what about this water storage idea?

[crankbait09]

I am looking to buy two containers for water storage. one for salt mix and one for ro.

i was thinking of buying two of the popular brute cans, but thought "cheaper" and found this. It is more than half the cost of the brute.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-27-Ga...NE-5/205978361

i could easily make a shelf/mobile cart to haul them around. thinking of adding a water spigot at the end of each one for easy filling.

any reason why i couldnt use this for this purpose?

[platypusklr]

Might want to check on the thickness of the sides. Once you get water in there they are likely to bow and cause problems with the lid.

[Isaacs55]

We usually use Brute cans because we know they are NSF. The problem with using anything else is questionable because we don't know if it truly is NSF or not. Google if it is or isn't and that'll give you your answer. I personally wouldn't use anything that isn't NSF over a long period of time.

[crankbait09]

sigh.......ok, back to the brute idea i go

I just dont like that price tag

[jason2459]

Some totes are fine but I've had some bow out bad.

I've been using a 29g clear brute tote for many years for my RO/DI top off resevour.

[Scubaken]

Yeah brute cans every time, you can also buy the dollies / wheels for them which really helps if you need to move them too (be very careful though)

[crankbait09]

I was pricing those brute dollies too.....$30+ sigh x2

[shifty51008]

You dont need the dollies if you dont plan on moveing them. My 3 brutes have been in the same place for 6 years

[crankbait09]

i dont have the luxury of storing them in the garage or "behind the scenes". I need the dollie/cart that i can move around

[shifty51008]

Well how were you gonna move the containers around that you posted the link for?

[crankbait09]

rectangular cart made from 2x4's and plywood that i have in the garage.......
spose i could make a cart for the brute cans as well but cant stack them

[whosurcaddie]

Make sure you get either the white yellow or grey brutes they are food safe.

[crankbait09]

the home depot that i work at has the grey ones..............so im good there

[Scubaken]

Ask a large kitchen if they want to sell you one, they always have more than they actually wanted (dollies, not brute containers)

[MondoBongo]

Originally Posted by crankbait09

sigh.......ok, back to the brute idea i go

I just dont like that price tag

i've used similar totes from lowe's, and they do an excellent job with minimal to no bowing. when i say similar, i mean identical to my eyes, same capacity, same colors even, i'm just not sure about the brand name. i actually have accumulated 4 of these over the past couple years and have used them for everything from water storage to placing in the back of my car to keep things from spilling.

[MondoBongo]

Here is the tote I have. Looks the same to me:

http://m.lowes.com/pd/Centrex-Plasti...ap-Lid/3551290

[jason2459]

If looking for a storage container that's not specifically listed as food grade there's no better place to look to see what plastics are safer then others then a baby guide website.

http://www.babygreenthumb.com/p-122-...ers-guide.aspx


Seriously though. I've got several posts in the past listing safer choices which matches up with that site as well

HDPE #2
LDPE #4
PP #5

Those are the numbers you would look for underneath the container usually in a triangle of arrows. Sometimes it has the plastic name (hdpe,ldpe,etc) and sometimes not.

Here's what I'm using for my saltmix


and my ATO/lime/kalk reservoir

[CStrickland]

Thoughts on PVC being terrible?

It's so common for plumbing, which is even more unstable than storage cause the water is warmed and the UV from the lights would add to that. Seems funny to worry so much about our containers and then use one of the worst plastics to pass our water through hundreds of times a day without it hurting anything.
Hope it's not too much of a hijak, I'm just curious about that.

PS lol@ Jason, that clip looks like you've run a battery cable into your saltmix

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by CStrickland

Thoughts on PVC being terrible?

It's so common for plumbing, which is even more unstable than storage cause the water is warmed and the UV from the lights would add to that. Seems funny to worry so much about our containers and then use one of the worst plastics to pass our water through hundreds of times a day without it hurting anything.
Hope it's not too much of a hijak, I'm just curious about that.

PS lol@ Jason, that clip looks like you've run a battery cable into your saltmix

PVC for plumbing should have passed a NSF safe for human consumption test. Plus the temp of our tanks is not hot enough to require cPVC.

