Hello! My name is Rob and I live in a small town which is located about 50 miles outside of Sydney. Now and again, I like to visit my brother who works at an industrial plant in the city. When I visit him, my brother lets me into his office and gives me tours around the plant. They produce all kinds of cool things using the tools they have there. However, I recently learnt they didn't always own the things they needed to complete the job and would instead hire them. I learnt all kinds of cool things about hiring industrial equipment. Although I don't work in the industry, I wanted to share what I had learnt with the rest of the world.
If you plan to live off the grid where you don't have access to water, you either have to dig a well or bring in water. If you opt for the latter, you need to choose your water tank carefully, and you may need to invest in a few accessories. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Carefully Estimate Your Needs
To ensure you choose the right size of water tank, you need to estimate your water usage. On average, people use 303 to 378 litres per day. However, your needs may vary drastically from that amount.
Take out a pen and paper and watch how much water you use throughout the day. Note what you use to cook and bathe with as well as what you use for other tasks such as cleaning. Base the size of your tank on your estimated daily usage times the number of days you think you can go between filling up your tank. You can get as big as a 10,000 litre water tank if you need one.
2. Consider Using Multiple Tanks
If you plan to do a lot of gardening, you may want to use different tanks for your indoor water use and your irrigation. In particular, you may want an enclosed plastic 1,000 litre tank or whatever size works for you for indoor use, but you may want a tank that can catch rainwater for irrigation.
3. Invest in a Tank Stand
You may want to invest in a tank stand as well. This is a stand that sits under your tank and elevates it. It should position the tank so that it is slightly above the place where the water enters your house. In this position, gravity helps to get the water into the home.
4. Consider a Trailer
In some off-grid areas, you can get a water truck to deliver water to your home. However, in other cases, you may need to drive into town and fill your tank. If you are in a situation where you need to pick up your own water, you may need to buy a trailer that can hold your water tank.
On top of that, make sure you have ratcheting straps and a ramp so that you can move the tank onto and off of the trailer.
5. Decide If You Want Above or Underground Water Tanks
Finally, you need to decide if you want your tank above or underground. If you have to take your tank to get filled, it needs to be an above ground model. However, if you have a company that will come to fill your water tank, you get to choose which ever option is the most aesthetically appealing to you.