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PLUMBING TOPICS OIL TANKS SEPTIC SYSTEMS WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER TANK REPAIRS WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD WATER TANK REPLACEMENT WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK WATER TESTING WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS WELL TYPES: DRILLED, DUG, POINT, CISTERNS & SPRINGS Basement Wells Cisterns Drilled Wells - steel casings Drilled Well with Submersible Pump Shallow Well with One Line Jet Pump Well with Two Line Jet Pump Driven Point Wells How Much Water is In the Well? How to Get More Water From a Well Hand Dug Wells Springs as Water Supply Well Pits WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY More Information InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map Plumbing Water Septic Accuracy & Bias Pledge Contact Us |
This article describes the use of cisterns as drinking water sources. We provide advice about what to do when things go wrong. Readers of this document should also see Water Tank Types and before assuming that a water problem is due to the well itself, see Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case which offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost. © 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website. Cisterns and How to use them for Drinking Water StorageA cistern is basically a water reservoir of any kind which is used to accumulate and store water for future use. Cisterns are usually constructed close to the building which will use their water, sometimes even inside it. Traditionally and still in some parts of the world people direct roof runoff from the rainy season into a cistern where it is stored for use during dry periods. Water from a cistern is typically pumped out by hand, drained by gravity, or it may be pumped by an electric pump such as a one line jet pump. The photo at page top shows an abandoned cistern which had been built abutting a home. Interestingly the owner broke through into the cistern from the basement and drilled a modern steel casing well right in the bottom of the cistern - some of the new equipment is also visible.
Basement & Outdoor Cisterns, are often located in the basement or courtyard of buildings where they collect rainwater for future use. In the U.S. cisterns were often located in the basement of a (pre-1900) home. In arid areas such as the U.S. Southwest and parts of Mexico, very large cisterns are often placed in a courtyard where they collect rainwater for use during the dry season. This cistern is located in the basement of a pre-1900 home in New York. Later owners broke open a passage into the basement cistern and now use it for storage. This cistern was originally filled by downspouts directing roof runoff into the basement. In a seasonally damp climate such as New York, an in-use basement cistern would certainly be a likely source of unwanted building moisture and would thus be a risk for problematic mold growth.
Attic Cisterns or water tanks are installed in some buildings to perform the same function as rooftop-mounted water tanks. This little attic reservoir found in the Justin Morrill historic home.
Attic expansion tanks and pressure relief systems Don't confuse an old heating system attic-mounted expansion tank for a water tank however. These are not potable water storage systems. The heating system expansion tank will be connected to the heating system radiators or basement boiler and may have a simple overflow pipe to permit excessive water (or system pressure) to spill outside. Heating systems with this equipment installed may not have a modern pressure and temperature relief valve. Attic expansion tank systems used on heating boilers are potentially less safe than installaing a relief valve right on the boiler, since the attic-located pressure relief system is located so remote from the heating boiler. | |||
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PLUMBING TOPICS OIL TANKS SEPTIC SYSTEMS WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER TANK REPAIRS WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD WATER TANK REPLACEMENT WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK WATER TESTING WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS WELL TYPES: DRILLED, DUG, POINT, CISTERNS & SPRINGS Basement Wells Cisterns Drilled Wells - steel casings Drilled Well with Submersible Pump Shallow Well with One Line Jet Pump Well with Two Line Jet Pump Driven Point Wells How Much Water is In the Well? How to Get More Water From a Well Hand Dug Wells Springs as Water Supply Well Pits WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY More Information InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map Plumbing Water Septic Accuracy & Bias Pledge Contact Us |
Water Tank Maintenance & Repair Chapter IndexUse links just below or at the left of each of the pages at our website to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
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PLUMBING TOPICS OIL TANKS SEPTIC SYSTEMS WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER TANK REPAIRS WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD WATER TANK REPLACEMENT WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK WATER TESTING WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY More Information InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map Air Conditioning InspectAPedia Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Bias Pledge Contact Us |
More Information on Plumbing & Other Building Diagnostic Inspections and RepairsPlumbing Diagnosis & Repair: Water supply, drainage, septic systems, water testing, water contamination, defective plumbing materials & products.
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04/08/2008 - 07/20/07 www.inspect-ny.com/water/WaterCisterns.htm ©Copyright 2008 9/25/00 Daniel Friedman all rights reserved.
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