Posted: 9/28/2025 10:49:47 PM EDT
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Looking to put in rain collection on the house. I had previously done a barrel filled from the HVAC condensate and it filled pretty quick but I’m looking to run something bigger for flushing boat engines, cleaning a boat, pressure washing the driveway, all that good stuff. Looks like IBC’s are running around $50 for the 275 gal all over marketplace, and then combine it with the $160 HF well pump and tank… any flaws in that plan? The house has gutters and downspouts but if I divert those to water collection, I’ll fill the IBC in about 30 seconds. I might entertain getting a 1500 gal poly tank in the future to run the whole house but I know that would require water purification. I’m not ready for all that yet. |
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I have 5x IBC totes plumbed together but I fill them from my well. The water is there primarily to sprinkle around and on my small cabin in the event of a wildfire, which are a big deal here in Montana in July & August. My well doesn’t produce enough water to save the house but ~1400 gallons could save my cabin, which I could live in while rebuilding the house. Next year I’m digging a 30k gallon pond, lining it and directing my gutters into it. That’ll be about 4200sq ft of roof space emptying into the pond for both spring runoff and early summer rain. THEN I can set up a proper sprinkler and pump system to save my house and grounds. |
Liberal: Give up your guns to prevent murder.
Gun Owner: Cut off your penis to prevent rape.
Liberal: I'm not going to rape anyone!!!
Gun Owner: Thanks for proving my point.
Gun Owner: Cut off your penis to prevent rape.
Liberal: I'm not going to rape anyone!!!
Gun Owner: Thanks for proving my point.
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I got a 1100g poly tank for cabin. For what you're doing, IBC should be most cost effective. I'd recommend getting some of the black covers for them to limit algae and mold etc growing inside. i really need to figure out better fire suppression. i have a little, but it is far from bullet proof. |
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I have four IBC's plumbed together, I fill them from the well. I added a Northern Tool water pump that will run four sprinklers that I can set up on the roof of the house or just in the yard for fires. The advantage to the IBC's aside from price, is that if I ever need to move the things it's simple to do with the tractor. A large poly tank, not so much. Four sprinklers, four 25' sections of hose, gives me a hundred feet I can place in front of a brush fire line. |
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Originally Posted By taliv: I got a 1100g poly tank for cabin. For what you're doing, IBC should be most cost effective. I'd recommend getting some of the black covers for them to limit algae and mold etc growing inside. i really need to figure out better fire suppression. i have a little, but it is far from bullet proof. I find the IBC covers really spendy and not that effective. Light still gets through and you can have an algae surprise when you take them off after a few months. Instead I buy 2 gallons of Walmart cheapo bleach and dump about 1/5 gallon in each IBC in the spring. A month later I run a pump to circulate the water through all the tanks and in mid/late July add the 2nd gallon of bleach which brings me through the end of the season. My tanks look as clean as the day I brought them home. 
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Liberal: Give up your guns to prevent murder.
Gun Owner: Cut off your penis to prevent rape.
Liberal: I'm not going to rape anyone!!!
Gun Owner: Thanks for proving my point.
Gun Owner: Cut off your penis to prevent rape.
Liberal: I'm not going to rape anyone!!!
Gun Owner: Thanks for proving my point.
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Originally Posted By Eagle_19er: I find the IBC covers really spendy and not that effective. Light still gets through and you can have an algae surprise when you take them off after a few months. Instead I buy 2 gallons of Walmart cheapo bleach and dump about 1/5 gallon in each IBC in the spring. A month later I run a pump to circulate the water through all the tanks and in mid/late July add the 2nd gallon of bleach which brings me through the end of the season. My tanks look as clean as the day I brought them home. again, i'm using an 1100g black poly tank, and no IBC tanks, so i don't know first hand, but you can buy ibc tank covers from walmarts website for $26. get two and double them up if light is still getting through. in addition to the black plastic, my tank is usually wrapped in insulation which would further minimize sunlight. i'm not saying bleach isn't effective too. i'm sure it is. but my focus is sustainability and bleach isn't as i can't make bleach myself, so I try to avoid that. |
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Originally Posted By taliv: i'm not saying bleach isn't effective too. i'm sure it is. but my focus is sustainability and bleach isn't as i can't make bleach myself, so I try to avoid that. Look into pool shock products. Some people are storing pool shock for the ability to make gallons of bleach for water treatment. |