The byproduct of industry: We have had several producers who have come by and are amazed at just how big our mining tire tanks are. So we thought we would include a picture to give you a little perspective on their actual size. This is a 12 feet diameter tire that holds about 1,800 gallons of water. We often get asked, "So why such a large tank?" Often operations have wells that have limited water flow, say, a half gallon per minute. Imagine a herd of 100 cows coming in for their daily drink.
There wouldn’t be enough flow for all them to drink. So they need a tank with a large capacity so it can fill up over multiple hours from the slow flowing well. Then when the cows come in there is 1,800 gallons to just lap up.
The repurpose:
Interestingly, there are several big advantages to tire tanks over steel tanks aside from the fact they “green.” (Yes, these big mining tires can’t be chipped or ground because there is too much steel in them. The only disposal option is to bury them.)
As to advantages of tires of steel tanks, first you can’t shoot a hole through them with a rifle. Secondly, the tires don’t bend and get dented when bulls start fighting around them. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, the rubber retains heat on sunny days. So in the winter the tanks rarely freeze up.
The other question we get is, “How does the tank hold water since there is a big hole in the bottom?” You set the tire in place and then fill the whole with concrete to seal up the hole. These tanks will last decades!
Oh, and if these advantages make sense but you don’t need the extra large capacity, we also have 6-feet and 10-feet tire tanks available too! Who knows, maybe you could use a tire tank for water storage for something other livestock?! PD
Damon Carson is founder of Colorado-based Repurposed Materials, which has a diverse selection of “repurposed” products for sale. Click here to visit the website, click here to email Carson or call (303) 478-6193.
