Fiberglass tank heat rating?

We have been without power for days. I've figured out how to get by with alternatives for almost everything except a shower, since my solar / wood water system isn't pressurized. A neighbor has a gas water heater but I don't want to depend on them being home next time.
Does anyone know the temperature limits for a fiberglass water purifier tank? I could pour kettles of 40C ~ 45C water into it, pressurize it to perhaps 2 Atm and use a spare sink spray hose for the shower head.
Or take a tub bath, of course. But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.
Jim Wilkins

Jim Wilkins wrote:

We have been without power for days. I've figured out how to get by with alternatives for almost everything except a shower, since my solar / wood water system isn't pressurized. A neighbor has a gas water heater but I don't want to depend on them being home next time.
Does anyone know the temperature limits for a fiberglass water purifier tank? I could pour kettles of 40C ~ 45C water into it, pressurize it to perhaps 2 Atm and use a spare sink spray hose for the shower head.
Or take a tub bath, of course. But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.
Jim Wilkins

I don't know about your tank, but most polyester and vinyl ester resins are good to 80 deg C at their design pressure rating. So if your tank is rated for normal water line pressure, it would be good at 80 deg.
This info is good for vessels designed to ASTM standards, but your tank may be designed and built to another standard. ASTM design has a 10:1 safety factor for pressure.

Jim Wilkins wrote:

We have been without power for days. I've figured out how to get by with alternatives for almost everything except a shower, since my solar / wood water system isn't pressurized. A neighbor has a gas water heater but I don't want to depend on them being home next time.
Does anyone know the temperature limits for a fiberglass water purifier tank? I could pour kettles of 40C ~ 45C water into it, pressurize it to perhaps 2 Atm and use a spare sink spray hose for the shower head.
Or take a tub bath, of course. But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.
Jim Wilkins

A 55 gal plastic or metal drum raised to about 8 ft or more will give you enough water/pressure for whole family to take a shower (quicky one) I knocked together some scaffolding one year in garage to solve this problem. A full barrel weighs about 500 lbs so the construction of scaffolding is not that difficult. I ran a hose through the house to fill the toilet, also from the barrel.
hope helps...have fun....sno

On Dec 17, 8:11�pm, sno wrote:

Jim Wilkins wrote: [alternative shower idea] Jim Wilkins
A 55 gal plastic or metal drum raised to about 8 ft or more will give you enough water/pressure for whole family to take a shower (quicky one).... hope helps...have fun....sno

The guys who lived in the woods across the street did that, but with a 5 gallon bucket, and even they aren't hardy enough to shower outdoors in winter here in NH.
I might try a garden sprayer modified with the sink spray hose. They don't hold much but they can be used and refilled right in the shower stall, so a spill isn't the problem it would be with a larger tank outside. Plus I won't need to cobble up a compressed air source.
I ran my blanketed 40 gal. electric water heater up to its maximum setting of 143F when power came back on, let it stabilize for 6 hours, then shut it off to measure the temperature decay rate. It's fallen to 125F (at a faucet) in 14 hours, ambient down there being ~65F.
Jim Wilkins

On Dec 18, 10:52�am, Neon John wrote:

On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:29:19 -0800 (PST), Jim Wilkins <KB1...@gmail.com wrote:
We have been without power for days. ...
Psssttt. Hey, wanna buy a generator? :-)

I have two already, bought cheap second-hand with problems I figured I could fix. They run but need attention. Most everything I own fits that description.

... I'm on strike against SI units so if you convert them to normal units, I could SWAG.

100F to 115F, roughly. My degree is in Chemistry, which in the US is entirely metric and has been for ages. I tend to post metric values because few outside the US know our units.

Do you have a garden sprayer? That makes an excellent shower. ...Being metal, I can let it sit right beside the fire ...

Good point. NH is a vacation area with plenty of campgrounds and AMC huts with facilities, so even when I camp Mountain Man style some amount of civilization is available.

I adapted a standard all-brass garden sprayer head to the tank so it is essentially the same thing as a garden sprayer but without the manual pump.

I'm going to use a plastic tank and sink spray head to protect the tub finish. I put a sink spray in the shower on a wye fitting in about 1981 to wash the dog and liked it enough that I removed the regular head. The hose is double length, the sink hose plus another one with shower head threads, joined with a brass pipe coupler. The neighbor's gas-heated shower we used when power was out had a normal-length spray hose with multiple patterns but no energy-saving shutoff. The longer hose lets me shower sitting on a plastic stool, reducing the risk of falling, and is useful for washing dogs and big kettles.