[jason2459]

That dang midnight shutdown of RC...

anyway there's always sites shouting about both sides of the extreme.

Here's a good write up on both sides of the debate

http://www.motherearthnews.com/green...yl-debate.aspx

....

Should I be concerned about using PVC in my home?

Varying opinions exist on this subject. Over the course of the last few decades, environmental groups such as Greenpeace have been quick to bash PVC. Greenpeace’s stance is rooted in the idea that PVC in every stage – from production to disposal – is dangerous. PVC supporters have fought back, pointing to research that suggests that the vinyl controversy is nothing more than hype.

Both sides present strong arguments. Here are the three most commonly discussed issues in the vinyl debate, presented from each side’s perspective.


....

PVC releases carcinogens that endanger those who use it.

The anti-vinyl case:

PVC contains harmful carcinogens, most notably VCM. Other chemicals such as dioxin and phthalates, both carcinogenic, may also be released into an indoor environment, endangering the people who work and live in buildings that use PVC. Dioxin is a super-toxic chemical released when plastic that contains chlorine is burned. Aside from cancer, Dioxin can also trigger nervous system disorders and birth defects. Phthalates are carcinogenic chemicals often used in plastics to make them flexible. While the fact that vinyl contains carcinogens should be reason enough to avoid it, PVC is increasingly dangerous when burned. Therefore, house and building fires involving PVC are dangerous not only for homeowners and workers, but for firefighters and rescue workers as well.

The pro-vinyl case:

While PVC does contain harmful carcinogens, VCM is merely a part of the production of vinyl. Once PVC is produced, VCM is no longer emitted, so it doesn’t pose a threat to anybody who uses vinyl. Dioxin can only be released from PVC when it is burned at low or extremely high temperatures. In the case of a building fire, dioxin may be released into the air, but firefighters are prepared for dangerous fumes, which is why most of them wear oxygen masks. Many other building materials release harmful toxins when burned, so PVC shouldn’t be pinpointed. Finally, research involving plasticizers (such as phthalates) has never been done on humans. Lab rats that developed cancer after exposure to plasticizers were exposed to the equivalent of a human ingesting 500 grams of plasticizer every day for 100 days, which is highly unlikely.

Read Environmental Design & Construction’s Navigating Fact from Fiction in the White-Hot Debate over PVC and the Environment for more information on why using PVC in an indoor environment may not be dangerous.


and a non-biased site explaination

http://www.todayshomeowner.com/are-p...er-pipes-safe/

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by CStrickland

PS lol@ Jason, that clip looks like you've run a battery cable into your saltmix

It's not just my salt mix contain but also my battery backup...


It's a huge float switch and one of many failsafes to my AWC
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...673282&page=44

[CStrickland]

nice redundancy!

Those are great links. I think they might predate some of the newer research on plasticizers though. I'm not surprised that when the Mother Earth News article was written in 2010, there hadn't been any tests on phthalates in humans. However, in the last few years BPA and Phthalates have become ... shall we say .. easier to get grants for studying. The baby site with the good/bad break down has a link to more recent research on phthalates that seems fairly ominous, it was on this that they based the "bad" rating for PVC. I believe the EU has also developed some guidance that is more strict than US for this stuff, but I haven't looked at it lately.

Do you know the cutoff for cpvc off-hand? I only ever see it as "hot / cold" supply, but never with a temp range.

[jason2459]

It's not really a cut off but up to. PVC is 140F and cPVC is 200F. Typical hot water heater can go north of that 140.

[CStrickland]

Good to know. Where I live you can't plumb PVC past the foundation for any temp, but that could just be leftover old info in the code. Or a favor to the plumbers union since PVC is so easy to put in it might take a cut of their jobs! now that I think of it... the housing inspectors been driving a new truck -.- lol conspiracy!

[crankbait09]

Originally Posted by MondoBongo

Here is the tote I have. Looks the same to me:

http://m.lowes.com/pd/Centrex-Plasti...ap-Lid/3551290

you are using these totes for salt/ro mixture? never had any issues?
how long have you had them for this purpose?