1.6 million gallon water tank

[mjf]

Anyone on here have any experience running power up the side and across the dome of a water tank? (I don't)

Tank is 102' from the ground to the top edge. there is a caged ladder running up the side.

I'm looking at running PVC jacketed MC underground from the panel in the pump house to the base of the tank, putting beam clamps on the outside of the ladder cage all the way up to the top edge and using something like JB weld to attach brackets to the dome. Then I can clamp the MC to the beam clamps and the dome brackets over to where I need to supply power.


Thoughts? Code compliant?

 

[kwired]

Anyone on here have any experience running power up the side and across the dome of a water tank? (I don't)

Tank is 102' from the ground to the top edge. there is a caged ladder running up the side.

I'm looking at running PVC jacketed MC underground from the panel in the pump house to the base of the tank, putting beam clamps on the outside of the ladder cage all the way up to the top edge and using something like JB weld to attach brackets to the dome. Then I can clamp the MC to the beam clamps and the dome brackets over to where I need to supply power.


Thoughts? Code compliant?

I say if the inspector wants to come up there - let him reject anything he doesn't like, if he won't go up there, then he has no good reason to condemn what he didn't see:happyyes:

 

[tom baker]

I've run a lot of conduit up reservoirs, up to 75 feet tall.
Use rigid metal conduit.
Often we will run up the ladder cage with beam clamps.
The ladders don't extend to the ground, but we are able to support top and bottom within ten feet.
To prevent someone from using the conduit to climb the reservoir, we glue aluminum strut vertically each side of the conduit, and then use a SS cover that fastens to the strut.
Welding to the tank damages the interior coating. on the top you can glue strut, or there is a company that makes magnets that are used for cell antennas, they would hold a conduit.

I am off this week but can send you pictures next week, just PM me with your email.

Why do you need power on the top?

 

[GoldDigger]

Why do you need power on the top?

Often for instruments, aircraft lights, or even power to equipment inside the tank without making a sealed penetration lower down.

 

[mjf]

I say if the inspector wants to come up there - let him reject anything he doesn't like, if he won't go up there, then he has no good reason to condemn what he didn't see:happyyes:

I told my usual inspector I was only bidding this job so I could see him climb the 100' ladder.....he laughed and said, "no, Mike, that's an expensive inspection after you pay for my helicopter"

I've run a lot of conduit up reservoirs, up to 75 feet tall.
Use rigid metal conduit.
Often we will run up the ladder cage with beam clamps.
The ladders don't extend to the ground, but we are able to support top and bottom within ten feet.
To prevent someone from using the conduit to climb the reservoir, we glue aluminum strut vertically each side of the conduit, and then use a SS cover that fastens to the strut.
Welding to the tank damages the interior coating. on the top you can glue strut, or there is a company that makes magnets that are used for cell antennas, they would hold a conduit.

I am off this week but can send you pictures next week, just PM me with your email.

Why do you need power on the top?

There is a solar powered vacuum pump that keeps the 1.6 million gallons circulating.
This past winter they had a problem with the battery and the solar company basically told the Water Dept, "OK, we'll be there 2 months from Wednesday".
The Water Dept is having an inverter installed for back-up power.
I'm bidding installing a 120v 15 amp circuit. I'll put it on a GFCI breaker and install a twist-lock receptacle with an in use cover.

 

[kwired]

I told my usual inspector I was only bidding this job so I could see him climb the 100' ladder.....he laughed and said, "no, Mike, that's an expensive inspection after you pay for my helicopter"




There is a solar powered vacuum pump that keeps the 1.6 million gallons circulating.
This past winter they had a problem with the battery and the solar company basically told the Water Dept, "OK, we'll be there 2 months from Wednesday".
The Water Dept is having an inverter installed for back-up power.
I'm bidding installing a 120v 15 amp circuit. I'll put it on a GFCI breaker and install a twist-lock receptacle with an in use cover.

I think I'd find a way to eliminate the receptacle and remove any question about the need for the GFCI. Back up power that is often off line will not go over all that well. If you put the GFCI at ground level - you have a lot of line to the load to have capacitive coupling cause trips, put it up top, you may get less trips, but they will not be happy if they nee to climb to the top just to reset it everytime there is a lightning storm that makes it trip.

 

[mjf]

I think I'd find a way to eliminate the receptacle and remove any question about the need for the GFCI. Back up power that is often off line will not go over all that well. If you put the GFCI at ground level - you have a lot of line to the load to have capacitive coupling cause trips, put it up top, you may get less trips, but they will not be happy if they nee to climb to the top just to reset it everytime there is a lightning storm that makes it trip.

I agree. I'd rather hardwire it.

The solar company is providing/installing the inverter and is requiring the receptacle, not sure what I could do to eliminate it. Maybe install a disconnect instead.

In the solar companies original quote to the town they included the inverter and 150 feet of 10/2 SOOW.

I guess they were planning on no ground wire and just throwing it over the side of the tank:slaphead:.

 

[kwired]

I agree. I'd rather hardwire it.

The solar company is providing/installing the inverter and is requiring the receptacle, not sure what I could do to eliminate it. Maybe install a disconnect instead.

In the solar companies original quote to the town they included the inverter and 150 feet of 10/2 SOOW.

I guess they were planning on no ground wire and just throwing it over the side of the tank:slaphead:.

Let them do that, then you can still do the job .... just a few years later when this install fails.

 

[tom baker]

We are looking into a similar system to prevent the water from stratifying. I suggested a reservoir that already has a conduit to the top.
If it works out, there are a dozen reservoirs that will need the circ pumps.
If the conduit is installed exposed, then the exposed conduit can be used to climb the reservoir. Our SS cover has worked well have done three so far, all for conduit to antennas.

 

[Tony S]

Most cage ladders have stand off brackets, if they don?t I?m not climbing them. We just used a simple inverted U bracket close to the structure with tray work attached, gravity holds it in place.


PS,
Never mind getting power to the tank.
Try loosing that amount of water. It takes some hiding when it can?t go in the water courses.
Then I got in trouble with the local angling club filling the tank back up. I?d got all four canal pumps going flat out to fill the tank. What canal? Guess who had forgotten to open the reservoir sluice gates.