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| "Here" most tire tanks are installed with a poured concrete bottom with a Lewis/Watson valve float valve installed in the bottom of the tire. The water supply is controlled by a curb stop/drain valve buried a short distance away. The concrete is not poured all the way to the bead. Leave it down a bit and caulk around the rubber/concrete seam and where the water line comes through the concrete with 100% silicone caulk. Some use bentonite and/or pea gravel under the concrete, some don't. Main thing is to get both the tire and the dirt under the concrete on solid tamped dirt.Here is a picture of the Lewis/Watson valve. http://www.dripwell.com/watson.html For winter use usually a wooden cover is built. Megapanel (1 1/4" - 4" thick chipboard) is popular for building tank covers. Just lay it over the top of the tire if the top bead is cut out and screw it down to the tire with screws or lag bolts. Used conveyor belting or tractor tire inner tube fasten to the edges and hanging down to keep the cold from freezing the float. The valve in the bottom won't freeze with a full tank of water. If you want to let the water run to prevent the surface freezing the Watson valve can be purchased with a bleeder valve for continuous small flow of water. Any tank installations I do from now on will have a drain installed in the concrete. 4" diameter Sch 40 pipe buried with an elbow at the top of the concrete level acts as a drain. Put a piece of the 4" pipe in the elbow but do not glue it in. Cut off slightly higher than the water level the float is set at but below the rim of the tank. Then if the float sticks or use of the bleeder valve the excess water will drain away. To drain the tire simply pull the short section of pipe out of the elbow and the tire will drain to concrete level to work on the float or whatever. The "donut" or "pancake" surface adjustable-without-tools floats are well worth the extra $$$ IMO. Can also be used with Bob valves if they are your preference. http://www.robertmfg.com IMO, the Watson valve is more durable and trouble-free than the Bob valve. Bob valve is more sensitive to debris in the supply line and weaker float design making the Bob valve more susceptible to possible wind and/or livestock damage. The only weakness of the Watson valve I am aware of is it might not shut off at higher pressures.
Edited by John SD 8/20/2007 08:48
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Rubber tire troughs & Thirsty cows
