Draining a plastic barrel

The addition of a cone bottom is not practical on a plastic barrel, but by tilting it and adding a little pipe work a reasonable alternative can be made. The arrangement won’t completely drain the barrel unless pumping via the outlet or a siphon is formed by having the end of the external pipe somewhat lower than the bottom of the barrel.

The setup is shown in the graphic. A tank connecter with the pipe stop is used to penetrate the barrel, so that the pipe can pass completely through the connector. A suitable gasket should be made for the tank connecter and located on the inside of the barrel. The compression fitting is tightened on the pipe to complete the seal.

The arrangement can be applied with equal effect to a steel barrel, saving the expence of a cone bottom.

Photo shows this arrangement fitted to a barrel, having just drained an emulsion from a wash tank.

Julian 21:27, 15 December 2012 (UTC)