiler, and only then proceed to the first stage.

How to calculate tank volume

There are 2 ways to calculate the capacity of a storage tank:

simplified, offered by manufacturers;
accurate, carried out according to the formula for the heat capacity of water.

The duration of heating a house with a heat accumulator depends on its size

The essence of the enlarged calculation is simple: for each kW of boiler plant power, a volume equal to 25 liters of water is allocated in the tank. Example: if the productivity of the heat generator is 25 kW, then the minimum capacity of the heat accumulator will be 25 x 25 = 625 l or 0.625 m³. Now remember how much space is allocated in the boiler room and adjust the resulting volume to actual sizes premises.

Reference. Those who want to weld a homemade heat accumulator often wonder how to calculate the volume of a round barrel. Here it is worth recalling the formula for calculating the area of a circle: S = ¼πD². Substitute the diameter of the cylindrical tank (D) into it, and multiply the resulting result by the height of the tank.

You will get more exact dimensions heat accumulator if you use the second method. After all, a simplified calculation will not show how long the calculated amount of coolant will last under the most unfavorable weather conditions. The proposed method is based on the indicators you need and is based on the formula:

m = Q / 1.163 x Δt

Q is the amount of heat that needs to be accumulated in the battery, kWh;
m – estimated mass of coolant in the tank, tons;
Δt – difference in water temperatures at the beginning and end of heating;
1.163 W h/kg °C is the reference heat capacity of water.

Let's explain further with an example. Let's take standard house 100 m² with an average heat consumption of 10 kW, where the boiler must be idle for 10 hours a day. Then it is necessary to accumulate 10 x 10 = 100 kWh of energy in the barrel. The initial water temperature in the heating network is 20 °C, heating occurs up to 90 °C. We calculate the mass of the coolant:

m = 100 / 1.163 x (90 - 20) = 1.22 tons, which is approximately 1.25 m³.

Please note that a heat load of 10 kW is taken approximately; in an insulated building with an area of 100 m², heat loss will be less. Point two: so much heat is needed on the coldest days, of which there are 5 for the whole winter. That is, a heat accumulator for 1000 liters is sufficient with a large margin, and taking into account the seasonal temperature difference, you can easily keep within 750 liters.

Hence the conclusion: in the formula you need to substitute the average heat consumption for the cold period, equal to half of the maximum:

m = 50 / 1.163 x (90 - 20) = 0.61 tons or 0.65 m³.

Note. If you calculate the volume of the barrel based on the average heat consumption, in severe frosts it will not be enough for the calculated period of time (in our example - 10 hours). But you will save money and space in the furnace room. More information on making payments is presented in.

About the design of the container

To make your own heat accumulator, you will have to defeat one insidious enemy - the pressure exerted by the liquid on the walls of the vessel. Do you think why factory tanks are made cylindrical, and the bottom and lid are hemispherical? Yes, because such a container can withstand the pressure of hot water without additional reinforcement.

On the other hand, few people have technical feasibility mold metal on rollers, not to mention drawing semicircular parts. We offer the following ways to resolve the issue:

Order a round internal tank from a metalworking enterprise, and carry out the insulation and final installation work yourself. It will still cost less than buying a factory-assembled heat accumulator.
Take a ready-made cylindrical tank and make a buffer tank on its base. We will tell you where to get such tanks in the next section.
Weld a rectangular heat accumulator from sheet iron and strengthen its walls.

Sectional drawing of a rectangular heat accumulator with a volume of 500 l

Advice. IN closed system heating with a solid fuel boiler, where overpressure can jump to 3 Bar and higher, it is strongly recommended to use a cylindrical heat accumulator.

In an open heating system with zero water pressure, you can use a rectangular tank. But do not forget about the hydrostatic pressure of the coolant on the walls; add to it the height of the water column from the container to the expansion tank installed at the highest point. That is why the flat walls of a homemade heat accumulator should be reinforced, as shown in the drawing of a 500-liter tank.

