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Solar panel rack fitted.

Solar panels fixed

DRealGeesam:
We are experts in Solar Power for homes too.
Ask questions on this too

@kopell and hajj mufutau55

Thanks. Very good to know for future references.

Hajji M.

DRealGeesam:



Oh!
Lol
Ok

If the building is not a storey building, then an 18 foot 4inch diameter pole can be cut into 2. Each pole costs about N11,000. Meaning you just need 2 of such poles for your 4 legs.

You will need 2"X2" 4mm thick angle bars for the main bracing. 4 will do.
Costs about 1,900 each

*4 U channels costs 6,500 each

*1.5" angle bar for the side ladder and upper railing (guide). 6 will do. Costs 1200 each

*2mm sheets. 2 will do. Costs 8,000 each

*flat bar
16 ground bolts and 4plates for base. (Premade) costs about N2,000 each (for the size that is ok for home use)

You will need to cast the ground bolts in concrete ( the size depends on some factors)
About N120,000 should do for the stanchion

For a 3bed room flat 2X 2000 liter tanks are ok
Costs: 44,000

For the drilling just budget 400,000-750,000 (for motorized, RECOMMENDED)
OR 150,000 to 250,000 for hand drilling (Risky in most situations)

your choice of pump or if u want to use solar power is left to you.


So average would be around N760,000 (not solar powered)

Just play around the figure and options.

Thank you sir

Good one.

DRealGeesam:


In addition to my previous answer, you dont have to buy this expensive pump, unless you want to use solar to pump water.

thanks.
for normal phcn/gen pump. bungalow domestic use what is the going rate.
also can u give a tutorial on pros / cons of motorised/manual and do you do both please
thanks

peaceland:

thanks.
for normal phcn/gen pump. bungalow domestic use what is the going rate.
also can u give a tutorial on pros / cons of motorised/manual and do you do both please
thanks

Full details coming soon on the pros and cons of motorized and manual drilling. (I will mention u as soon as i post it)
Yes i do both.

You can go for Interdab (costs btw 16,000-18,000) for 1hp

Allegro(35,000)

Lorenzt (23,000-28,000)

Grundfos Sq 2-55 (costs btw 87,000 and 90,000)

Stay tuned

NL1960:


Good one.

Thank you sir

peaceland:

thanks.
for normal phcn/gen pump. bungalow domestic use what is the going rate.
also can u give a tutorial on pros / cons of motorised/manual and do you do both please
thanks

Now to answer your question on pros and cons of Motorized/manual drilling.

There are 3 types of rocks
Igneous, Sedimentary and metermophic rocks.

We also talk about highly weathered rocks in geology.

Most of the time it may be difficult to determine what type of rock you will encounter while drilling. That is where geophysical survey comes in.

Pros of Manual drilling
* It is cheap

*It is environmentally friendly

*No vibrations, so the fractures (cracks in the rocks) are not affected.

Cons of Manual drilling
* 90% of the time, what you get is surface water. Underground runoffs from rain. Very high on coliform (not always safe)

*cant drill very deep

*Cant penetrate Igneous rocks

*wastes time. You can be on it for days.

*drillers may be forced to leave the drilling even without accomplishing their goal. So money wasted.

*very risky.

Motorized drilling is the opposite of the above.

In most situations Motorized drilling is your best bet. But there are times we recommend manual drilling, especially when we want to avoid the vibrations that comes with motorized drilling.

After the solar panels are fixed. Time to test our power output at various times of the day.
This will help in determining the efficiency of the system and average output per day.

Current reading

Plumbers at work.

More to come.

Feel free to drop your questions. Thank you.

Ready for pump installation

DRealGeesam:
Ready for pump installation

^^^^^^
Stupid question mode ON....
I have always wanted to know if that Blue PVC pipe goes all the way to the depth/bottom on the hole, if not how long/deep..
And what is the essence of it, and why always Blue...? Thanks.