BTW, where are you? I don't do news of any sort so I'm not up on things but I did hear my neighbor talking about a bad ice storm somewhere but I didn't catch the location. Are you involved in that? John

Southern New Hampshire. Some towns were shut down completely. The National Guard is out and utility crews came from all over the Northeast to help. FEMA eventually arrived with token help but we are pretty self-reliant and don't expect them to do any more than write checks anyway.
Both the local TV news anchor and the power company spokesman still don't have electricity at home.
A jury here just sentenced a black man to death for shooting a policeman. You might hear about that one.
Jim Wilkins

On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:29:19 -0800 (PST), Jim Wilkins wrote:

We have been without power for days. I've figured out how to get by with alternatives for almost everything except a shower, since my solar / wood water system isn't pressurized. A neighbor has a gas water heater but I don't want to depend on them being home next time.

Psssttt. Hey, wanna buy a generator? :-)

Does anyone know the temperature limits for a fiberglass water purifier tank? I could pour kettles of 40C ~ 45C water into it, pressurize it to perhaps 2 Atm and use a spare sink spray hose for the shower head.

Dunno. I'm on strike against SI units so if you convert them to normal units, I could SWAG.

Or take a tub bath, of course. But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.

Do you have a garden sprayer? That makes an excellent shower. the nozzle, set on mist, dispenses very little water but it is quite effective for the purpose. I carry one camping with me when I boondock, as I can use it outside my RV and it uses much less water than the RV's shower. I recently noticed one of the big box sporting goods stores selling a sprayer with a shower head on it as a "camp shower" - for about $75.
I made mine out of a stainless steel 5 gallon coke syrup container. I pump it up with a battery powered tire pump. Being metal, I can let it sit right beside the fire for a couple of hours to get the water nice and warm or, since one side is painted black, sit it out in the sun all day to be ready for showering after dark.
I adapted a standard all-brass garden sprayer head to the tank so it is essentially the same thing as a garden sprayer but without the manual pump.
BTW, where are you? I don't do news of any sort so I'm not up on things but I did hear my neighbor talking about a bad ice storm somewhere but I didn't catch the location. Are you involved in that?
John -- John De Armond See my website for my current email address http://www.neon-john.com http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net! Tellico Plains, Occupied TN So you're a feminist... Isn't that cute!

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message

We have been without power for days. I've figured out how to get by with alternatives for almost everything except a shower, since my solar / wood water system isn't pressurized. A neighbor has a gas water heater but I don't want to depend on them being home next time.
Does anyone know the temperature limits for a fiberglass water purifier tank? I could pour kettles of 40C ~ 45C water into it, pressurize it to perhaps 2 Atm and use a spare sink spray hose for the shower head.
Or take a tub bath, of course. But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.

How about one of those camping "solar showers". You can easily fill them with warm water. Or, build a bucket with a valve and a sprinkle spout on the bottom. Pour warm water in, hoist it overhead, and enjoy.

On Dec 18, 1:27�pm, "Bob F" wrote:

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message ...But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.
How about one of those camping "solar showers". You can easily fill them with warm water. Or, build a bucket with a valve and a sprinkle spout on the bottom. Pour warm water in, hoist it overhead, and enjoy.

The solar shower is a good idea. The ones I've seen were light enough to hang from the shower head pipe, and they shouldn't scratch the finish, or crush toes if they fall. They could be refilled with a funnel and a pot from the big kettle of warm water.
The bucket and pulley does have some problems to solve. I put a large screw eye in a ceiling joist over the stairwell to practice technical rope climbing. The strapping above the sheetrock and texturing on it makes finding a joist much harder than finding a wall stud by tapping. In my case the attic above is unfinished so I only had to drill two small holes from above to bracket the joist + strapping location.
I did rig up a pulley over a tub once, to use a bucket of water as a variable exercise weight when my mother was recovering from an injury. The doctor had suggested sand and thought my idea was better, less mess. IIRC the bucket hung from a fish scale that showed the weight. Luckily there was a joist near the centerline of the tub. When I removed the hook I had to patch some condensation damage.
Another issue with the bucket is where to tie off the rope with your wet, soapy hands. It doesn't take too many gallons at 8 pounds each to rip out towel rail screws, and using the bathroom doorknob would give someone outside quite a surprise when they turned it.
Jim Wilkins

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message On Dec 18, 1:27 pm, "Bob F" wrote:

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message ...But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.
How about one of those camping "solar showers". You can easily fill them with warm water. Or, build a bucket with a valve and a sprinkle spout on the bottom. Pour warm water in, hoist it overhead, and enjoy.