A properly reinforced rectangular storage tank can also be used in a closed heating system. But in the event of an emergency pressure surge from overheating of the TT boiler, the tank will leak with a 90% probability, although you may not notice a small crack under the insulation layer. Watch the video to see how the unstrengthened metal of the vessel bulges when filled with water:

Reference. It makes no sense to weld directly onto the walls stiffeners made of corners, channels and other rolled metal. Practice shows that the pressure force bends corners of a small section along with the wall, and tears off large ones at the edges.

Making a powerful frame from the outside is impractical, the consumption of materials is too high. A compromise option is the internal spacers shown in the drawing of a homemade heat accumulator.

Drawing of a 500 l heat accumulator - top view (cross section)

Selection of materials for the tank

You will make your task much easier if you find a ready-made cylindrical tank, initially designed for a pressure of 3–6 bar. What containers can be used:

propane cylinders of different capacities;
discarded process tanks, for example, receivers from industrial compressors;
receivers from railway cars;
old iron boilers;
internal tanks of containers for storing liquid nitrogen, made of stainless steel.

It is much easier to make a reliable heat accumulator from ready-made steel vessels

Note. In extreme cases, a steel pipe of suitable diameter will do. You can weld it to it flat lids, which will have to be strengthened with internal stretch marks.

To weld a square tank, take sheet metal 3 mm thick, no more is needed. Make of rigidity round pipesØ15-20 mm or profiles 20 x 20 mm. Select the size of the fittings according to the diameter of the boiler outlet pipes, and for cladding, buy thin steel (0.3-0.5 mm) with powder painting.

A separate question is how to insulate a heat accumulator that you welded yourself. The best option– basalt wool in rolls with a density of up to 60 kg/m³ and a thickness of 60-80 mm. Polymers such as polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam should not be used. The reason is mice that love warmth and in the fall can easily settle under the lining of your storage tank. Unlike polymer insulation, they do not chew basalt fiber.

Don't have any illusions about extruded polystyrene foam, rodents eat it too

Now we will indicate other options for ready-made vessels that are not recommended for use for heat accumulators:

An improvised tank made from a Eurocube. Such plastic containers are designed for a maximum content temperature of 70 °C, but we need 90 °C.
Heat accumulator made of an iron barrel. Contraindications: thin metal and flat tank lids. Instead of strengthening such a barrel, it is easier to take a good steel pipe.

Assembly of a rectangular heat accumulator

We would like to warn you right away: if you have mediocre welding skills, then it is better to order the manufacture of the tank externally according to your drawings. The quality and tightness of the seams is great value, at the slightest leak, the storage tank will leak.

First, the tank is assembled using tacks, and then welded with a continuous seam

For a good welder there will be no problems here, you just need to understand the order of operations:

Cut metal blanks to size and weld the body without a bottom and a lid using tacks. To secure the sheets, use clamps and a square.
Cut holes in the side walls for the stiffeners. Insert the prepared pipes inside and scald their ends from the outside.
Grab the bottom and lid to the tank. Cut holes in them and repeat the operation with the installation of internal braces.
When all the opposite walls of the container are securely connected to each other, begin continuous welding of all seams.
Install supports from pipe sections at the bottom of the tank.
Insert the fittings at a distance of less than 10 cm from the bottom and lid, as shown in the photo below.
Weld metal brackets to the walls, which will serve as brackets for fastening thermal insulation material and sheathing.

The photo shows a stretch made from a wide strip, but it is better to use a pipe

Advice on installing internal struts. To ensure that the walls of the heat accumulator effectively resist bending and do not break due to welding, extend the ends of the stretch marks outward by 50 mm. Then additionally weld stiffeners from a steel sheet or strip to them. ABOUT appearance don’t worry, the ends of the pipes will then disappear under the cladding.