Hajji M.

mufutau55:


^^^^^^
Stupid question mode ON....
I have always wanted to know if that Blue PVC pipe goes all the way to the depth/bottom on the hole, if not how long/deep..
And what is the essence of it, and why always Blue...? Thanks.

Hajji M.

Lol

It is called borehole casing

There are 2 options
*HANG casing: very risky and should only be employed with the supervision of a qualified geologist.
Why is it risky? It is risky because it does not go all the way down. Some times the driller only puts a casing to hold the overburden. The borehole could eventually collapse if the basement is sedimetary or if the casing does not connect well with the rock formation. Avoid this casing as much as possible. Hang casing is useful only when another smaller casing is inserted into it which will go all the way down.

*CASED DOWN is when the casing goes all the way down. Always the best.

FUNCTIONs OF CASING.

*It is used to block out surface water. Water in lagos is VERY CONTAMINATED! Have u noticed that most boreholes in Lagos have smelly water? That is because the driller did not case out the surface water. That pipe will prevent the surface water (underground water from runoff) from entering your borehole. This is done by totally sealing the connections of the pipes until you reach the depths with the right water bearing formations. There u have filters that allows water to seep into your borehole. This requires careful simple calculations.

*casing holds your borehole together so it wont collapse.

*casing reduces the amount of particles in the hole.

Blue is just a color, the pipe can be any color. And the thickness is very important and diameter used is determined by diameter of the hole.

The casing has to have sleets that filters and allows the borehole to recharge (fill up)

Casing MUST be done right, when wrongly done, it is very difficult to correct. A good borehole does not only have water, it has to be properly cased.

Much More to come.

Your explanations are first class and this signifies that you are educated, professional, knowledgeable and experienced at what you do.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. How can someone tell if the casing is all the way down or not, so as not to feel cheated by the crooked drillers?
Thanks.

Hajji M.

DRealGeesam:


Lol

It is called borehole casing

There are 2 options
*HANG casing: very risky and should only be employed with the supervision of a qualified geologist.
Why is it risky? It is risky because it does not go all the way down. Some times the driller only puts a casing to hold the overburden. The borehole could eventually collapse if the basement is sedimetary or if the casing does not connect well with the rock formation. Avoid this casing as much as possible. Hang casing is useful only when another smaller casing is inserted into it which will go all the way down.

*CASED DOWN is when the casing goes all the way down. Always the best.

FUNCTIONs OF CASING.

*It is used to block out surface water. Water in lagos is VERY CONTAMINATED! Have u noticed that most boreholes in Lagos have smelly water? That is because the driller did not case out the surface water. That pipe will prevent the surface water (underground water from runoff) from entering your borehole. This is done by totally sealing the connections of the pipes until you reach the depths with the right water bearing formations. There u have filters that allows water to seep into your borehole. This requires careful simple calculations.

*casing holds your borehole together so it wont collapse.

*casing reduces the amount of particles in the hole.

Blue is just a color, the pipe can be any color. And the thickness is very important and diameter used is determined by diameter of the hole.

The casing has to have sleets that filters and allows the borehole to recharge (fill up)

Casing MUST be done right, when wrongly done, it is very difficult to correct. A good borehole does not only have water, it has to be properly cased.

@ the bolded, thank you so much for the learned explanation. I have this problem with the water from my borehole and the "Engineer" who did it could not explain the reason behind the odour. At a time he told me it's due to the ocean proximity, so many conjectures indeed.

Can you work in the East....Anambra State?

kostadinis:


@ the bolded, thank you so much for the learned explanation. I have this problem with the water from my borehole and the "Engineer" who did it could not explain the reason behind the odour. At a time he told me it's due to the ocean proximity, so many conjectures indeed.

Can you work in the East....Anambra State?

Yes, that is right, proximity to the ocean is a factor. The mistake he most likely made was having the slits too high. The casing should have no slit or filter until the right depth, that is why i said it involves a little (but simple)calculation.