The solar shower is a good idea. The ones I've seen were light enough to hang from the shower head pipe, and they shouldn't scratch the finish, or crush toes if they fall. They could be refilled with a funnel and a pot from the big kettle of warm water.
The bucket and pulley does have some problems to solve. I put a large screw eye in a ceiling joist over the stairwell to practice technical rope climbing. The strapping above the sheetrock and texturing on it makes finding a joist much harder than finding a wall stud by tapping. In my case the attic above is unfinished so I only had to drill two small holes from above to bracket the joist + strapping location.
I did rig up a pulley over a tub once, to use a bucket of water as a variable exercise weight when my mother was recovering from an injury. The doctor had suggested sand and thought my idea was better, less mess. IIRC the bucket hung from a fish scale that showed the weight. Luckily there was a joist near the centerline of the tub. When I removed the hook I had to patch some condensation damage.
Another issue with the bucket is where to tie off the rope with your wet, soapy hands. It doesn't take too many gallons at 8 pounds each to rip out towel rail screws, and using the bathroom doorknob would give someone outside quite a surprise when they turned it.
********************************************************************
Jamb cleat on the side of the bucket? Like on sailboats.

On Dec 19, 2:22�am, "Bob F" wrote:

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
On Dec 18, 1:27 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message ...But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap. ... Another issue with the bucket is where to tie off the rope with your wet, soapy hands. ... ********************************************************************
Jamb cleat on the side of the bucket? Like on sailboats.

I might use a Prusik loop attached to the handle, but as a general idea expert rope tricks could lead to a toe-crushing accident. It's difficult to teach some people the square knot in person by example, and here we have only text.
I have a jam cleat on my antenna mast for the hoisting line but don't rely on it, the rope pulls out much too easily if stepped on. It's only a backup while cold wet fingers tie off the rope properly.
Still, these are good ideas to share for a power-out emergency when you can only heat water in a pot over a fire.
Jim Wilkins

On Dec 19, 1:18�pm, "Bob F" wrote:

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message .... OK. use a regular cleat. A couple wraps, and you're good to go.

http://www.animatedknots.com/cleat/index.php

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message On Dec 19, 2:22 am, "Bob F" wrote:

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
On Dec 18, 1:27 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message ...But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap. ... Another issue with the bucket is where to tie off the rope with your wet, soapy hands. ... ********************************************************************
Jamb cleat on the side of the bucket? Like on sailboats.

I might use a Prusik loop attached to the handle, but as a general idea expert rope tricks could lead to a toe-crushing accident. It's difficult to teach some people the square knot in person by example, and here we have only text.
I have a jam cleat on my antenna mast for the hoisting line but don't rely on it, the rope pulls out much too easily if stepped on. It's only a backup while cold wet fingers tie off the rope properly.
Still, these are good ideas to share for a power-out emergency when you can only heat water in a pot over a fire.
******************************************************************** OK. use a regular cleat. A couple wraps, and you're good to go.

In , on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:01:19 -0800 (PST), Jim Wilkins, KB1DAL@gmail.com wrote:

On Dec 17, 8:11 pm, sno wrote: Jim Wilkins wrote:
The guys who lived in the woods across the street did that, but with a 5 gallon bucket, and even they aren't hardy enough to shower outdoors in winter here in NH.

I've taken outdoor showers as low as 27F. Sure wouldn't do it by choice!
-- ☯☯

On Dec 17, 6:29�pm, Jim Wilkins wrote:

We have been without power for days. I've figured out how to get by with alternatives for almost everything except a shower, since my solar / wood water system isn't pressurized. A neighbor has a gas water heater but I don't want to depend on them being home next time.
Does anyone know the temperature limits for a fiberglass water purifier tank? I could pour kettles of 40C ~ 45C water into it, pressurize it to perhaps 2 Atm and use a spare sink spray hose for the shower head.
Or take a tub bath, of course. But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap.
Jim Wilkins

how about a generator????????

On Dec 19, 10:44�pm, "hall...@aol.com" wrote:

On Dec 17, 6:29 pm, Jim Wilkins wrote:
[alternative shower ideas] Or take a tub bath, of course. But this is an interesting problem to solve on the cheap. Jim Wilkins
how about a generator????????

I don't want to suggest questionable / illegal wiring practices here so I'm trying to limit it to a gas or wood stove and kettle that many people already have. There's quite a gap between what I might do and what I recommend in a public forum, because I was an industrial electrician among other jobs.
My generator setup uses only extension cords, there's no connection to the house wiring. This is partly for safety and partly because the genny puts out 140V unloaded, so I decrease it to 120V with a big Variac and then plug in only insensitive loads.
In one nearby town the fire department has been inspecting all generator hookups, and several have been stolen around here. Some people with them keep their lights very dim during an outage. You can hear one easily but can't always count how many more are on.
Jim Wilkins