55 Gallon drum storage

I have "several" blue 55 gallon drums for water storage, but space is becomming an issue for me.
I have them standing upright, next to the wall in the basement. I did not want to stack them on top of each other because it is a PITA to get the water out.
I am thinking of building some kind of rack where I can store the barrels on their side and stack maybe 3 high.
This would make it easier to get the water out and easier fill/drain.
I have a few ideas on what I need to do but I am wondering if anyone has anything like this or knows someone who does.
I would rather build it myself unless prefab is obviously better.
HELP?

I have 3 - 40 gallon barrels hanging from my floor joists in my crawlspace (under the house). I made up some u shaped brackets with ears on them, secured them to the joist with the lid in between the joists for easy access. They work REALLY well, and make a really nice convenient place to put stuff.

I'm sure something like this would be easy enough to make up...

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/...a/IMG_2526.jpg

Yea, I have looked into that particular type of rack setup and i like it.
Its not cheap though and Im not sure how much compressive force a plastic barrel can handle with others stacked on top without some outside support.
I am curious though, tell me about these brackets you made up.

I just took some flat bar from work, 3/16 X 2" cut it to about 100 inches, and rolled them into a u shape, leaving the legs sticking up straight. then I punched 1/2 holes in each end, 1" centers, and then broke the ends up 90 degrees, to form the ears.

_..........._
.|..........|
.|..........|
..\____/

^
like that! disregard the dots, they're just place holders. and the bottom part is rounded not flat.

If you give me the radius or diameter of your barrels I can sketch out a modification to that original photo, so the upper barrels would be supported. Can you weld? or have access to a welder? do you have access to steel?

Looks good!
The only welding I can do is JB Weld. I can solder and braise like you would not believe, but never learned to weld.
I am pretty handy with wood.
I want to go 3 high so I figure its probably better to have the load on the floor than on the ceiling.

np. I'll sketch out a design, based on the first one, that'll load bear to the floor. np!

forgive the pic quality, I just had my cell phone.

These are the hangers (upside down):

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/t...y/IMGP8396.jpg


And part of one bank, to show them in action:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/t...y/IMGP8397.jpg

To say that is a cool idea would be an understatement.
I feel honored that you would share this.
I see that those are open top drums with hoop locks. What do you keep in them? Do you have any for water storage?

They have a nice rubber seal on the lids, so they stay dry dry dry inside even if the crawlspace is a little damp.

The barrels (not all shown) contain my long term storage items. So the standards, rice and beans, hundreds of bags of my homemade MRE's, canned goods, paper products (TP, PT, PP), pasta, flour, sugar, etc etc etc. you know everything that any of us put up.

Most of my water is in the form of 5 gallon bottles, and in a different location. but I don't store much in that manner, as I have 165 000 gallons in my pond (potable) 20 feet from my backdoor, and a creek 1/4 mile away. I do have one barrel filled with 500ml bottles, that we rotate out through my pepsi machine each summer.

What about using eye bolts along with heavy rope or cable for the straps?
This does have potential and I will probably use your idea for another project, but still not quite what I originally need.
Jeez man, this design of yours is great, why havent you said something before?

??? er.... um.... ahhhh... I didn't think of it as special. just something I needed and did.

Haven't really thought much about them until your thread here.

I 'm thinking I might have to put up a couple other threads with shots of a few things I've done.

There's "regular thinking", "thinking outside the box", and in my world "there is no box"

;)


If I were to go with eye bolts and rope, then I'd set it up as a pulley system, especially if you have a full 8' plus ceiling. then you don't need ladders, you can just hoist them up and down.

I went with the steel straps, because I'm a steel worker and it was quick, easy, cheap, and convenient for me. I just designed it up, walked to the shop floor at work, said I need 40 of this, cut to that. punch holes here, roll it like this, bend it here, and throw it in my truck when you're done.

Shipping would negate any value in making them for others, even though I am almost out, and will be setting up another run.

I loike that set up T. Never seen anything like it, but I can think of many possibilities.

Well I finally figured it out.
I really like Sniper-Ts ideas and designs especially the pulleys.
My basement has a 7.5 foot ceiling. A string of 6 barrels would actually take up quite a bit of space. I have 16" on center joists so that complicated the spacing of 24" barrels too.
I decided on a 72H x 48W x 30D Metal rack by Edsal. I have to buy it in pieces and assemble but the final cost is about $150.
I can fit 2 barrels per shelf. I'll raise the top shelf so the barrels almost touch the ceiling and fit the other 2 up as high as they will go. each shelf is rated for 2000lbs so weight is not much of an issue. The barrels will stick out 3" on the front and back of the shelfs but thats no big deal
I bought some bung spigots for each barrel to simplify fill and drain.
Now I will be able to store 300+ gallons in a 36 x 48 space

let's see some pics when you get them up

i like the eye bolt and rope idea. Just make sure whatever you use as a fastener to hold the eye bolts with does not get pulled out by the weight. And also consider what your tieing this all up too. You dont wanna put this much weight on a 2x4.....