Yes sir i can work in Anambra.

Thank you for the enquiry.

kostadinis:

@ the bolded, thank you so much for the learned explanation. I have this problem with the water from my borehole and the
"Engineer" who did it could not explain the reason behind the odour. At a time he told me it's due to the ocean proximity,
so many conjectures indeed. Can you work in the East....Anambra State?

This guy commands my respect, not be small.

Hajji M.

mufutau55:
Your explanations are first class and this signifies that you are educated, professional, knowledgeable and experienced at what you do.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. How can someone tell if the casing is all the way down or not, so as not to feel cheated by the crooked drillers?
Thanks.

Hajji M.

Sir, thanks for the complements.

To avoid being cheated is a very simple thing. SUPERVISION.
If you cant do it, let a friend or family member be there while the drilling is going on.

You need to know the measurement of 2 things.
1. The length of each drilling shaft.
2. The length of each pvc casing

When the drilling is going on count how many drilling shaft is used (they keep joining them as they go deeper). Multiply the number by the lenght. This will give you the depth that was drilled.

Then u have to make sure that the number of pipes (casing) gives you that total length that makes your depth.

Also, make sure quality PVC pipes are used. Usually 4mm-6mm thick (thicker the better)

For already cased boreholes, it is very difficult to know where the casing reaches as u cant see inside the borehole, and u cant remove the casing just to know its depth.

So SUPERVISION is key.

DRealGeesam:

Sir, thanks for the complements.

To avoid being cheated is a very simple thing. SUPERVISION.
If you cant do it, let a friend or family member be there while the drilling is going on.

You need to know the measurement of 2 things.
1. The length of each drilling shaft.
2. The length of each pvc casing

So SUPERVISION is key.

You are still the best. Thanks for the explanations and sharing the knowledge.

Hajji M.

DRealGeesam:


Yes, that is right, proximity to the ocean is a factor. The mistake he most likely made was having the slits too high. The casing should have no slit or filter until the right depth, that is why i said it involves a little (but simple)calculation.

Yes sir i can work in Anambra.

Thank you for the enquiry.

.
I have noted down your number. We'll take it from there God willing, Insha Allah

mufutau55:


This guy commands my respect, not be small.

Hajji M.

Thanks for the instructive questions, they're really of great help to many of us. I cherish your contributions.
Thank you bro.

kostadinis:
.
I have noted down your number. We'll take it from there God willing, Insha Allah

God grant us life and grace.

Fresh updates tomorrow and new lessons on geological surveys and small scale home water supply.

Wow, you're good at your job. Fantabulous post. Can you work in Osogbo too? The drilling cost here is too high and your quotation is very reasonable.

DRealGeesam:
Painting

(I will give more details on the tank stand construction, when i start the next projects dairy on this same thread)

Thanks a lot for the informative responses.
please don't forget to do the detailed analysis for tank construction
what to watch out for; etc
for example:
1. can one use hollow pipes and fill same with cement/gravel for a bungalow instead of H beams??
2. what other ways can one know fake/genuine H beams
3. what is the standard height for tank stand for a bungalow
4. how to do the legs - what to watch out for; how to prevent rusting; how to ensure no tilt in future
5. pros/cons of dual tanks as against a bigger/same volume tank on top
6. to paint red oxide or silver/galvanised - pros/cons
7. do you do water treatment alongside or separate
etc.
when you have a willing teacher; students must not be unwilling to ask
thanks

peaceland:

Thanks a lot for the informative responses.
please don't forget to do the detailed analysis for tank construction
what to watch out for; etc
for example:
1. can one use hollow pipes and fill same with cement/gravel for a bungalow instead of H beams??
2. what other ways can one know fake/genuine H beams
3. what is the standard height for tank stand for a bungalow
4. how to do the legs - what to watch out for; how to prevent rusting; how to ensure no tilt in future
5. pros/cons of dual tanks as against a bigger/same volume tank on top
6. to paint red oxide or silver/galvanised - pros/cons
7. do you do water treatment alongside or separate
etc.
when you have a willing teacher; students must not be unwilling to ask
thanks

Ok
Good questions.