Steel brackets (clips) are welded to the body to secure insulation and sheathing

A few words about how to insulate a heat accumulator. First, check it for leaks by filling it with water or lubricating all the seams with kerosene. Thermal insulation is quite simple:

clean and degrease all surfaces, apply primer and paint to protect them from corrosion;
wrap the tank with insulation without squeezing it, and then secure it with a cord;
cut the facing metal, make holes in it for the pipes;
Screw the casing to the brackets with self-tapping screws.

Screw the cladding sheets so that they are connected to each other with fasteners. This completes the production of a homemade heat accumulator for an open heating system.

Installation and connection of the tank to heating

If the volume of your heat accumulator exceeds 500 liters, then it is not advisable to place it on a concrete floor; it is better to arrange a separate foundation. To do this, dismantle the screed and dig a hole to a dense layer of soil. Then fill it with broken stone (rubble), compact it and fill it with liquid clay. Pour a 150 mm thick reinforced concrete slab in wooden formwork on top.

Scheme of the foundation for the battery tank

The correct operation of a heat accumulator is based on the horizontal movement of hot and cooled flow inside the tank when the battery is “charging”, and the vertical flow of water during “discharging”. To organize such battery operation, you need to perform the following steps:

the circuit of a solid fuel or other boiler is connected to a water storage tank through a circulation pump;
the heating system is supplied with coolant using a separate pump and mixing unit with a three-way valve, which allows you to withdraw the required amount of water from the battery;
the pump installed in the boiler circuit should not be inferior in performance to the unit supplying coolant to the heating devices.

Tank-heat accumulator wiring diagram

The standard connection diagram for a heat accumulator with a TT boiler is shown above in the figure. The balancing valve on the return line serves to regulate the coolant flow based on the water temperature at the inlet and outlet of the tank. Our expert Vladimir Sukhorukov will tell you how to properly strap and set up in his video:

Reference. If you live in the capital of the Russian Federation or the Moscow region, then regarding the connection of any heat accumulators, you can consult personally with Vladimir, using the contact information on his official website.

Budget storage tank made from cylinders

For those homeowners whose boiler room area is very limited, we suggest making a cylindrical heat accumulator from propane cylinders.

Homemade heat storage device paired with a TT boiler

The 100 l design, developed by another of our masters, is designed to perform 3 functions:

unload the solid fuel boiler when overheating, taking in excess heat;
heat water for household needs;
provide heating of the house for 1-2 hours in case of extinguishing of the TT boiler.

Note. Duration battery life heat accumulator is small due to its small volume. But it will fit in any furnace room and will be able to remove heat from the boiler after a power outage, since it is connected directly, without a pump.

This is what a tank made of cylinders looks like without lining

To assemble the storage tank you will need:

2 standard propane cylinders;
at least 10 m of copper tube Ø12 mm or stainless corrugation of the same diameter;
fittings and sleeves for thermometers;
insulation – basalt wool;
painted metal for cladding.

You need to unscrew the valves from the cylinders and cut off the caps with a grinder, filling them with water to prevent the remaining gas from exploding. We carefully bend the copper tube into a coil around another pipe of a suitable diameter. Then we proceed like this:

Using the presented drawing, drill holes in the future heat accumulator for pipes and sleeves for thermometers.
Secure by welding several metal brackets inside the cylinders for mounting the DHW heat exchanger.
Place the cylinders one on top of the other and weld them together.
Install a coil inside the resulting tank, releasing the ends of the tube through the holes. Use gland packing to seal these areas.
Attach the bottom and lid.
Insert an air vent into the lid and a drain valve into the bottom.
Weld the brackets to secure the casing. Make them different lengths so that the finished product has a rectangular shape. It will be inconvenient to bend the cladding in a semicircle, and it will not be aesthetically pleasing.
Insulate the tank and fasten the casing with self-tapping screws.

