Getting tanked

We arrived at the farm just after 11am. We were a bit late again because we had both stayed out too late the night before.

I had been looking forward to today's job for some time - installing the water tank. Kath purchased the tank earlier in the week - it's a 1000 litre tank and is roughly 1 metre cubed. I think the tank was previously used to store orange juice concentrate, but was washed out before we bought it.

By the time we arrived, the sun was already high in the sky and it was really hot - definitely T-shirt, hat and sun screen weather. A real contrast to a few weeks ago when we were working in ski parkers.

Here's the ute all loaded up. We also took some plumbing and wood for the tank's foundation.

This is where the tank will sit - between the gutters. The plan is to install a second tank in the future, so this tank would be placed to one side, so we can fit another one in later.

Here's the foundation. This will keep the metal frame of the tank off the ground and from rusting. It will also allow us to get a bucket/ watering can underneath. The wood is treated hardwood and each plank weights about 40 kg!

I then fitted some chicken-wire. Hopefully, this will stop snakes and other creatures from making the space under the tank their home.

Kath and I then lifted the tank into place. Definitely a job for 2 people. This was actually the second attempt as I forgot to put the chicken-wire down when we first put the tank on! Silly me!

I had actually planned on this job taking a lot longer to complete. If I had only set up the tank today, I would have been happy. We had managed to get all this done by 1pm, so I started assembling the plumbing. But before that, time for lunch and time out of the sun. It was already 35 degrees inside the shed - which was surprisingly cooler than outside the shed.

Here are the 2 down pipes connected - on a bit of a slope to help the water run into the tank. The current plan is that both gutters merge into one pipe and then the piping splits into both tanks. The other option was to connect each gutter to its own tank. However, we only have 1 tank now so 50% of the water would have been wasted.

This is the rest of the plumbing installed. The wooden log is not a permanent fixture - I just needed it there until the sealant dries where the plumbing and tank meet. Otherwise, the plumbing is not balanced and tips over. This won't be a problem when I install the second tank as the other end can rest on it. The other outlet of the plumbing is upside down for the time being, so all the water goes into the tank.

Here's the tank with the completed foundation. I placed a cloth over the un-attached outlet so the mozzies don't get in.

As the afternoon progressed, It got a bit cooler but it was still very hot. Since I had the chainsaw with me, the last job was to cut the overhanging wood on the floor joists. Here's just one post ready for some cross-joists and the flooring to be installed.

I'm looking forward to the next trip. It's ironic, but I'm hoping for lots of rain to fill the tank. I hope Murphy's law is kind to us.