Concrete Cisterns: Pros and Cons Infographic

Check out our latest infographic to learn some of the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating concrete cisterns into your water storage system.  

Plastic Cisterns: Pros and Cons Infographic

Plastic cisterns are useful for certain specific applications, but there are also drawbacks to using plastic tanks for rainwater collection. Check out our new infographic to learn more about pros and cons of plastic cisterns.

Pump Pressure Switch: Low Level Cut-Off Pressure Switches

There are many benefits to adding a low level pressure switch to your cistern or well pump set-up.  Low level cut off pressure switches turn the pumps off if the water pressure dips below 15 psi.

Watch our simple, concise video tutorial on how to operate this pressure switch here.

Shop for pressure switches and other water pump accessories in our online store.

How To Protect Your Cistern Pump: Jet Pumps

Learn how to protect your cistern pump from potentially running dry and burning out the motor.

Check out our video tutorial on protecting jet pumps here.

Shop for pumps and other rainwater harvesting supplies in our online shop here.

How To Wire A Pressure Switch

Here at Rain Brothers we get a lot of questions about how to wire a pressure switch for a water pump used in wells or cisterns.  A pressure switch is a method of controlling a pump motor.  It works just like a light switch: when you turn the switch off it disconnects the power, and when you turn the switch back on it reconnects the power.

Check out our new video tutorial for a simple, concise explanation about wiring a pressure switch: How to wire a pressure switch

Shop pressure switches and other pump parts in our online store. 

Cleaning a Rain Cistern or Spring Tank

In all our years of working on cisterns, we've seen, tried, and heard about many different ways of cleaning out a rain cistern or spring tank. Some ways are more, shall we say, "creative" than others, but only a handful have proven themselves to be effective and safe, which is exactly the metric we strive for in conducing our business. 

Below is a link to a video tutorial we did that goes over our time-tested technique. Please note that you may need the following tools for cleaning out your own tank:

*Sterilized ladder (wash down with chlorine solution)

*Sterilized boots or hip wadders

*Sterilized pump (we prefer a 2" submersible trash pump, such as ones made by Gorman Rupp)

*Discharge hose for pump

*Food-safe, sterile drum or barrel

*Pressure washer

*Wet/Dry ShopVac

*Sterile flat shovel

*5-Gal Buckets

If you have a concrete cistern (especially if it's a concrete block cistern), you may want to also have concrete patch/Thoroseal/Hydraulic Cement on hand to make necessary repairs to the wall of the tank.

Here is the video. Hope it helps!

Rain Brothers Offering CorGal Corrugated Steel Water Tanks for Rainwater Harvesting

Rain Brothers is proud to offer a complete line of Corrugated Galvanized Steel Water Storage Tanks from CorGal. From residential scale to commercial installations, from 500 to 500,000 gallon capacities... we are your source for CorGal's line of tanks.

As CorGal’s website states, their water storage tanks are popular for many applications including rainwater harvesting, stormwater management, fire protection, irrigation, agricultural, industrial, mining, potable drinking water and more. The tanks are manufactured from high quality corrugated, hot-dipped galvanized steel for superior strength and durability. Each CorGal Tank is engineered to withstand the wind and snow loads and seismic forces at specific locations to ensure longevity of the tank. Intensive engineering to national design codes makes these tanks extremely adaptable to any climate, landscape type or building facility. Every tank is custom built, unique to the customer's needs and assembled at the project site.

Architects/Engineers: Let us help with your system design. Contact us today for specs, cut sheets, design ideas, and more. 

Don't want a big steel tank? We also offer residential-sized corrugated steel tanks.  Contact us today for more information.