I had some firewood stored here and had to move it out.
The larger white PVC pipe is the line to the septic tank.
The black hose looking line goes to the A/C unit
Floor to bottom of joists is 84"
http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/z...425_142751.jpg

The first rail
http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/z...425_142914.jpg

Most of the way there
http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/z...425_153122.jpg

nice!

and a couple shelves below (forthcoming)
for other things...

It was time to rotate some water anyway. I will add more barrels after I get these two filled.
Each shelf will exactly hold 2 barrels with no wiggle room for a total of 6 55 gallon barrels. There is about 3/4 inch between the barrels on the top shelf and the ceiling.
I put braces under each barrel that are about 4" wide in case the barrel sags under its own weight. each shelf is rated for 2000 lbs.
The barrels hang off about 3" on the front and back.
I have plastic spigots for each barrel that will make draining much easier. It took about 1/2 hour to siphon each barrel before.
I bought the sides and the support braces at Lowes for about $90ish. I ordered the 48" shelf pieces from HomeDepot.com because they were about $1 cheaper and had free shipping. They were about $60. So the whole deal is costing me a little over $150.
I have COMPLETE confidence in the soundness of this rack. Built like a friggin tank.
Matter of fact I think Im going to add another 6 or 8 foot section to it for shelving.

I use something similar, although very crude. I took 3x3 lengths of wood, scalloped out a couple of sections and the barrels lay in the section scalloped out. Very similar to what you have except its wood. This way no need to build a rack system. The two braces on the bottom dont have scallops on both sides, just the top one. Barrels lay in the scallops, put next length of wood on top of them only that piece is scalloped on both sides but offset. One at the front and one at the back and no issues at all!

Crude drawing. . .

O= barrel
U= scalloped section of wood


...O...O...O...O
---u---u---u---u---
[_____________]

Nice build Alpha. Thats a lot of water in a compact area.

Stormy i assume you use multiple layers of barrels? How high did you go with them? That system would be super easy to tear down and move if needed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stormfeather

I use something similar, although very crude. I took 3x3 lengths of wood, scalloped out a couple of sections and the barrels lay in the section scalloped out. Very similar to what you have except its wood. This way no need to build a rack system. The two braces on the bottom dont have scallops on both sides, just the top one. Barrels lay in the scallops, put next length of wood on top of them only that piece is scalloped on both sides but offset. One at the front and one at the back and no issues at all!

---

I actually considered something like that too. However, I was not able to find any info as to how much compressive force a poly barrel could handle.
I even had a heck of a time finding something slightly official that said they coul be stored on thier side.
I knew I could sit on a barrel on its side without flexing it but, there is a big difference between 185lbs and 900+lbs.
When I decide to move, I can take ALL of this stuff with me.
In all, I expect the rack to weigh a little over 2600 lbs with 300+ gallons of water.

Holy Crap.
What a Fluster Cluck.
So far I have 4 barrels on my new rack. Got them all rinsed out. Three are filled and I am filling the 4th. I decided to give them each a shot of bleach before I close them up. I fill a syringe with about 40 ml or so and squirt it into each barrel. I cap the bungs on the three full ones and then shine my flashlight into the one being filled to see the level. WTFO!!? Foam and bubbles are starting to exit the bung hole!
Sonuvableech! Did I just put soap in there? I looked at the bottle again. Chorox alright. Chlorox HE. Much ex-navy language came forth. I went looking online for a MSDS to see what was in it or what made it different from regular dilute NaOCl Chlorox. MSDS reads about the same only the NaOH concentration is a little higher. I imagine that not all of the ingredients are listed on the MSDS, just the main stuff.
I tasted and smelled the water. It smelled chlorinated and I could not taste any thing that was off.
I thought that maybe it would be OK and not bother changing it out..
Then I started thinking about 1 Sec After/Zombie Apocalypse/ Aztec 12-21-12/ Obama win/Obama loss/ Locust Swarm/ Terrorist/Solar Flares/Power Grid/Marshal Law/ Hurricanes/Yellowstone/ Cascadia/ Asteroid/Kidney Stones/etc (in no particular order).
Do it right.
I drained and rinsed the heck out of all 4 drums. Refilled them and added some Regular Chlorox. No foam.
NOW I'm ready for any of the above. Except the kidney stones.

I'm not sure how I missed this thread in the first place. I apologize for that.

This is fantastic example of real-world prepping and practical stuff to boot.