Without going too much into Structural engineering, i will answer your questions in the simplest way possible.

1. Can you use steel pipes filled with concrete for your main supports (legs)?
Answer is Absolutely YES! 3 things must be in place for you to achieve this
*Height of the stanchion (tank stand)
*amount of cross bracing
*the weight to be supported

So far the height of the tank stand is not more than 18 feet (standard manufacturing length)
*For 18feet do a double cross bracing
*for anything less than 10 feet, single bracing is enough

The filling the pipe with cement helps in handling compression forces, while the steel bracing adds to the tensile strength of the while structure (keeping the pipes from bending)

*so far the tank wont be carring more than 3 tonnes (3,000liters, 1liter is about 1kg)


How to know fake H beam
The best way to know a good steel is through it's tensile strength and resistance to rust. This will require lab tests, but you dont have to do that.

As i said earlier, a good 5X8 Hbeam should be at least 4mm thick. Watchout for rusts. It must be "healthy" not looking all brown and rusted. The darker the color the better.
Smaller beams can be less than 4mm thick, and that means u shld not use them to support heavy loads.

What is the standard height for a tank stand ?

Good question.
Water always finds it's level. The highest outlet in the house is equal to your lowest height your tank must have.
What do i mean?
The highest out let in any building is the bathroom shower. Most times your shower is about 8foot hight, meaning your tank stand must be 8foot high.
For a storey building simply make the tank stand level with the upper lintel level or where the roof starts and you are ok.

I dont want the post to be too long so i will post the rest later today

peaceland:

4. how to do the legs - what to watch out for; how to prevent rusting; how to ensure no tilt in future
5. pros/cons of dual tanks as against a bigger/same volume tank on top
6. to paint red oxide or silver/galvanised - pros/cons
7. do you do water treatment alongside or separate
etc.
when you have a willing teacher; students must not be unwilling to ask
thanks

To prevent tilting 3 things are important.
1. Foundation
2. Pluming
3. Right materials

1. Foundation.
You must take off the surface soil meaning you dig till you get a good solid ground (just like your house foundation), this should be at least 2feet deep. Concrete mixture should be 1:2:3. 1 part of cement, 2 parts of gravel, 3 parts of sharp sand.

The foundation must be re-enforced your bricklayer MUST work with your welder on this aspect. So the welder can insert the ground bolts into the concrete.

The foundation MUST be wide. If it is not wide, it will sink. The more the load it has to carry the wider it must be. 2feet by 2 feet will hold about 3000 liters tank (but not in a swampy area only on good dry land) double this for anything between 3000 and 6000 liters and so on. That is for the casting of each leg.


2. PLUMING.
This ensures that your structure is perpendicular to the ground level. If your structure is not well plumed then it will be bent and the bending will continue slowly until it collapse eventually.
Beware of welders working without plumps, such welders usually dont know what they are doing.

3. Use right materials


More updates coming

5. pros/cons of dual tanks as against a bigger/same volume tank on top

Funny but good question
Smaller tanks are easy to transport and lift.

But in terms of the real advantage of either. It all boils down to what demand your system is satisfying.
E.g if u have an outlet that allows people to fetch from your house, then u need two separate tanks so that one will serve your own building and the other the public. Also if u have several flats in a building, it is best to split the tanks, one for each flat. This way, no one will affect the other persons water needs.
You shld also use two tanks when you have a farm or any other venture within ur house that uses water.
Have 2 tanks give you control over your water usage and have a dedicated tank for your upmost priority.

Other than that just buy one tank and you wont have problems especially if it is a bungalow.