Connecting a tank to a TT boiler without circulation pump

The design feature of this heat accumulator is that it is connected to a solid fuel boiler directly, without a circulation pump. Therefore, for docking they use steel pipesØ50 mm, laid with a slope, the coolant circulates by gravity. To supply water to the heating radiators, a pump + three-way mixing valve is installed after the buffer tank.

Conclusion

On many Internet resources there is a statement that making a heat accumulator with your own hands is a piece of cake. If you study our material, you will understand that such statements are far from reality; in fact, the issue is quite complex and serious. You can’t just take a barrel and attach it to a solid fuel boiler. Hence the advice: think carefully about all the nuances before starting work. And without a welder’s qualifications, it’s not worth taking on a buffer tank; it’s better to order it from a specialized workshop.

There is no doubt that it is always necessary to have a supply of water in your dacha and garden. And usually used for this different kind metal containers. Using such containers is not always convenient: they take up a lot of space and do not decorate the estate. But the underground tank does not have these disadvantages!

I built my containers 20 years ago, and they still serve me today.

Before construction began, we had to examine previously built tanks that had fallen into disrepair. Why did this happen? Containers made by plastering the walls of the pit do not last long: the outer part, the glass, is torn off from the ceiling if it is connected to the blind area.

In both cases, after filling the container with water, the soil becomes compacted, the concrete of the walls loses stability and collapses. In turn, when the soil under the bottom is compacted, the container begins to sink, and the blind area slab, if it is firmly connected to the glass, tries to hold it, which is the reason for its separation from the ceiling.

In order to avoid this, before installing the blind area, the glass should be wrapped in a piece of roofing material.

Underground construction

Now about the construction of the tank itself, its underground part. After a pit of the required size has been dug and cleaned, several rows of stakes are driven into the wall, to which the formwork is tied. After this, the bottom is filled. The initial hardening of the concrete occurs in 3-4 days, and then the formwork can be installed to cast the wall. For this purpose, you can use ordinary sheets of iron, which are tied to stakes with wire through holes punched in the sheets. The formwork is installed at a distance of 8-10 cm
from the wall. Before pouring the solution, fittings are placed in the resulting space, which can be any household scrap metal.
During the pouring process, the solution must be compacted and tapped on the formwork so that voids do not form.

When the filled part of the wall has hardened, the formwork is raised higher and secured for the next filling. The area where the concrete and mortar come into contact should be washed to remove debris and prevent sticking.

After the walls are erected, construction of the floor (ceiling) begins. For this purpose, suspended formwork with a hole is installed.

The formwork is suspended from the reinforcement and then poured. To prevent the solution from leaking out, roofing material or polyethylene film is laid on the formwork.

The installation of the above-ground part of the glass is carried out after the solution has hardened well in the ceiling, the formwork has been removed, construction waste has been removed from the container, all defects made during construction have been repaired, and the internal surfaces have been ironed. The ironing process is carried out by applying cement mortar without adding filler.

Retro style well

If the container is planned to be used for collecting rainwater, then a hole is made in the wall for the pipe to enter.

Asbestos-cement pipes are well suited for this purpose; they are durable. To organize the collection of rainwater under the drain pipes from the roof of the building, a receiving well is installed, covered with a mesh to retain large-sized debris, and the receiving neck of the pipe is covered with a fine-mesh mesh.

It is necessary to locate the receiving neck significantly above the bottom of the well - this will allow heavy fractions to settle without falling into the container.

In conclusion, it should be noted that, if the location of the container allows and with imagination, it can be camouflaged as an old rural well - this can become an architectural addition to the estate.
For any design of the above-ground part, the glass must be equipped with a hatch with a lock to protect the children.

Below are other entries on the topic “Do-it-yourself cottage and garden”

: Construction of a cellar at the dacha with your own...

: Brick grill with your own hands on...

There is no point in proving the need to have a supply of water for irrigation on the site. If something happens to the irrigation system, your flowers and vegetables will turn into hay during the July heat. When my old steel tank became leaky, I urgently needed to find a replacement. Having assessed the harsh reality, I decided to make a structure that would decorate the site, be durable, inexpensive, and not attract “guests.” Having gone through different options, I chose, as it seems to me, the most successful one: to make the base of the container from sheets of galvanized steel, “dressing” it in concrete.

