Burying IBC's for RWH

[Vijay]

Would these be suitable for burying for RWH? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBC-tanks-1000L-galvanised-stainless-steel-case/253061149076?epid=16003874501&hash=item3aeb9eb194:g:pBAAAOSwMedZdchx  Would a chamber still need to be built around them??

[PeterW]

Yes however they have had solvent adhesive in them and they’ve not been cleaned ... that is not a job I would like ..!! 

[Vijay]

Hi Peter, the link was just meant as an example. I'm more wondering what I could bury for RWH and came across these galvanised IBC's

[Jeremy Harris]

Cleaning out solvent based adhesive will cost more than the container, for sure.  First you have to identify the adhesive, then find a suitable solvent, then clean and  rinse out the container with tens of litres of solvent, then you have to safely dispose of the washings....................

[dpmiller]

or pour off what you can then leave open to air-dry?

[Vijay]

I'd be looking for clear ones, just wanted to know if they could be buried as they are

[Temp]

We have a plastic one used above ground on an allotment. This type would need to be encased in concrete otherwise the soil would eventually crush the thing.  Not sure about the stainless steel ones. Problems occur when they are empty. The soil can crush the thing or it can even "float" to the surface.

[Vijay]

Damn, I was hoping to be able to get away from making a big concrete box in the ground  Could an old concrete shed be used, the type where it's in panels?

[Onoff]

@Vijay, did you somehow miss this thread?

 

[PeterW]

24 minutes ago, Vijay said:

Damn, I was hoping to be able to get away from making a big concrete box in the ground  Could an old concrete shed be used, the type where it's in panels?

 

You don’t have to - doesn’t need a lot of concrete around them assuming you don’t want to drive over them ..??

 

if you pipe them together and get them pretty close together, set them on 20mm gravel and then fill full of water you can backfill with a weak mix of concrete as the frames end up as a type of rebar around the inner. In good ground there is very little sideways pressure on the tanks unless you’re driving over them at which point you probably need to be casting concrete over the tops and getting them much deeper. 

[Vijay]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

@Vijay, did you somehow miss this thread?

 

 

Nope, it's thanks to that post that I'm looking at IBC's!!!   Was just hoping there was an easier way than a concrete box.............................

 

What stops it filling with water, I assume some sort of drainage at the bottom?

[Vijay]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

 

You don’t have to - doesn’t need a lot of concrete around them assuming you don’t want to drive over them ..??

 

if you pipe them together and get them pretty close together, set them on 20mm gravel and then fill full of water you can backfill with a weak mix of concrete as the frames end up as a type of rebar around the inner. In good ground there is very little sideways pressure on the tanks unless you’re driving over them at which point you probably need to be casting concrete over the tops and getting them much deeper. 

 

No, looking to locate them where it's just pedestrian. How much earth would be needed over the top?

[PeterW]

It’s it a path or just grass where they are going ..?? 300-450mm of earth is ample if it’s only light traffic. 

[Onoff]

Presumably before you cover it with earth you would put a couple of layers of landscape fabric over the top?

[Bitpipe]

1 hour ago, Vijay said:

 

Nope, it's thanks to that post that I'm looking at IBC's!!!   Was just hoping there was an easier way than a concrete box.............................

 

What stops it filling with water, I assume some sort of drainage at the bottom?

 

Yes. it has a gully at the bottom that's linked into the soak away that serves the land drain around the basement.

 

Our 'concrete box' is actually four sides of a cube (bottom and three surrounding verticals - it's not structurally part of the basement as that would compromise the insulated envelope. It butts up to the 200mm insulation on the basement itself and was made from standard (non waterproof) concrete - really it's a means of getting the necessary external steps to ground level and we figured we may as well make a feature of it, the RWH was a bit of an afterthought.

 

Tanks are now full after the recent rain and the overflow is working nicely. Filter sock is catching a lot of fine particles and has proved easy to clean out (turn inside out and rinse under garden tap). Just need to obtain and install a pump now.. and then deck over the top.