Please keep updating it. Sorry to hear about the slight bleach incident but glad it worked out.

You learn from your mistakes.
You'd think I would an Einstein by now.
Then again, some peoples purpose in life is to be an example for others.

I know this is a little late for you guys but may be helpful for others using the blue drums. Found this site for a hand pump that looks like it is pretty good and made for them.
http://better-outdoors.com/ezi-actio...drum-pump.html

Well, here I am to resurrect the dead. For the past few weeks I have been having some puddles on the floor in front of my barrels. Not much, but a nuisance. To my great brain the only possibility was ground water seeping thru basement walls. I started to look at the barrels and I discovered that the one on the upper left had a huge dent in it. I tapped on it a few times and was able to shine a super mega lumens lantern thru it. Strange that there was no air in it. Looks like the water had been draining very slowly over a ;long period of time. I cracked the top bung and I could hear air going in. I drained and pumped all the water out. I am thinking I did not properly support the ends of the barrel. I am going to have to rethink this barrel rack idea. But hell, it has lasted 10 years (until now) WITH NO PROBLEMS.

the majority of the poly barrels aren't rated to be sideways racked - the seam just won't hold that weight >>> that's why you see them with a bung hole pump - if you have the height and get a pump or siphon arrangement it's a better set-up for poly barrels ....

A little tid bit/link of information on collecting rain water in the USA. State by state, check out Colorado an Arkansas, Nevada, to name a couple.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/st...lect-rainwater

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stormfeather

I use something similar, although very crude. I took 3x3 lengths of wood, scalloped out a couple of sections and the barrels lay in the section scalloped out. Very similar to what you have except its wood. This way no need to build a rack system. The two braces on the bottom dont have scallops on both sides, just the top one. Barrels lay in the scallops, put next length of wood on top of them only that piece is scalloped on both sides but offset. One at the front and one at the back and no issues at all!

Crude drawing. . .

O= barrel
U= scalloped section of wood


...O...O...O...O
---u---u---u---u---
[_____________]

---

OK I have to comment on this design for and for Backpacker's comment.

Stormy's Idea is correct as I have read further Alpha had crack issues. "Square peg round hole" syndrome. Proper shape and support would correct the issue blue barrel or not I would think. Just my thoughts, Carry on....

Hey Gang, I'm back!!
It has been quite a while, I'll post personal update later.
Anyway, I have moved lock, stock and blue poly barrels from New Yorkistan to Alabama a.k.a. God's country.
World events has put a little urgency into my preps. I still have everything as far as preps inventory goes, but my logistics have changed. I went from a 1850 sq ft house with an attic and a basement in NY to a 2000 sq ft ranch style home in AL.
I brought 5 poly 55 gal barrels with me. This summer was a lot hotter here in AL.
I need to get a move on with my water storage. I will be forced to put them in my spacious but crowded garage or outside. I have a 12x12 concrete patio that has a mild slope to it. It would be visible from the street if stacked more than two barrels high.
Due to the shape of the house, there is an area, out of sight, but on the grass. I could probably use those concrete deck footers as a base for a barrel rack
So, Im looking for suggestions for locations.

welcome back, old friend!

keep it simple... do what works, and mask it with what appeases the sheeple. some lattice, some backsplash, even a stacked woodpile, can cover your prep, quickly, cleanly and simply. throw up a craft wall, and let the kids paint it on a daily/weekly, monthly basis. covers your stuff, and looks non-descript from the street.

imo

Sniper had a good idea. May also think about planting some bushes/trees to hide the area. Not sure of you layout what would fit in best.

Welcome to the South. It does get hot down here

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AlphaTea

Hey Gang, I'm back!!
It has been quite a while, I'll post personal update later.
Anyway, I have moved lock, stock and blue poly barrels from New Yorkistan to Alabama a.k.a. God's country.
World events has put a little urgency into my preps. I still have everything as far as preps inventory goes, but my logistics have changed. I went from a 1850 sq ft house with an attic and a basement in NY to a 2000 sq ft ranch style home in AL.
I brought 5 poly 55 gal barrels with me. This summer was a lot hotter here in AL.
I need to get a move on with my water storage. I will be forced to put them in my spacious but crowded garage or outside. I have a 12x12 concrete patio that has a mild slope to it. It would be visible from the street if stacked more than two barrels high.
Due to the shape of the house, there is an area, out of sight, but on the grass. I could probably use those concrete deck footers as a base for a barrel rack
So, Im looking for suggestions for locations.

---

Are you in southern Alabama? Why did you choose that state? I'm in the north and looking south.

I only have about 5 5-gallon water bottles. Can I ask where you bought your 55 gallon water containers? I was going to buy one on Amazon but wondered if I could get a better price somewhere else.