Hey there, I guess im overdue for one of these My name is Torren, and I specialize in water main disinfection and related services. The mainstays of our business are swabbing, chlorination, hydro static testing and water sampling. We also offer line tracing, hydrant repairs and high adjustments, flow testing, leak detection, Backflow device certifications and repair. We also do some consulting for temp above ground water supply systems. In the past we have also been involved in the cleaning and cement mortar lining of existing mains. That's how we got into the disinfection business. We were not pleased with how it was being done, we thought we could do it better ourselves. We we right, and now that's the bulk of our business. We are a small family business. We serve mostly the southern Ontario area but are not limited to it. I always say if you've got the money i've got the time. Before getting into the family biz I was a licensed truck and coach mechanic. I have extensive GM light and medium duty experience. So any questions about your 6.5, Duramax or small cat 3116 3126, C7 and i will be happy to help. I have also worked for International and Peterbilt. I've always loved trucks, equipment and helping people.
Hello WaterDoc. Maybe you could answer a question I've always been curious about. In my area, our water supply works by having water stored in above ground tanks located on the top of hills which provides water pressure for the supply lines to users. We do typically have freezing temps in the winter, but it's moderate. I've often wondered about areas that have long periods of freezing weather and how that affects the storage tanks in those areas. Do they still use above the ground tanks? If so, how do they deal with extreme freezing temps? Maybe constant movement of water in the tanks? Just a few random thoughts.
Random thoughts make for some of the most interesting conversations. Around here they will either heat the standpipe running up to the tank with steam, or they will circulate water through it to keep it from freezing. The main water tank do not tend to freeze solid since water has such a high heat capacity. The tank's are sized so that they will change the volume of water inside of them in about a day and a half (or so is my understanding). With the insulation and the heat from the incoming water the tank does not freeze. There can be a couple feet of ice at the top, but not solid.
Howdy WaterDoc!
Welcome, WaterDoc, I'm a very recent member, too. The water freezing question is indeed always an interesting one. Around here (Tennessee) the government ag offices promote the use of "freeze proof" water tanks, and they tell the farmers that the "heat tube" provides "geothermal" heat to keep the tanks from freezing. A common recommendation is to "use a longer/deeper heat tube to protect against colder temperatures", and that using a bigger tank "is better". Hah! I actually called the manufacturers up and talked to the engineers. They all told me it was pointless to put the "heat tube" any deeper than the frost line, that the sole purpose of the tube was to keep the inlet pipe from contacting the soil within the frost layer. Contrary to the ag-science educated government experts, the ball or disc-type cattle waterers are not "freeze proof" at all. The only thing that keeps the tanks from freezing in prolonged cold weather is the turn over, as you described. Thus the tanks should be sized properly for the number of animals drinking, and. . . the tanks should be drained when not in use. We put stop valves in in-ground valve boxes, with simple ball-type hose bibs to allow draining the vertical part of the supply line. (Yeah, I know, that's a backflow code violation, but there can't be any backflow with the drain-back valve closed. We also put caps over the hose-bib threads to keep dirt from plugging the orifice.) Anyhow. . . this is HEF. . . oh, yeah, we used our trencher to put in all 4,000 feet of water line, and even used the trencher to carve out the rectangular holes for the valve boxes. Had. l. . get this. . . 150psi from the public water supply! Seems they ran only 2" "mains" in PVC for the entire rural neighborhood, so they boosted pressure to get acceptable flow. Our cattle tank float valves dribbled with that kind of pressure, so we had to put regulators in the lines. Being picky about that stuff--I have seen typical regulators provide poor flow at the set pressures--we didn't put a single reg on our main 2" line coming into the farm, rather we used individual regs in the valve boxes for the branch lines going to the water tanks. Our 2" line has enough flow for a fire hydrant, which might be worthwhile in reducing fire insurance costs if we ever build a house out there. As for disinfection, I know nothing about disinfecting mains, but disinfection of dental unit water lines has become a hot topic in my field. The 1/8 PVC flexible tubing has a very high surface area to volume ratio, and the bugs in you mains like to colonize and eat the poly tubing from the inside. Fortunately the bugs that grow there are not especially pathogenic to humans, but the scientists (and the folks who sell the disinfecting apparatus) stress the "potential" for infection, especially in the vulnerable immunocompromised patients. Of course, for surgery we use USP sterile saline bags anyway. Ah, a GM man. I'm in need. First, my '07 (2007 "Classic" or 06 style) Dmax is seeping oil--again--from the oil level sensor on the side of the oil pan. I have 33k on the truck, at this rate I'll replace the sensor 5 times in 100,000 miles. The last time I checked, I couldn't find a source for just the seal--only the sensor w/ seal as a kit. Another problem this week (besides bad alternator and belt idler bearings on the 100k 98 K2500) is lack of brake lights on that 98 truck. The rear turn signals work, the 4-way flashers work, and the high-mounted stop lamp comes on, but not either of the R or L brake lamps. That's got me scratching my head. I suppose that the trailer wiring could be pinched, shorting or grounding out the brake lamps, but I'm stumped. I'm under the impression that the turn signal lamps and brake lamps are the same lamps on this truck. One last thing: Don't believe ATCO--he's from Tennessee, too.