New construction - tank room advice

mpcart

mpcart

New member
I'm building a new house that is going to have a 240-300 gallon tank in the basement with an equipment room behind the tank in the unfinished portion of the basement.

I'm having the builder put in plumbing for a sink that will be dedicated to tank equipment.

Will two 20 amp lines be enough for the tank?

Is there anything else I should spec into the design that will make my life easier down the road?

Thanks,

-Mike
 
Go with at lease 4 20 amps with outlets all around the equipment room.

Also put a drain in the floor

Water storage tank and high end RO unit

Generator for power failure
 
I'd incorporate a fresh air intake and a stale air exhaust into the room. A 300+ gallon system is going to generate a HUGE amount of humidity. You'll want to be able to exchange the air in the room with fresh air from outside.

Depends what the climate is like where you are; if it gets at all cold in the winter you could end up with major humidity problems.... Best to be prepared for it.

If possible, I'd also have a floor drain included. You WILL spill water, or overflow a bucket making change water with your RO/DI unit.

Tyler
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely go with more circuits and I'll check into the floor drain.

How do you guys with large tanks control the humidity? What type of air exchange system should I be looking for?

Thanks,

-Mike
 
Since my tank is upstairs and not isolated in a fish room, I ended up getting a whole home Heat Recovery Ventilator. It's a 170CFM, the vanEE 2001 Gold.
There are stale air ducts in the bathrooms, living room near the tank, and in the fish room. The air is continually changed over.

It's around -1 to 3C outside right now and the HRV is keeping it around 39% humidity in here. Last year without the HRV I was running 70% humidity.

For a single room you could probably get a smaller HRV just for that room.

Tyler
 
Mike, Get a 9' pour if you can afford it, makes for a much more serviceable large tank room, floor drain 4 sure, may have the builder put a small sub panel in the tank room & of course make the room behind the tank as big as you can, mine is way 2 small.:D
 
It will be a 9ft pour. I'm using the term "room" incorrectly. Actually, the basement will be about half finished and the equipment will be in an unfinished portion that is about 15ft by 40ft. I hadn't planned on putting the equipment in its own room. Would putting up walls make humidity control easier?

-Mike
 
I would think walls for the room but at the base have a ridge of concrete that the walls can set on. If you overflow into the room the water will run out the drain but it will also not run under your 2x4 partition walls and ruin carpet, drywall, etc etc....
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8409271#post8409271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capncapo
I would start looking at ways to control humidity and to seal the room off from the rest of the hosue.
Click to expand...
After having a 240 in my basement and in the middle of winter every window in the house had moister all over them.. This would be my first and Major concern. Mess this up and you have drywall molding, wood warping. I had tools setting on the other side of my finished basement that even rusted.

Then all of the rest of the Ideas posted are all so helpful and great ideas.
 
Humidity was the biggest thing I underestimated. All my windows sweat during the winter; I even had mold growing on the drywall in a corner in one of the closets... 70% humidity in the middle of winter will do that.

IF you're going to use the unfinished area for only the equipment, then leaving it as a big room is fine. but if you're planning on storing things in there, or having tools there, etc I'd definitely partition it off. As ImLon2 said, your tools will rust in the room; I accidentally left a hammer in the fish room and it was rusted in a matter of days.

Tyler
 
It looks like I'm going to have to think about this some more. I hadn't realized humidity would be such a problem.

We moved quickly on the house so I didn't have a lot of time for research - in fact, they may start digging out the foundation today.

I'll have them put in a drain, put in a sink, and run a sub panel. Everything else will have to wait until I can plan this out better.


By the way, does a sub panel run off the main panel or is it an additional "main" panel? What is the advantage of doing this over running additional circuits from the main panel?

Lastly, the sump pump is going to be in the corner where the tank equipment will be. Is this a good idea and does it eliminate the need for a floor drain? I've never had a basement before so its all new to me.

Thanks,

-Mike
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8411675#post8411675 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tgunn
As ImLon2 said, your tools will rust in the room; I accidentally left a hammer in the fish room and it was rusted in a matter of days.
Click to expand...
Mine where in the other side of the basement across from the finished side.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8411699#post8411699 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpcart
It looks like I'm going to have to think about this some more. I hadn't realized humidity would be such a problem.
Click to expand...
So did I.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8411699#post8411699 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpcart
We moved quickly on the house so I didn't have a lot of time for research - in fact, they may start digging out the foundation today.
Click to expand...
Congrats!!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8411699#post8411699 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpcart
By the way, does a sub panel run off the main panel or is it an additional "main" panel? What is the advantage of doing this over running additional circuits from the main panel?
Click to expand...
It would be off the Main panel. Not sure what difference it would serve to have a sub panel VS additional circuits. Other than the breakers could be in the fish room.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8411699#post8411699 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpcart
Lastly, the sump pump is going to be in the corner where the tank equipment will be. Is this a good idea and does it eliminate the need for a floor drain? I've never had a basement before so its all new to me.
Click to expand...
Yes that should work fine because a lot of times the drain runs to the sump pump. However just make sure your sump pump will take the Salt water with out rusting.
 
pssh!
big fancy equipment rooms...
my equipment room is 7 by 3 by 3!
it's under the stairs. :) i have to crawl in it to do anything.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8412407#post8412407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dert42
pssh!
big fancy equipment rooms...
my equipment room is 7 by 3 by 3!
it's under the stairs. :) i have to crawl in it to do anything.
Click to expand...

Now THATS good planning :D
 
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