Plumbing a bowser

[Terrier]

Have got a liquid fertiliser bowser to sort the plumbing on but would like to hear views on what is considered to be the optimum layout. The tank has a 3" bottom outlet. Thinking of using a 3" Honda pacer pump. Would filling the bowser be best done through a port in the top of the tank to avoid having to pump against the contents of the tank? Does it need filtration for clear solution products and if so what to use in conjunction with 3". Stainless or plastic ball valves?
Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Jetemp]

I would fill from the bottom of the tank it should prevent frothing

James

 

[principal skinner]

If you fill from the top, put a drop pipe in or it will froth like hell.

Keep 90 degree bends to a minimum, use swept beds where at all possible.

I like to run a filter on the suction side as its easier to keep crap out of the bowser and sprayer than deal with it once its in the system, use a large enough one and it wont slow filling down.

Keep the plumbing as simple as possible so you don't need a degree in physics to learn how to fill it.

Pipe it up so the sprayer fill pipe stays connected and on a rack down the side so you are not rolling pipes up all the time.

 

[Bumble Bee]

Our all fill though the top but as principal skinner says, fit a drop pipe in the tank.
Definitely fit a suction filter.
I'll try and put up a few pictures of our when i get a minute. It might give you an idea for the layout.

The valves are all Arag and have plastic balls in them, apart from the 5 way valve that they only do in stainless.

 

[Bumble Bee]

 

[Terrier]

Bumble Bee thanks for the pics, that gives me a much better idea. On the yellow tank why the 5 way ball valve and not 4? Is the higher outlet at the back better for filling and the lower one better for emptying?

 

[Bumble Bee]

I could not find a 4 way valve. The 5 way valve allows us to suck the fert back out of the filling pipe. The filling pipe is quite heavy to lift back onto the storage rack when it is full of fert. If you we not bothered about emptying the pipe, a 3 way valve is a lot cheaper than a 5 way.
The pipe entering the top of the tank at the rear is for filling. There is a pipe inside that discharges into the bottom of the tank to stop frothing.
On the yellow bowser the outlet from the tank is at the back of the 5 way valve. I think endurmaxx now do a sump tank with an outlet in the center of the tank that would probably empty better than ours.
The silver tank has the outlet under the tank.

 

[Terrier]

We have a couple of machines with 2" pipework as well. Would a 3" system be OK reduced down to 2" to service those? I appreciate it will severely limit performance but more concerned about any negative effects of doing this. Don't really want to have to put another 2" pump on as well.

 

[Bumble Bee]

We have a couple of machines with 2" pipework as well. Would a 3" system be OK reduced down to 2" to service those? I appreciate it will severely limit performance but more concerned about any negative effects of doing this. Don't really want to have to put another 2" pump on as well.

Yes it will work fine. We used to do the same.

 

[Philip Watkins]

Would filling the bowser be best done through a port in the top of the tank to avoid having to pump against the contents of the tank?

The pressure needed for bottom filling will be less than for top filling.

 

[SimpersTradeCounter]

Fill in top with drop pipe
Plastic ball valves
Definitely use a Suction filter it will at least give you a fighting chance
3" 90deg bends won't make much difference to swept bends as the 90s aren't too sharpe.
The beauty of 3" systems are that you would more than likely be able to just use straights anyway and use the hoses to make the bends over lengths of hose to keep flow optimum .
3" Honda pump has an open flow of 1095 l/min from memory. Couple that with plumbing and the fact that 3" suction filters only flow approx 875l/min then you don't have to over think the plumbing as you will never achieve full flow rate of the pump

We can supply all you will need

 

[2wheels]

the bowser we made filled from the top. no drop pipe and no froth, it's only water.

 

[Jack Russell]

@Bumble Bee i like the idea of the 5 way to get the ability to empty the pipe work out. What's the screen/box on the back of the yellow tank for? Flow metre?

 

[Bumble Bee]

It's a tank level indicator. Got it off Lite-Trac (it's the only thing I have got off them that actually works)

 

[Jack Russell]

I take it that's the only reminder you have of that episode.

 

[Bumble Bee]

No. I now also have a lot of grey hairs on my head.