Need Advice On Old Water Tank

[msmit62]

A couple years ago we bought an old farm house and moved a little ways outside of town. In the basement there is (or at least I believe it is) an old steel bladderless pressure tank for the old well pump (see attached picture). It is not in service anymore. We are going to have an LVL beam installed in the basement in order to eliminate the "trampoline" factor in the wood floor, and part of the LVL process is going to involve moving this tank. It's a really cool tank, so I hate to simply cut it up and scrap it. Can anyone out there suggest any creative uses for it? I thought about maybe using it to hold extra air for my air compressor, but it's probably rusty inside. Or, can I use it to hold water in the new garage that we're hoping to build later this summer? Maybe the internal surface can be re-coated similar to how old gas tanks are restored? Thanks in advance, msmit62

 

[Bretny]

I would not put that into any pressure service. That thing is ancient. However a huge blast cabinet or stand up spray booth would be cool.

 

[Tractorsellr]

I built a vertical smoker out of my last water tank.

 

[Doug Arthurs]

that is screaming make me a barbecue

 

[Big Bad Dad]

Is that riveted construction instead of welded? If so, probably from the 1930s or earlier. Looks like it has a sight glass for water level. I would not put pressure in it. If an abandoned water tank, it's probably pretty crusty inside too.

 

[rsanter]

I would put it outside the shop just for decoration

 

[EOC_Jason]

I built a vertical smoker out of my last water tank.

that is screaming make me a barbecue

+1... Turn it into a smoker...

 

[kbs2244]

Before you decide pump it up to about 20 PSI and let it sit overnight.
I expect it will leak down.
If so, that eliminates any pressurized re-use.

I would vote for a whole hog BBQ.
You have enough room for two.
Happy 7/4th.

 

[nadogail]

How about a big wood stove?

 

[sixty4]

I would cut out a door with some hinges and use it for a cool storage tool cabinet.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Get a few more and make a wind chime.

 

[bad_idea]

Smoker.

 

[ezover]

looks like a good start to a art piece steam engine. some one on here was making a steampunk bbq steam engine.

 

[pancho400cid]

As said, very cool!

Don't even THINK of putting air pressure in that thing! I mean hey... you "might" not blow your (or someone else's) head off. OTOH, Things could get deadly quick and anybody who says otherwise does not understand the physics of the situation. Here's a hint.... it takes a 3 HP motor running for several minutes to get the energy we are talking about built up. Now, how long would a three HP motor need to rip you limb from limb?

A smoker would be good. Repurposing into furniture or cutting in half to make post-industrial artsy-fartsy chairs maybe? I have mixed feelings about doing that but it's better than scrapping it. Check out what they did at the Hotel Emma built in the old Pearl Brewery in San Antonio.... again, as most on here would agree old industrial stuff is much cooler doing it's original job.... but again... better than scrapping it I guess.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/322922235778752561/

 

[Jeepster04]

That's super cool! I would love to buy an old house with something like that in it. Certainly wasn't a pressure tank, looks like it was made to just hold water since it has a sight glass on the side. Is that another sight glass hanging from the ceiling?

 

[sberry]

The sight glass was there so one could see how much water was in it to air. Fill it half way up and apply air to cut out pressure.

 

[ZipSnafu]

That definitely has grill or smoker written all over it... as others have said.

 

[msmit62]

Thank-you to everyone for all the great suggestions. To answer a few questions and add a couple more tidbits of info:

No, that's not another sight glass towards the ceiling. That's a mixture of knob & tube wiring (it's still live but I'm in the process of replacing it) and some newer copper plumbing.

The house was built in either 1900 or 1901. It was almost like a time capsule from the 40's-50's when we moved in.

Based on the feedback, I'll definitely avoid pressurizing the tank. Safety first! It does have some decent pitting on the exterior, so I have to believe that the interior is also rusty and pitted.

I love the paint booth idea. I could hook up some ducting, a furnace filter and small fan to pull out the paint dust. The wood stove and sandblast cabinet are neat ideas too.

It measures about 31" diameter across, and the doors on this house aren't very wide. If I can get it up the stairs and out of the mud room, I'll only have about 28-3/4 if I remove the screen door AND the interior door with its casing. It might require a little surgery to get the tank out in one piece. And I really don't want to break the sight glass!

 

[gungatim]

ha, at first I thought your location said Hopkins, MI, and you bought my buddy's old house. it just sold a month ago...he had a similar tank in the Michigan basement.

good luck getting it out, we never could move his, it was so tight under the floor beams it would have needed to be cut up to get out and up the stairs. my guess is yours was set the same way, jacked up when someone added the cement floor later.

very cool tank, looks like riveted copper? if so I know some guys that would kill for that to make a still out of...

 

[msmit62]

Oops, that reminds me...in my previous response I forgot to include that the tank is riveted, not welded. I don't think it's copper, though. It is very tight to the floor joists, though, just like you said. In fact, one of the joists is notched to clear the tank.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I wonder if you could sell it as "low background" steel if it's pre-atomic era?

 

[48RON54]

2nd vote for windchime

 

[ratdoggy]

It would make using PVC air lines safer.....
Only because it would blow up first...

But a smoker seems reasonable

 

[DieselNut88]

How about for rainwater collection. Could use the water for plants, garden, etc.

 

[Kevin54]

If you want to utilize it, lay it on it's side for use outside. Cut a door in the end, and add a stack out the back and use it to burn trash. Other than that, I'd sell it for scrap.

 

[TractorJeff]

I've seen them cut in half to make feeders for animals, BBQ's (in the old days, they called them grills) and of course woodstoves!
I saw one blow up one time (air tank)! It laid out flat and flew across the room! Blew a hole in the wall throwing wood debris 100 feet!
"Get the Picture?"

 

[The Cobbler]

I would wager a bet that it leaks .
I would not use it for air, but a bit of pressure to test for leaks wont harm anything/anyone
lots of good re-purpose ideas already

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

My vote is for a smoker.

There is a forum, very similar to this one, but for BBQ guys, called "BBQ Brethern" which will tell you all that you need to know about building a smoker, and more.

Between this forum, and that one, all your important questions will be answered.




.

 

[msmit62]

Guys, these are all great ideas and I really appreciate them. This forum is so awesome! Update: I have a carpenter friend coming over tomorrow night to help me figure out how to get it out of my basement. Even with the screen door, exterior door and exterior door casing removed, it'll be a tight fit. But, I really want to get it out in one piece.

 

[FJ 432]

Cool tank.
1. Other ideas that came to mind is a super cool aquarium (if you like fish)
2. Cut in half or more and use the top and bottom surfaces as a work bench support with
some bowling alley lane wood or a big piece of butcher block.

Good luck

 

[sberry]

Cut it up with a Sawzall to get it out the door, toss it in the scrap if you don't have any use for it. The thing has low scrap value, some **** aint worth saving if you do not have a use. I not making more work just to salvage a tank I cant seem to toss.

 

[radio63]

Let us know your progress on how you are able to get it out of the basement. Hoping you can remove it in one piece.

 

[23ford]

cut the bottom 2 foot off and make it a fire pit