Sheets of steel measuring 1000 x 2000 mm were connected to each other with a ring. To make the container have a volume of 1 m3, I made a ring of 2 sheets. Before pressing, the seam was treated with sealant for plumbing work, as were all subsequent seams. The result is a springy, flexible ring that can be given any shape.

For a capacity of 1 m3, it is enough to make a foundation 120-150 mm thick, laying it on a bed of crushed stone. The area of the foundation must be larger than the area of the container. Having chosen a place, he removed the soil to a depth of 200 mm, filled the hole with crushed stone and sand, compacted it, spilled plenty of water, and prepared the concrete. Half of it was laid out on crushed stone, reinforcement made of steel rods and pipes was placed on it, and the rest of the concrete was poured onto these structures. You need to add enough water to the concrete so that it does not spread, but resembles gingerbread dough. In this case, no formwork is required, and the edge of the foundation will look like stone “bursts”. The concrete is not poured into place, but placed with a shovel and compacted, perhaps with a wooden mallet.

The next operation is the installation of the metal base. The laid concrete is carefully leveled. To do this, I poured a cement-sand mixture (1:3) with the consistency of liquid sour cream onto the foundation and spread it with an even lath. After letting the leveling layer dry (lose its fluidity), I placed a sheet of galvanized steel on it and pressed it with bricks. This is the bottom of the future container. The sheet was pre-cut so that it fits the configuration of the container and protrudes around the perimeter by 20~30 mm. In this state, the foundation was left to dry for a day.

A day later, I installed a manufactured galvanized steel ring on the bottom, having previously made 2 holes in it: one at the bottom at the very edge for the drain pipe, the other 300-400 mm above the edge for collecting clean water. If all the previous work was done carefully, then gaps in some places of no more than 5 mm are allowed between the wall and the bottom - they will not affect the quality of the container. Having installed the wall and fixed it with bricks, I lined the outside of the joint between the wall and the bottom with a steep but plastic “dough” of a mixture of cement and sand (1:1) with the addition of PVA glue (1 tablespoon of glue per 0.5 liters of water). After drying the “dough” for a day, I removed the bricks and completed sealing the joint in the places occupied by the bricks. Having completed sealing the joint, I installed a tube (aluminum, stainless steel, plastic), carefully covered it with cement mortar. Next, I started building the concrete wall.
The concrete for the wall is prepared in the same way as for the foundation. I did the work like this: I took a portion of concrete with a trowel, placed it against a steel wall (it acted as a one-sided formwork), tamped it lightly so that the concrete spread out and pressed tightly against the wall. And so on around the entire perimeter. When laying concrete, we must strive to ensure that the wall thickness is not the same. Then a surface is formed that resembles the natural texture of the stone. At the same time, you can show your abilities as a sculptor, guided by a sense of beauty and harmony.
When constructing a wall, we must not forget that a drain pipe should go out at the bottom, and at a height of 200-300 mm from the bottom, another pipe with a thread for a valve must be mounted into the wall to drain clean water. To prevent the steel base from being deformed during the laying process, it is advisable to build support columns from bricks inside the container, which do not allow the wall to “go” inward under the pressure of concrete.
When completing the laying, you need to make a small influx into the container onto the edge of the steel base so that it does not peel off from the concrete.

The last stage is finishing. Various options are possible using ceramics, bottle glass, natural stone, etc. I chose a simple option: the entire surface of the container is coated with cement-sand mortar (1:1) and treated with a wet broom. The gray color of cement looks good in the greenery of the garden.

This container has many advantages, it is quite cheap, but there is only one drawback: it cannot be moved. Therefore, the location must be chosen carefully, remembering that a capital structure is being built.

Sections