Water is to keep !

[Sarg Preston]

I have 2x50 gallon steel barrels ,,,until friday that is,, They were originally Yugoes Juice containers ,,,with inside epoxy coating ,,perfect for water storage ,,I thought ,, But I elected to put em in the basement ,,cooler down there ,,and the filled weight was better supported,,,The mistake was on a concrete floor ,,, Plywood or hardwood skids would have been a wiser choice ,,, Ya one of em sprung a leak ,,from the bottom of course ,, not wise to try and move it ,,if in the bottom falls out ,, Had to siphone off the water while stoping the leakage with towels ,,, Of course a pump and correct lenght hose is now on the purchase list ,,, as well as the 50 gallon blue plastic drums to replace em,,,

[dreadstalker]

Well add a two wheel dolly to the purchase list. You can move the barrels by rolling them on the bottom edge but a dolly makes it a lot easier for older folks or those in a weakened condition.

[Desertrat]

Old broom handles and mop handles make good rollers for items stored on, say, a piece of plywood. And don't forget marbles.

I used marbles to move an 800-pound gunsafe. Laid out a plywood "track", worked a piece of plywood under the safe, and rolled it along on marbles. Piece of cake. :D

[L.A.B.]

A dolly is still a bit of a commitment. One gallon = 8.345 pounds x a 55 gallon blue FDA drum = just shy of 459 pounds not including the weight of the barrel. Not exactly something you should be moving around. Plan your water storage well and work from there pumping what you will use as you need it.

A 15 gallon drum is just over 125 pounds full, light enough for most to roll on edge, while the barrel is strong enough to withstand rolling upon its edge.

Water storage with used food grade poly-barrels is the cheapest way to go. Brand new Blue poly-barrels have been as high as $ 1.27 a gallon of storage in the past with commercial purchase, they may be more now as I have not priced them for a while.

A more committed approach is to purchase a FDA grade poly tank that will fit in a corner of the garage or a insulated shed if needed. A 525 gallon tank in the past has sold for around $ 1.33 a gallon, and can be fitted with easy to install valves for filling and draining/gravity fed service.

If anyone is interested in going this route, send me a PM or inquire within this thread.

L.A.B.

[Sarg Preston]

Thanks for the suggestions and idea,s ,,,I,m always open to options ,,,

[Tweety]

I got mine from a company that deals with laundry detergent and other detergents for resturants. Paid 10.00 for 1. Have a total of 8 now. I don't think they knew what they had. I also use aluminum horse troughs for collecting rain water of our gutters that I had hubby put up. Here in central NM water is precious. I collect all that I can. It also helps in watering the veg garden. Right now we haven't had rain since it snowed last yr. Monsoon season should anyday now. I hpe some of the hints that I gave helps.

[Caplock50]

I'll second the motion to get a dolly or 'hand truck' as some call them. But not necessarily for moving the barrels. You see you can screw a water tap into the smallest of the 'bung holes', and place it nearest the dolly when you put the barrel onto the dolly. Then just tip the dolly and barrel over and open the tap to get the water out. Dual purpose use. Oh and get the dolly with the biggest wheels and the 'legs' built onto the handles.

[Sarg Preston]

Thanks Tweety ,,,yer a addin to my to do list,,, Rain barrel cause after the meters went in the prices went stupid ,,,more than Hydro now ,,,
Hiya Cappy,,reading your other remarks ,,,and I had to chuckel ,,I think I was about seven ,,when pops brought home my birthday present ,,A Daisey BB Winchester ,, White plastic stock and foregrip ,,, I plumb shot the barrel out of it ,,, and it got to the point of snap shooting ,,, Fact is a black bird on the wing went down from a hip shot ,,, and I swaggered all the way home thinken I was the Rifleman ,,,, Those were the day,s

[WayneR]

Scrap 2x4 box frame with casters to help move. Cheaper than dolly and can be left in place, ready to use.